NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement

Article 15
System Arbitrator

Section 8
Procedure for Appeals

(a)

Any party seeking to appeal (in whole or in part) an award of the System Arbitrator must serve on the other party and file with the System Arbitrator a notice of appeal within ten (10) days of the date of the award appealed from.

(b)

Following the timely service and filing of a notice of appeal, the NFLPA and NFL shall attempt to agree upon a briefing schedule. In the absence of such agreement, and subject to Subsection (d) below, the briefing schedule shall be set by the Appeals Panel; provided, however, that any party seeking to appeal (in whole or in part) from an award of the System Arbitrator shall be afforded no less than fifteen (15) and no more than twenty-five (25) days from the date of the issuance of such award, or the date of the issuance of the System Arbitrator’s written opinion, whichever is latest, to serve on the opposing party and file with the Appeals Panel its brief in support thereof; and provided further that the responding party or parties shall be afforded the same aggregate amount of time to serve and file its or their responding brief(s).

(c)

The Appeals Panel shall schedule oral argument on the appeal(s) no less than five (5) and no more than ten (10) days following the service and filing of the responding brief(s), and shall issue a written decision within thirty (30) days from the date of argument. The Appeals Panel shall have the discretion to permit a reply brief.

(d)

For good cause, either party may seek to accelerate the briefing, hearing, and decision schedule set forth in Subsections (b) and (c) above.

(e)

The decision of the Appeals Panel shall constitute full, final, and complete disposition of the dispute. If there is no timely appeal of a decision of the System Arbitrator, the System Arbitrator’s decision shall constitute the full, final and complete disposition of the dispute.