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NFL, NFLPA enact rule prohibiting certain off-field activities with stiff punishment for violators, per report

This explains those preventive stipulations (fines and incentives) that I mentioned earlier regarding protocols. If all of these are followed by all personnel the chance for any outbreak are almost nil.

NFL, NFLPA enact rule prohibiting certain off-field activities with stiff punishment for violators, per report

Things could get expensive quickly for players who don't respect COVID-19 guidelines

Some of the items that needed to be hashed out between the NFL and the NFLPA to get training camp started as scheduled were complex, and often exceedingly so. Other matters seemed a bit more rooted in common sense, however, and rely heavily on players simply doing the right thing amid the ongoing (and again surging) COVID-19 pandemic. To help nudge them in the right direction is a new clause that's been reportedly agreed to by both sides, and it involves potential punishment for players who partake in activities that put them at a higher risk of contracting the novel coronavirus.

According to Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, players are prohibited from engaging in such activities including, but not limited to, attending bars and/or nightclubs, hosting or attending indoor parties and concerts where more than 15 people will be present, as well as a ban on professional sporting events and even indoor church services that exceed 25 percent capacity. There are obvious caveats, in that players are allowed to pick up food from a bar, and the professional sporting event they can attend would be their own.

Should a player be found in violation of this new subset of COVID-19 driven rules, they could be subject to a fine, and would reportedly not be paid for any games missed if they test positive afterward. As it stands, players who test positive would be held in a separate section of the injury report, but still paid. High-risk behavior off the field would not only negate that right to compensation while sidelined, but possibly void future guaranteed money as well.

The latter is an extremely poignant stance, seeing as it mirrors what would occur if a player was suspended, i.e., often giving the respective team the right to void guaranteed money.

As far as enforcement of the social activities rule goes, well, it's up to teams to decide how they'll keep their players in line. While it's entirely possible they'll keep a stern eye on franchise players whose absence could completely put them at a competitive disadvantage for upwards of two weeks or more, most of the roster would simply be at the mercy of a world driven by social media and a camera in every hand waiting to get a glimpse of an NFL player doing the wrong thing. The good news for players is avoiding punishment is fairly simple and straightforward, in that all one must do is what they should've been doing up to this point anyway: staying home when possible, social distancing and avoiding high-risk gatherings and establishments.

In other words, as the NFL and NFLPA attempt to keep a lid on the number of positive tests during training camp and the regular season, stay home or risk both your health and your paychecks.