NFL off season restrictions question

[Hapless Bills Fan]

So, we know that the NFL has restrictions on contact between coaches and players in the off-season.  The coaches can have social contact - call the players up to chat about golf or fishing - but are not supposed to watch film together or discuss football.  (Yes, I think the coach can have 40 players over to grill steak and cannonball into his pool, but it's unlikely 40 players would be in the same town in the off-season so that would draw scrutiny outside OTAs or training camp)

 

After the season ends, the HC, coordinator, and position coach can meet with the player and discuss his performance and future goals.  The S&C staff can give him a packet of off-season workouts.  Then that's it.

 

My question is: when a team changes coaching staff, is there an exception where the new staff can contact the players on the roster and give a new evaluation/goals or new off-season workout?

[BringBackFlutie]

I don't know how in-depth they get, but I know when coaches get hired they typically call up the QB of that side of the ball (i.e. a new OC calls up the QB and a new DC calls up the MLB or whatever leader on D). 

 

I'm sure that's not just to say, "hi I'm the new OC. How's the fam?" They almost definitely talk about their philosophy and plans moving forward. I'm sure the coach can't like, assign any work, but the player probably gets an idea of what what they should start looking at, if they so choose.

 

...all speculation. I don't have the rule book in front of me. Hopefully this is useful, contextually. 

[billsfan1959]

I believe if it is done on a yacht...

[Bangarang]

I have to believe every team violates this rule. How can the league possibly know and police coaches talking to players in the off-season?

[Jim Bob]

https://nflpa.com/active-players/off-season-rules

 

This doesn't get into how much contact coaches and players can have outside of OTAs and Minicamp.

 

https://nflpaweb.blob.core.windows.net/website/PDFs/CBA/March-15-2020-NFL-NFLPA-Collective-Bargaining-Agreement-Final-Executed-Copy.pdf

 

Here is the whole CBA if you really want to dig into it.

 

Quote

(v) notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Article, Clubs may provide players with video for viewing by the player away from the Club facility. The video may be distributed to players by external hard drive, downloading to the player’s personal or Club-provided electronic device, or by providing the player with access to the Club’s game video database, so long as no player is rewarded or disciplined based upon the frequency or duration of his use of such database. The video may include coaching or instructional voiceovers or audio content, superimposed diagrams, schematics, or written commentary. In addition, nothing herein shall prevent a Club from permitting an individual player to work out on his own on weekends after the Club’s official offseason program has commenced, or at any time after the Club’s official offseason workout program has ended, using Club facilities if he wishes to do so, subject to the restrictions set forth in Subsections 2(b)(i)-(iii) above, except that no Club official may indicate to a player that such individual workouts are not voluntary, or that a player’s failure to participate in such workouts will result in the player’s failure to make the Club (or that a player’s failure to participate in a workout program or classroom instruction will result in the player’s failure to make the Club or result in any other adverse consequences affecting his working conditions).

 

And given that the Bills have the same head coach, I doubt they get a ton of leeway just because they have a new OC and some new position coaches.

Edited February 8, 2022 by Jim Bob

[ndirish1978]

For Josh in particular, they have said there is some communication between the team and Jordan Palmer. Since Palmer is a private coach he can work on concepts with Josh independently in the offseason.

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

4 minutes ago, Bangarang said:

I have to believe every team violates this rule. How can the league possibly know and police coaches talking to players in the off-season?

"Be seeing you..."

[ColoradoBills]

22 minutes ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

So, we know that the NFL has restrictions on contact between coaches and players in the off-season.  The coaches can have social contact - call the players up to chat about golf or fishing - but are not supposed to watch film together or discuss football.  (Yes, I think the coach can have 40 players over to grill steak and cannonball into his pool, but it's unlikely 40 players would be in the same town in the off-season so that would draw scrutiny outside OTAs or training camp)

 

After the season ends, the HC, coordinator, and position coach can meet with the player and discuss his performance and future goals.  The S&C staff can give him a packet of off-season workouts.  Then that's it.

 

My question is: when a team changes coaching staff, is there an exception where the new staff can contact the players on the roster and give a new evaluation/goals or new off-season workout?

 

I do know that new HCs can start offseason workouts 2 weeks before the rest of the league.

If that helps.

 

https://operations.nfl.com/gameday/nfl-schedule/2022-important-nfl-dates/

 

April 4  Clubs that hired a new head coach after the end of the 2021 regular season may begin offseason workout programs.

April 18  Clubs with returning head coaches may begin offseason workout programs

 

[djp14150]

The rules are more organizational workout stuff

 

therr are no rules thst say a player in the off season can’t come and use the workout facilities or physical rehab post injury in the offseason

 

there are rules on organized team events especially between draft and camp opens

 

coaches can talk to players all the time and get their input FA players they could sign or who they might draft.

[Hapless Bills Fan]

Thanks, guys. 

 

What was on my mind more specifically was Aaron Kromer joining us as OL coach.  He might have different techniques he wants the OL to work on off-season, that would require different off-season workouts and drlls than they were assigned.

 

5 minutes ago, djp14150 said:

there are no rules thst say a player in the off season can’t come and use the workout facilities or physical rehab post injury in the offseason

 

Actually there are very specific rules about this, a number of players are on record commenting about how frustrating it is.  Injured players can choose to rehab in the facility, in which case the services of the medical staff and athletic trainers are available to them, but they still can't watch film with coaches or talk about football with coaches.

 

They can also choose to train off-season at the club's facility, but unless they're injured, several have commented on how stupid it is that the S&C staff can be right there, working out right next to them, and yet the staff aren't allowed to help or work with them.

