A newly agreed-upon system from the NFL and the NFLPA mandates a single-game ban for players who accumulate three infractions of any single designated safety regulation.
Under this framework, offenses can roll over from one season to the subsequent one to track a potential third violation across five particular categories: hip-drop tackles, horse-collar tackles, launching, defenseless player hits, and blindside blocks.
Every player starts each new season with no active infractions on their record. (Under the old system, violations could impact increased disciplinary measures for a span of 34 regular-season contests.)
Should a player commit just a single infraction during a season, their record is completely cleared for the following year.
In cases where a player registers two infractions in one year, one of those counts will transfer to the next season. If they remain infraction-free during that subsequent year, their record returns to zero for the year after. (However, recording one infraction in that second year means they will transfer one violation into their third season.)
Reaching three infractions triggers an automatic one-game ban, with further suspensions handed down for every subsequent violation during that same season.
Following a suspension, the player will start the next season carrying two infractions. Consequently, they will spend the entire following season just one violation away from another suspension. If they manage to avoid any infractions during that season, their total resets back to zero for the year that follows.
While the regulations are somewhat complex, franchises will undoubtedly monitor their roster’s status regarding these five suspension-eligible categories very closely. Journalists will also be tracking these infractions, ensuring the public is well aware when a player is on the verge of a third offense and a subsequent ban.
As previously reported, this newly established policy would have triggered just a single suspension in 2024 and another in 2025, even though players were not yet facing the risk of a ban. The expectation is that players who accumulate two infractions will understand the stakes of a third offense and take extreme care to avoid it.
