National Football League

NFL players ratify new CBA

Published Aug. 4, 2011 1:00 a.m. ET

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The NFL Players Association (NFLPA) on Thursday announced players had ratified the new collective bargaining agreement (CBA), signaling the official start to the NFL year.

The final step in the approval process paved the way for offseason free-agent signings to begin practicing with their teams.

The players union worked throughout the day Thursday to reach agreement on the final details of the CBA, including the approval of human growth hormone (HGH) blood testing for players.

The NFL will be the first major US professional sports league to test its athletes for HGH. The NFL hopes to begin random testing by the first week of the regular season, according to The New York Times.

Also included in the agreement was a provision upholding NFL commissioner Roger Goodell's sole authority to suspend players under the league's personal conduct policy. The issue of Goodell's sole discretion had been a point of contention for some players' representatives, according to earlier reports.

The four-month lockout effectively ended late last month when NFLPA representatives voted unanimously to approve the new CBA just days after the owners approved the deal.

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