[Saxum]

Regarding NFLPA:

 

[Hapless Bills Fan]

50 minutes ago, Jim Bob said:

https://nflpa.com/active-players/off-season-rules

 

This doesn't get into how much contact coaches and players can have outside of OTAs and Minicamp.

 

https://nflpaweb.blob.core.windows.net/website/PDFs/CBA/March-15-2020-NFL-NFLPA-Collective-Bargaining-Agreement-Final-Executed-Copy.pdf

 

Here is the whole CBA if you really want to dig into it.

 

 

And given that the Bills have the same head coach, I doubt they get a ton of leeway just because they have a new OC and some new position coaches.

 

Thanks, it sounds as though the OL coach could provide information about what he wants the players to work on then, the club just can't enforce that they view the stuff or use it (they can't enforce what's provided in the exit interviews either so What's New?)

13 minutes ago, Limeaid said:

Regarding NFLPA:

 

 

Eh.  They're like any other union in my view, some good some bad

[Jim Bob]

20 minutes ago, Limeaid said:

Regarding NFLPA:

 

 

This is a collectively bargained thing. So, the NFL & the NFLPA agreed to these changes to the off season. It will be interesting to see how the language changes in the next CBA as coaches and some players are not thrilled with the current language.

[Joe Mama]

1 hour ago, Bangarang said:

I have to believe every team violates this rule. How can the league possibly know and police coaches talking to players in the off-season?

Easy, someone gets POed at coach or team and complains to NFLPA

Edited February 8, 2022 by Joe Mama

[freddyjj]

1 hour ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

So, we know that the NFL has restrictions on contact between coaches and players in the off-season.  The coaches can have social contact - call the players up to chat about golf or fishing - but are not supposed to watch film together or discuss football.  (Yes, I think the coach can have 40 players over to grill steak and cannonball into his pool, but it's unlikely 40 players would be in the same town in the off-season so that would draw scrutiny outside OTAs or training camp)

 

After the season ends, the HC, coordinator, and position coach can meet with the player and discuss his performance and future goals.  The S&C staff can give him a packet of off-season workouts.  Then that's it.

 

My question is: when a team changes coaching staff, is there an exception where the new staff can contact the players on the roster and give a new evaluation/goals or new off-season workout?

See this link.

 

New coaching regimes get a 2 week head start in phase 1.  So not real football or any O vs D practice but helpful in learning new staff etc.

 

https://247sports.com/nfl/dallas-cowboys/ContentGallery/NFL-offseason-FAQ-The-difference-between-OTAs-minicamp-more-118396909/#118396909_1

 

[bigK14094]

The situation must have been abused in the past by coaching staff or else it would not appear in the collective bargaining agreement.  Not necessarily the Bills, but somewhere in the NFL.   these kind of restrictions don't materialize out of nowhere.

[Freddie's Dead]

22 minutes ago, Ridgewaycynic2013 said:

"Be seeing you..."

 

NFLPA gonna send the Rovers out.....

[Mr. WEO]

7 hours ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

Thanks, it sounds as though the OL coach could provide information about what he wants the players to work on then, the club just can't enforce that they view the stuff or use it (they can't enforce what's provided in the exit interviews either so What's New?)

 

Eh.  They're like any other union in my view, some good some bad

 

 

Yup...They exist to maximize working conditions/comfort and pay.   Not really anything else. 

 

 

Less off season practice, etc.....falls under maximizing work conditions.  I doubt may players mind they only hav eat time they have to "officially" get ready for the season.  They get paid for the games either way.

 

 

[JaBu]

14 hours ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

So, we know that the NFL has restrictions on contact between coaches and players in the off-season.  The coaches can have social contact - call the players up to chat about golf or fishing - but are not supposed to watch film together or discuss football.  (Yes, I think the coach can have 40 players over to grill steak and cannonball into his pool, but it's unlikely 40 players would be in the same town in the off-season so that would draw scrutiny outside OTAs or training camp)

 

After the season ends, the HC, coordinator, and position coach can meet with the player and discuss his performance and future goals.  The S&C staff can give him a packet of off-season workouts.  Then that's it.

 

My question is: when a team changes coaching staff, is there an exception where the new staff can contact the players on the roster and give a new evaluation/goals or new off-season workout?

When they were looking to hire a new OC a reporter asked if Josh would have input in the hire. McDermott generically answered that Josh “would be kept in the loop.” So we don’t know what exactly is exchanged being in the loop, but there was purported to be contact. Perhaps that exchange can apply to other hires and positions as well. 

[djp14150]

On 2/8/2022 at 11:32 AM, Hapless Bills Fan said:

Thanks, guys. 

 

What was on my mind more specifically was Aaron Kromer joining us as OL coach.  He might have different techniques he wants the OL to work on off-season, that would require different off-season workouts and drlls than they were assigned.

 

 

Actually there are very specific rules about this, a number of players are on record commenting about how frustrating it is.  Injured players can choose to rehab in the facility, in which case the services of the medical staff and athletic trainers are available to them, but they still can't watch film with coaches or talk about football with coaches.

 

They can also choose to train off-season at the club's facility, but unless they're injured, several have commented on how stupid it is that the S&C staff can be right there, working out right next to them, and yet the staff aren't allowed to help or work with them.

the problem has a lot to do with elective vs expected.

 

think about this with Covid and working from home. A large employer might want senior executives to come in because the have own office so safe distance exist.

 

cubicles done have that so others working home. Some might choose to go into work because of a special work task or noises at home with kids or spouse so they go in thst day. Or on occasion…but then it becomes expected fir them to come in but not fir others.  Same issue going on in the nfl.