National Football League commissioner Roger Goodell has announced tougher penalties for domestic violence, including potential life bans for repeat offenders, and apologised for issuing a weak abuse penalty last month.
In a letter to team owners outlining revisions to the NFL's personal conduct policy, Goodell said that violations regarding assault, battery, domestic violence or sexual assault involving physical force will bring a six-game ban without pay and a second offence will bring a minimum one-year ban from the NFL.
Players can seek reinstatement after one year but Goodell warned, "there will be no presumption or assurance that the petition will be granted."
The policy applies not only to players but all team personnel.
The moves come after criticism of Goodell's handling of the domestic violence case involving Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice.
In July, Goodell issued Rice a two-game suspension for assaulting the woman who later became Rice's wife.
"Our personal conduct policy has long made clear that domestic violence and sexual assault are unacceptable. We clearly must do a better job of addressing these incidents in the NFL. And we will," Goodell said.
"At times, however, and despite our best efforts, we fall short of our goals.
"We clearly did so in response to a recent incident of domestic violence.
"We allowed our standards to fall below where they should be and lost an important opportunity to emphasise our strong stance on a critical issue and the effective programs we have in place.
"My disciplinary decision led the public to question our sincerity, our commitment, and whether we understood the toll that domestic violence inflicts on so many families.
"I take responsibility both for the decision and for ensuring that our actions in the future properly reflect our values.
"I didn't get it right.
"Simply put, we have to do better. And we will."
A more severe penalty would be imposed for such violations as incidents that took place before joining the NFL, violence involving a weapon, repeated hits, actions against a pregnant woman or with a child present.
The two-game ban against Rice for striking Janay Palmer in an elevator in Atlantic City, New Jersey, was less than substance abuse, performance-enhancing drug use or drink driving.
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