NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement

Article 21
Offseason Workouts

Section 2(c)(iii)
Time Periods

(c)(iii)

Phase Three. Phase Three shall consist of the next four weeks of the Club’s offseason workout program. Subject to the additional rules set forth in Subsections 5(a) and 5(c) of this Article and Appendix G to this Agreement, during Phase Three each Club may conduct a total of ten days of organized team practice activity (“OTAs” or “OTA days”). The restrictions set forth in Subsection 5(b) of this Article shall not apply to OTA days. The Club may conduct a maximum of three days of OTAs during each of the first two weeks of Phase Three. A maximum of four days of OTAs may be conducted during either the third week or the fourth week of Phase Three, with the Mandatory Veteran Minicamp (Article 22, Section 2) to be held during the other week. During weeks in which the Club conducts only three days of OTAs, the Club may also conduct a fourth day of non-OTA workouts, but such activities shall be subject to the rules governing Phase Two workouts, as set forth in Subsection 2(c)(ii) of this Article. During Phase Three, all coaches shall be allowed on the field. No live contact is permitted. No one-on-one offense vs. defense drills are permitted (i.e., no offensive linemen vs. defensive linemen pass rush or pass protection drills, no wide receivers vs. defensive backs bump-and-run drills, and no one-on-one special teams drills involving both offense and defense are permitted) except that, outside of the 10-yard line, simulated press coverage is permitted using hand placement (versus jamming) during 11-on-11 drills and related position group one-on-one drills (e.g., footwork and release work (no “live-contact” or “bump-and-run”). During simulated press coverage drills, hand contact between a defensive player and a receiver is permitted provided the defensive player does not impede the receiver or alter his route and no live contact occurs. The NFL shall provide a video that is jointly approved by the parties demonstrating permissible press coverage and one-on-one drills. In addition to onfield activities permitted during Phase Two of a Club’s offseason workout program, special teams drills (e.g., kicking team vs. return team) are permitted, provided no live contact occurs. Team offense vs. team defense drills, including all drills listed in Appendix G to this Agreement, are permitted, provided no live contact occurs. Clubs may require players to wear helmets; players may wear jointly approved protective shirts; no shells are permitted during Phase Three of the Club’s offseason workout program or any minicamp. The on-field time limit for Phase Three begins when coaches begin to coach a player or players on the field. In the event that a Club begins an on-field OTA practice but such practice is discontinued within sixty minutes of its commencement due to inclement weather or for any reason beyond the Club’s control, the practice may be rescheduled on another day within the nine-week limit for offseason workouts unless the Club has an indoor practice facility, in which case the practice must be resumed and completed, if at all, on the same day in the Club’s indoor facility, provided that the Club shall have a reasonable period of time to relocate players and equipment. In such a case the NFL will notify the NFLPA on a same-day basis that the practice was interrupted. If the Club does not have an indoor facility and wishes to reschedule the practice, the NFL will consult with the NFLPA before the practice is rescheduled.