NFL Domestic Violence Policy 2014: Roger Goodell Apologizes for Mishandling Ray Rice's Case

The National Football League announced stiffer sanctions for domestic violence through a letter sent by commissioner Roger Goodell to all team owners and personnel.

The league announced that a player will be suspended for six games for a first offense and a lifetime ban for a second offense. The six-game suspension could increase if the player was also involved in a related incident before he entered the league or if he committed a crime before turning professional.

"Among the circumstances that would merit a more severe penalty would be a prior incident before joining the NFL, or violence involving a weapon, choking, repeated striking, or when the act is committed against a pregnant woman or in the presence of a child," Goodell wrote.

The second-time offender could also appeal for reinstatement a season after he was banned, but league officials made it clear that there is no guarantee that the petition would be granted.

Goodell admitted that a recent domestic violation incident prompted league officials to revisit their rules, referring to the case involving Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice.

Rice was suspended for two games for assaulting his then-fiancée earlier this year -- a suspension that was widely questioned with most people saying that the punishment was too soft and that the league is not taking domestic violence seriously.

"We clearly did so in response to a recent incident of domestic violence. We allowed our standards to fall below where they should be and lost an important opportunity to emphasize our strong stance on a critical issue and the effective programs we have in place. My disciplinary decision led the public to question our sincerity, our commitment, and whether we understood the toll that domestic violence inflicts on so many families," Goodell wrote.

Goodell also conceded that he "didn't get it right," referring to the two-game suspension handed to Rice, but he vowed that they will "do better" in the future.

The NFL Players Association also said in a statement that they will abide by the new ruling but vowed that they will make sure that the rights of an accused member will be protected as well.

"If we believe that players' due process rights are infringed upon during the course of discipline, we will assert and defend our members' rights," the NFLPA said in a statement, ESPN reported.