As the NFL considers whether the Ravens violated the rules of the offseason program by putting rookies in pads during a recent minicamp, some have asked what the consequences will be. So here’s the answer, for those who asked (and those who didn’t).
The Collective Bargaining Agreement uses a combination of fines, lost practice time, and draft-pick forfeiture in situations like this. The good news for the Ravens is that draft picks become an issue only in the event of multiple violations in the same league year. (The bad news is that they’re now potentially one violation away from losing a fourth-round pick.)
For a first violation, the head coach “shall be subject to a fine in the amount of $100,000 for the first violation,” and the team “shall be subject to a fine in the amount of $250,000 for the first violation.” Those amounts are based on 2011 league revenues; there’s a provision in the CBA allowing for an increase based on future growth in earnings.
Under the labor deal, the team’s next week of OTA sessions also “shall be canceled.”
Two years ago, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll was fined “at least” $100,000, the Seahawks were fined “more than $200,000,” and the team lost two minicamp days in 2015 for having impermissible contact at offseason workouts in 2014.
It has not yet been determined that the Ravens definitely violated the rules. If it is, the penalties don’t provide much wiggle room for the Ravens, given the presence of the word “shall.”