“Should the league office determine that there is reasonable cause, all those suspected in being involved in faking injuries will be summoned promptly to this office in New York to discuss the matter. Those found to be violators will be subject to appropriate disciplinary action for conduct detrimental to the game. Discipline could include fines of coaches, players and clubs, suspensions or forfeiture of draft choices.”
Yikes. It appears that a call to the “principal’s office” could result than more than just detention. While thousand dollar fines for millionaires is the typical (yet ineffective) “slap on the wrist” for offenders, the NFL has taken it to the next level by threatening “forfeiture of draft choices.”
The league office was not clear what specifically would warrant this severe of a penalty, but enforcing this, or even a fine may prove difficult. The league would have to prove that a player was actually not injured. There is no real way to do that since some injuries, such as leg cramps, do not have any lasting effects. With nothing to test, the League would have little to stand on.
If a player was actually hurt and felt he had to get off the field to keep in line with this rule and was injured further in the process, the League could face legal action by the player.
That is why there is no current rule regarding injury faking on the books so far. A team would have to admit to faking an injury. Bill Belichick would crack a smile in a press conference before that happened.
The Giants did not have a statement regarding the memo as of press time, but it sounds like the G-men need to take a trip down Broadway and brush up on their acting classes.
Follow Kristen on Twitter @Call2theBullpen
