The NFL Players Association conducted a conference call with its 32 player reps Tuesday night after receiving a drug-policy proposal from the NFL, and it ended without a vote.
According to union sources, players had issues with the league's proposal that were significant enough to table the vote for another day.
The league and union met face-to-face in New York City on Monday. After more early communication Tuesday, the NFLPA contingent left for Washington just before lunch to wait for the proposal, which came shortly before the 9 p.m. ET call.
The sticking points after the call weren't made completely clear, but issues over whether players will be punished upon DUI arrests (rather than convictions), and the appeals process on human growth hormone testing have persisted. The league would like to start HGH testing immediately. That would mean there wouldn't be a population study, and approval there might hinge on players' ability to challenge the science of the tests on appeal.
Though all aspects of the negotiation are fluid, there has been basic agreement in other areas:
1) There would be reform in marijuana testing. The threshold for the A sample is expected to be raised from 15ng/ml to match normal workplace standards in other businesses. Also, the first suspension for marijuana would be two games, rather than four.
2) Offseason violations for amphetamines would move from the policy on performance enhancing drugs to substances of abuse.
3) There would be reassessment of penalties already levied on players for drug violations during the 2014 league year.
It is possible, but not certain, that a vote could be taken on Wednesday. It's also possible the negotiations are tabled until 2015.
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