The league cracking down on excessive contact in minicamp - good rule?

[PATRIOTSFANINPA]

Is the league getting a little too tough on excessive training and contact during minicamp?

I just heard the Philadelphia Eagles today were accused of too much contact during drills in minicamp and the Raiders were accused of similar activity earlier last week

There is a possibility that the Eagles will lose a draft pick next season because of the infraction,The Raiders have lost a week of conditioning as in weight training ect this offseason as well.

Is the league going too far in terms of allowing excessive contact during minicamp?

Here is the article from the Raiders situation... http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=...652240&cid=1117404470&ei=Gyt4Ro7gEYic0AHH5oQw

I know the league wants to protect players from serious injury before the preseason games even begin,but I don't know what exactly is the answer here,especially the bad teams that have a new coach who wants to instill a positive hard hitting bunch of guys and wanting to build a team with discipline.

 

[TripleOption]

It's utter crap. It should be up to the Coach how much contact there is at ANY practice.

This isn't College. These are professionals.

 

[TheSeymonsta]

It's utter crap. It should be up to the Coach how much contact there is at ANY practice.

This isn't College. These are professionals.

100% Correct and they are getting paid damn good money...

 

[BB_dynasty]

Sometimes the league does too much. I am pretty sure that you get hit in a game, so are they going to start punishing players for each tackle?

I know they won't but still, a team should decide, if someone gets injured it only hurts them.

 

[zippo59]

If it is in the CBA (which it is) it should be honored. Bottom line is teams are breaking the rules. Either take it out of the CBA or follow the damn rule, but don't keep it in and not enforce it.

 

[pats1]

Sometimes the league does too much. I am pretty sure that you get hit in a game, so are they going to start punishing players for each tackle?

I know they won't but still, a team should decide, if someone gets injured it only hurts them.

This wasn't the league's idea. This is a rule the NFLPA negotiated to protect their players in the latest CBA.

 

[zippo59]

Sometimes the league does too much. I am pretty sure that you get hit in a game, so are they going to start punishing players for each tackle?

I know they won't but still, a team should decide, if someone gets injured it only hurts them.

It has nothing to do with the league. If they had their way the coaches should have full power to decide the extent of contact during offseason practices. This is the NFLPA. They were the ones who wanted the rule as one of the conditions of the CBA.

 

[BB_dynasty]

It has nothing to do with the league. If they had their way the coaches should have full power to decide the extent of contact during offseason practices. This is the NFLPA. They were the ones who wanted the rule as one of the conditions of the CBA.

This wasn't the league's idea. This is a rule the NFLPA negotiated to protect their players in the latest CBA.

Sorry, I just mis-typed since I was confused after reading a part of the original post.

 

[BHSL2]

I think the PA should be more concerned with helping the retired players whose bodies have been battered from playing the game. They are the ones whose families have been burdened with the constant responsibilities of taking care of them.

 

[Pujo]

I think the PA should be more concerned with helping the retired players whose bodies have been battered from playing the game. They are the ones whose families have been burdened with the constant responsibilities of taking care of them.

I think they're trying to avoid having more of those cases in the future.

 

[BHSL2]

I think they're trying to avoid having more of those cases in the future.

Yeah, that too.

 

[TomBrady'sGoat]

Yes, it is good that they are cracking down. There's plenty of time for contact; June isn't that time.

 

[gomezcat]

It's utter crap. It should be up to the Coach how much contact there is at ANY practice.

This isn't College. These are professionals.

100% Correct and they are getting paid damn good money...

I agree with both comments. This IS Football, not tiddlywinks.

 

[Gopats!!!]

It needs to be taken out of the CBA. If it says no contact at all it is ridiculous!

It seems the NFL gives basically whatever the players want.

If the owners ever say no there will be a huge fight.

 

[zippo59]

I think they're trying to avoid having more of those cases in the future.

