Friday 19 September 2014 23:59, UK
National Football League Commissioner Roger Goodell has signalled a major shake-up of the organisation’s rules on personal conduct.
The announcement comes in the wake of criticism of the NFL for the poor handling of players involved in domestic abuse cases.
Goodell said a committee will be established by the NFL to review policy, though he avoided commenting on what the change will mean for his overriding power in the disciplinary process.
"We will get our house in order," he said, in his first press conference in over a week as the crisis mushroomed and threatened his credibility and possibly his job.
Goodell, 55, has been under fire because of the NFL's slow and fumbled response to the domestic violence incident involving Baltimore Ravens star Ray Rice and to other cases that came to light afterward.
"I got it wrong in the handling of the Ray Rice matter," he said. "And I'm sorry for that. I got it wrong on a number of levels, from the process that I led to the decision that I reached.
"But now I will get it right and do whatever is necessary to accomplish that."
Goodell insists he has not considered resigning.
Rice, 27, has since been released by the Baltimore Ravens and suspended indefinitely by the NFL as the league grapples with how to handle the issue.
The domestic violence issue emerged when Goodell suspended Rice for two games after he knocked out fiancee Janay Palmer, who is now his wife, in a New Jersey casino elevator in February. Many saw the commissioner's penalty as too light.
Only when a video of the punch emerged on the website TMZ on September 8 did Goodell decide to suspend Rice indefinitely.
Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, the NFL's most valuable player in 2012, and defensive end Greg Hardy of the Carolina Panthers have been placed on the league's "exempt" list until their domestic violence cases are resolved.
Goodell said personnel and staff will be required to undergo training on the prevention of domestic violence and sexual assault starting within 30 days.
He said the league will partner with the National Domestic Violence Hotline and National Sexual Violence Resource Center, adding that there will be changes to the NFL's personal conduct policy.
"I know this because we will make it happen," he said. "Nothing is off the table. Let me say it again, we will implement new conduct policies.”
