Player Fines: How the Wrong Nasal Strip Can Cost You 5 Grand

Besides the nuances of the salary cap and a bunch of other issues, the Collective Bargaining Agreement that governs the relationship between the players and the NFL clubs also creates the authority of both the Club and League to impose various fines upon the player in relation to his various on the field activities. This week, I will discuss the fines that the League can assess (having too many cars or wearing ugly suits is not included):

Uniform/Equipment Violation: anywhere from $5,000 to $10,000

$5000 fines

- High/Low whites on socks
- Pants not covering knees (no skin should show below the waist)
- Bandana
- Wrong nasal strip
- Hand towel alterations - towel must be 6 by 8 inches and have no tape on it
- Tape not the same color of the shoe
- Jersey untucked (usually there is a warning for this one)
- Jersey cut too short
- Sleeves coming out of jersey - only QB can have this and only a certain amount can come out
- Chinstrap undone ($7500)

$10,000 fines
- Personal messages
- Any second offense fine
- Wrong attire 90 minutes previous and after a game - clothes must be Reebok apparel
- Tinted visor - must have a doctors note for a tinted visor

In regard to the "Other Uniform/Equipment" League fines, the following rules are applied to each NFL player (Note: before the season each player receives a copy of the uniform rules both in narrative and picture version):

Jersey -- has to be tucked in. Extra short or jerseys cut above the waist are prohibited. Sleeves can not be torn or cut.

Towels -- are limited to a maximum of 6 inches wide and 8 inches long. Must be tucked into the front waist of the pants.

Exterior Socks -- must be a one-piece solid white from the top of the shoe to the mid-calf with the approved team color(s) going from the mid-calf to the bottom of the pant leg, which is to be pulled down below the knee.

Pants -- must be pulled down over the knees. The knee area of the pants must not be altered or cut away.

Shoes -- Each team must have either all-white or all-black shoes throughout the team. Note that tape on shoes and stockings must be transparent or a matching color. (Note: even though proper taping of shoes is allowed by the League, this "spakking" of shoes could cause the player to violate the terms of a shoe endorsement he may have).

Sideline Appearance -- the only caps that players are permitted to wear on the sidelines is headwear provided by an NFL authorized supplier. Smokeless tobacco is also prohibited on the sidelines.

The NFL has hired various ex-players to attend games and assess violations of the beforenoted uniform violations (the "Uniform Police"). For purposes of a player violating the cap and/or smokeless tobacco rules, the Game Referee is also authorized to use his judgment to determine whether a breach occurred.

Other fines include:

Overweight: maximum fine of $453 per lb. overwieght, the fine to be assesed no more than two times a week and at least 3 days apart

Unexcused late reporting for mandatory minicamp, team meeting, practice, transportation, curfew, scheduled appointment with Club doctor or scheduled promotional activity: maximum fine of $1,500
[Note: if player misses any of the above the fine is increased to $9,079]

Losing, damaging or altering Club-provided equipment: maximum fine of $1,500 and replacement cost

Unexcused late reporting for or absence from pre-season trainng camp by a player under contract: maximum fine of $15,888 per day

Loss of all or part of playbook, scouting report or game plan: maximum fine of $9,079

Material failure to follow rehab program prescribed by Club doctor or trainer: maximum fine of $9,079
Physical Contact with Game Official: $15,000 first offense, $25,000 second offense

Verbal or other Non-Physical Offense Against Official: $15,000 first offense, $25,000 second offense

Flagrant Personal Foul: $7,500 or higher, fine and/or suspension determined by degree of violation

Fighting: $5,000 first offense, $12,500 second offense or in extreme cases suspension

Unnecessarily entering Fight Area (active involvement): $2,500 first offense, $5,000 second offense

Unnecessarily entering Fight Area (no active involvement): $1,000 first offense, $5,000 second offense

Excessive Profanity toward Opponents, Game Personnel, Fans, Your Mom, Media, etc.: $5,000/$7,500

Taunting: $5,000/$7,500

Ejection from a game: maximum fine of $15,888

Throwing Football into Stands: maximum fine of $1,500

Foreign Substances on Body/Uniform (i.e., Grease): $10,000/$15,000
[Note: Team management and coaching staff can also be fined for permitting foreign substance violation]

Note a player can challenge the imposition of any fine and/or suspension imposed by the League through the use of an independent arbitrator to determine the sanction's validity (both in terms of whether an infraction occurred and/or the amount of fine/suspension). Usually the fine is taken out of the player's paycheck by his Club when imposed and them later refunded to him if he is successful on his appeal in having it reduced or eliminated.

Minor League Football and the NFL: Has the Time Come?

With the demise several years ago of NFL Europe and the fact that nothwithstanding the recent influx of more players from the Canadian Football League its format really only benefits skill postion players (i.e., QBs, WRs, RBs, and DBs) in preparing for the NFL, I think its time for the NFL to implement its own minor league system.