Didn't Upshaw say at the Superbowl that there isn't any money to give to the retired players. That really made me angry. The NFL is a multi billion dollar franchise with players receiving eight figure salaries, yet there is no money to give?

 

[Pat_Nasty]

There have been rules regarding the amount of contact in off-season mini-camps since before the current CBA... you know, back when there actually was something resembling an off-season.

From training camp 'til the end of the season, the coaches can have as much or as little contact during practice as they'd like. In terms of the history of professional football, having mandatory practices at all during the off-season is a relatively new development. (Remember, pro football players used to have other jobs during the off-season.)

The players understand that in today's NFL, year-round fitness programs + off-season mini-camps are necessary for teams to be competitive. Thus, their union has ceded the right of franchises to conduct a certain number of days of mandatory off-season practices. Part of the stipulation for this right was that there were to be severe limitations on the amount of contact during these practices.

Football players understand that they assume a good amount of injury risk in their profession, and have accepted the fact that a not insignificant number of them will go down with serious injuries during the course of training camp and the regular season. I don't think it's at all unreasonable for them to want to limit the risk of injury they're subjected to during the supposed off-season. I mean, we've already had a handful of guys suffer season-ending injuries during mini-camps which broke the "no contact" rules.

If the owners want their coaches to be able to allow more contact during off-season mini-camps, they're welcome to negotiate that with the union... but they should certainly be prepared to pay for it with some concessions of their own.

 

[TripleOption]

Yes, it is good that they are cracking down. There's plenty of time for contact; June isn't that time.

Who should decide that? A guy on a message board, a union official, or an NFL Head Coach?

If Belichick wants contact in June, he should get it. The ultimate measuring stick would be his success. If the players break down in October than he will be unsuccessful and be fired. A number of NFL HC's have tried to go light contact because the "players love it". Most of them are gone.

 

[TripleOption]

Didn't Upshaw say at the Superbowl that there isn't any money to give to the retired players. That really made me angry. The NFL is a multi billion dollar franchise with players receiving eight figure salaries, yet there is no money to give?

Gene Upshaw is the head of the Players Union, not the NFL. It doesn't matter what the NFL made over a period of time; the NFLPA doesn't get a cut of that.

Frankly, I am tired of hearing about how the Player's Union needs to take care of retired players. It's the League that should do that. The NFLPA is a labor union. Unions negotiate contracts, benefits and mediate disputes for current, active players. Once a player is retired, he is no longer a member and is not provided for.

 

[Gopats!!!]

There have been rules regarding the amount of contact in off-season mini-camps since before the current CBA... you know, back when there actually was something resembling an off-season.

From training camp 'til the end of the season, the coaches can have as much or as little contact during practice as they'd like. In terms of the history of professional football, having mandatory practices at all during the off-season is a relatively new development. (Remember, pro football players used to have other jobs during the off-season.)

The players understand that in today's NFL, year-round fitness programs + off-season mini-camps are necessary for teams to be competitive. Thus, their union has ceded the right of franchises to conduct a certain number of days of mandatory off-season practices. Part of the stipulation for this right was that there were to be severe limitations on the amount of contact during these practices.

Football players understand that they assume a good amount of injury risk in their profession, and have accepted the fact that a not insignificant number of them will go down with serious injuries during the course of training camp and the regular season. I don't think it's at all unreasonable for them to want to limit the risk of injury they're subjected to during the supposed off-season. I mean, we've already had a handful of guys suffer season-ending injuries during mini-camps which broke the "no contact" rules.

If the owners want their coaches to be able to allow more contact during off-season mini-camps, they're welcome to negotiate that with the union... but they should certainly be prepared to pay for it with some concessions of their own.

From what I understand, training camps were a lot more grueling and a lot longer back then. I think it is somewhat of a trade off.

 

[Robdude]

I agree with Zippo here if it is a rule then everyone should follow it.

Either way it seems like there is enough to do without excessive contact in minicamp. I do not beleive there needs to be a lot of hitting then.