Report: Patriots coach Bill Belichick fined $50,000 for offseason violations

The NFL slapped Patriots head coach Bill Belichick with a $50,000 fine for violating rules governing off-season practices.

While violations around the league usually involve contact in drills, New England’s issue seems to be about special teams players having a mandatory meeting on May 1, 2 and 4th. Also of concern — the meetings caused the players to stay longer than four hours at Patriots headquarters. According to the Boston Sports Journal, the meetings happened during Phase Two of OTAs. The NFLPA filed a complaint on May 4, then amended it on May 9th. The meets were part of a workshop conducted by special teams coach Joe Judge. Presumably, Bill Belichick was in position to know what the special teams were doing.

The Patriots responded eight days later. The league since then said New England has complied. Still, the NFL also docked the Patriots two days of OTAs. The league canceled Thursday’s workout and will do the same for a practice next Tuesday. That’s according to the NFL Network.

Bedard: Bill Belichick fined, Joe Judge at heart of offseason rules violation centered around time at facility https://t.co/noP3oHH9B2

— Greg A. Bedard (@GregABedard) May 25, 2023

Via the NFLPA, the rules for Organized Team Activities are pretty strict. The league now is in Phase Three of the OTA schedule, so coaches and players can do more. There can be 10 practices during this three-week phase. There can be three days of sessions in each of the first two weeks. And unlike the first two phases, players can stay at the practice facilities for up to six hours.

Also:

• No pads are allowed, except for protective ones for the knees and elbows. The league and the NFLPA do allow helmets.
• There will be no live contact
• Teams can conduct 7-on-7, 9-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills. But, again, no contact.

Schedule check: Bill Belichick probably knows all mini camp rules

Mandatory minicamps come next. So Bill Belichick probably is well aware that he gets a week to put his team through practice sessions on a Tuesday through Thursday schedule. Players must receive Friday as a day off. However, players can spend 10 hours at the office, but no more than 24 hours over a three-day period.

Bill Belichick certainly isn’t the only coach sanctioned by the NFL for off-season violations.

Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy has screwed up twice. The league docked Dallas two fewer practices. And the NFL also fined McCarthy $50,000 in 2021 and $100,000 in 2022. The league hit the team with a $100,000 fine after the incidents in 2021.

The NFL assessed Commanders coach Ron Rivera a $100,000 fine, and took away two practices because of a violation in 2022. And in 2021, the NFL fined then Jaguars coach Urban Meyer $100,000 and docked 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan $50,000.