The Canadian Football League and Canadian Football League Players’ Association have agreed to no longer allow full-contact padded practices during the season, according to Dave Naylor of TSN. The ban, which is effective immediately, could have ripple effects beyond the CFL.
CFL rules previously allowed for full-contact practices during training camp, plus an additional 17 days during the season. The new rule only prohibits full-contact padded practices in-season, with hitting still permitted in training camp.
The safety rule, which the CFL is expected to announce later Tuesday, came from several meetings between the CFLPA and new CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie over the summer.
Per Naylor, the CFL also will announce an expansion of its regular season from 20 to 21 weeks, reducing the number of quick turnarounds between games. Teams now will have three byes instead of two, leaving the number of games each team plays at 18.
