NFL to Sideline Staff: Stay Out of Game Day Altercations

The NFL’s Football Operations Department sent a memo today to all teams reminding them that team staff members on the sidelines during games may not get involved in gameday altercations between players

The memo, which was obtained and first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, indicates that game day altercations should be managed by game officials and coaches as necessary, and warns others to stay out.

“Under no circumstances are club personnel to engage with or make physical contact with another club’s player(s) or other personnel,” the memo reads in part.

The memo is sent to all teams in response to the interaction between San Francisco 49ers Linebacker Dre Greenlaw and Eagles Chief Security Officer Dom DiSandro. Following an unnecessary hit on DeVonta Smith, DiSandro was involved in separating the two from a fight. Officials saw Greenlaw make physical contact with DiSandro, and ejected Greenlaw for making contact with an opposing non-player. The San Francisco 49ers were also penalized 15 yards. After further reviewing the replay, it seemed to league officials that DiSandro was involved in escalating and did make some contact with Greenlaw in separating him from Smith, so they asked DiSandro to leave the sideline as well.

“Dom is as good as they get in this business,” Eagles Head Coach Nick Sirianni said during Monday’s press conference. “I’m so thankful for him. He’s going to always try to diffuse situations, right? That’s what he does. That’s his job. And so obviously unfortunate yesterday, but I know in Dom’s heart, he truly was trying to diffuse the situation right there.”

Both Sirianni and 49ers Head Coach Kyle Shanahan confirmed that the two spoke briefly about it postgame, and acknowledged that Sirianni apologized for the incident. Shanahan also expressed a desire for DiSandro to be treated mercifully.

“I definitely don’t have any hard feelings towards Dom or anything like that,” Shanahan said on Monday. “I don’t want anyone to go too hard on him. I think he just got caught in a weird situation and an emotional situation”

Pool Reporter Zach Berman of AllCity Sports Network spoke with NFL Vice President of Officiating Walt Anderson postgame about the incident. Anderson confirmed that because the officials on the field didn’t call a penalty on the Eagles, the league couldn’t enforce a foul from the league office via replay.

The officials had a flag on the field for a personal foul by [Greenlaw], and then there was continuing action,” Anderson explained. “And so what Rule 19 [which governs the game officials and the league office] allows us to do is provide assistance by looking at the video. And we saw video that showed that there was a staff person that made contact with the player and that the player involved … made contact with the staff member which warranted his disqualification. The non-player, he was contributing to that escalation. Rule 19 does not afford us the ability to help the officials in throwing a flag that they do not throw for a non-player. That’s only afforded for a player action.”

It is not fully known what punishment, if any, DiSandro incurred. The memo alluded to fines and suspensions as possible punishments. But the memo was clear about setting boundaries for sideline staff.

“Please ensure that all members of your game-day staff understand that their role does not extend to being involved with game day altercations,” the memo concludes, “and that they must refrain from such involvement.”