Sports fans are familiar with the minor league format of baseball and hockey. To a less organized degree, NBA teams have utilized the Continental Basketball Association and foreign leagues to supplement their teams. NFL teams do not have a formalized affiliation with another professional league in terms of the development of prospects. Based on a format similar to that used in Major League Baseball and the National Hockey League, the following is a framework of a NFL Minor League system ("NFL Minor"):

Teams: NFL Minor would be composed of 8 teams, consisting of two 4 team divisions. 4 NFL clubs will have a direct relationship with one of the eight particular NFL Minor teams (i.e., 32 NFL teams, 4 NFL clubs per NFL Minor team.) Each NFL Minor club would be owned by the NFL, and be located in those cities (as determined by the NFL) that do not have a regular NFL club nor a perennial NCAA Division I college football power.

Allocation of Players: Each NFL club would allocate, after the completion of its NFL training camp, 15 players from its initial training camp roster to its NFL minor affiliate. There would be no restriction on age or years of NFL experience for allocated players.

Management/Coaches of NFL Minor Clubs: To be determined solely by the NFL. The advantage of such a system would be the training of management and coaching personnel for future NFL opportunities, and accelerated implementation of the NFL's affirmative action program.

Roster Determination: NFL Minor training camps would open the Saturday before the first game of the regular NFL season (i.e., around Labor Day). From the initial 60 man roster (i.e., each of 4 teams allocates 15 players), a final 50 man roster would be finalized within 21 days after the beginning of the NFL Minor camps (which is approximately the same day after the 3rd week of the regular NFL season).

Player Salaries: Any player who is allocated to NFL Minor by his original NFL club will receive $4,500 per week (which is lower than the general $5,200 a week for NFL practice squad players in 2010 and generally more annually than the overall average salaries in the United Football league and CFL). Note that any NFL Minor player who is elevated to a regular NFL club during the season (see below) would be paid the regular NFL minimum salary ($320,000 for 1st year players in 2010, etc.) while on the regular NFL club.

Player Movement: Each NFL club would be allowed to bring up one of its allocated players from its NFL Minor affiliated team without said player being subject to a claim by any other NFL club, up to a maximum of 5 times during a regular NFL season. Any attempt to bring up a player after the "5 time rule" is satisfied will not be automatic and will cause said player to be subject to claim by any other regular NFL team via a waiver system similar to the one currently used by the NFL (team with worst record gets first choice, etc.).

Note that when a NFL Minor player is elevated to his NFL Club, the club will have the option to allocate to its NFL Minor affiliate any player that it has to release to make room for the elevated player, provided that the released NFL player is not claimed on waivers per the NFL waiver system (if applicable). Any NFL player allocated to NFL Minor during the NFL regular season will earn the beforenoted $4,500 week NFL Minor salary, unless a different amount was negotiated in the allocated player's regular NFL contract. This is similar to the NHL, where players are given (after negotiation) "2 way" contracts, providing that they make a lower base salary if they play in the minor league system of the NHL club.

A team's allocated NFL Minor player can be claimed by another NFL club (the "Claiming Club") for activation to the Claiming Club's regular NFL roster at any time, subject to the right of the original NFL club, when provided notice of said claim by the rival club, to preclude said claim by electing to activate the player in question to its NFL roster (note the beforenoted "5 time rule" will not be applicable in this situation thereby allowing the original NFL club to be able to retain its NFL minor player even though it has already had 5 call-ups to the regular NFL team to date). If, however, a NFL club elects to activate to its regular NFL roster another club's NFL Minor player and the original NFL club does not elect to activate the same player to its roster, the new (claiming) NFL club must transfer its 7th round pick in the upcoming NFL Draft to the original NFL club (or if the claiming club does not have a 7th round pick in the upcoming Draft then it must transfer its 6th round pick, or if it doesn't have a 6th round pick then its 5th round pick . . . ).

Games: NFL Minor games would be played during the same time as the NFL regular season, except that a 12 game schedule would be implemented and all games would be played on Wednesdays and/or Saturday nights. The intent of this type of format is that fans would be more receptive to an NFL-affiliated league if it were played during football season and at a time (Saturday or Wednesday night) that does not conflict (usually) with college football games. Upon the completion of the NFL Minor schedule (which would coincide with the ending of the regular NFL regular season schedule), a play-off format would involve the top 2 teams in each division playing in the first round of the playoffs (#1 seed in East plays #2 seed in West, etc.), with the NFL Minor championship being played the following week. Note the NFL Minor playoffs would be on Friday nights since the NFL clubs could have playoff games on Saturday during the same time period.

Completion of NFL Minor Season: All allocated players still on the affiliated NFL Minor team would count against the NFL club's 80 man roster for the next NFL season. Any NFL Minor players released during the subsequent off-season would be subject to the regular NFL waiver rules.

The advantage of the NFL Minor system is that it would allow a NFL club to get a "second look" at a player that does not initially make its regular NFL club without actually having to relinquish that player's rights for any such players could be allocated to the club's NFL Minor affiliate. Also, by having the teams play during the regular NFL season and in the U.S., an NFL club would be able to shuffle players between its minor league affiliate and the NFL club in a manner similar to the system used by MLB and NHL clubs. Unlike the Canadian and Arena Football Leagues, the NFL Minor player would also be playing with the same set of rules and conditions that are used in the NFL. Finally, by locating NFL Minor teams in U.S. cities that would be identified by the NFL as being receptive to NFL-affiliated football, the operating cost of the league should be less that the NFL paid to maintain NFL Europe.