Arbitrator Upholds Season

In a victory for the N.F.L. and Commissioner Roger Goodell, an arbitrator upheld the season-long suspension given to Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson.

The decision comes about two weeks after an independent arbitrator reinstated Ray Rice, the former Baltimore Ravens star who argued that he was unfairly suspended twice for the same infraction. Rice had been suspended for two games and then suspended indefinitely after the release of video that showed him knocking out his fiancée.

Peterson's outcome was less surprising because his appeal was heard by Harold Henderson, a hearing officer appointed by the league. Peterson's case was also more complex because he was arrested for beating his son. Some people said that Peterson, who pled no contest to a misdemeanor charge, had the right to discipline his child.

Peterson claimed that he should not have been suspended because the league had promised that he would be reinstated once his legal case had concluded. Before he could be reinstated, Goodell suspended Peterson in November for at least the remainder of this season.

The N.F.L. Players Association has left open the possibility of suing the N.F.L. in federal court to dispute Henderson's neutrality. The union has insisted that all appeals in the future be heard by a third-party arbitrator, as was the case with Rice's hearing.

The league's handling of Peterson's case has prompted questions about whether the N.F.L. acted deliberately to keep Peterson off the field. Goodell suggested that Peterson, one of the league's top stars, could sit out more games next season if he does not go to counseling.

Peterson has 'shown no meaningful remorse,' Goodell added in a statement. Goodell pointed to comments Peterson made about his intention to not 'eliminate whupping my kids.'

Goodell said, 'These comments raise the serious concern that you do not fully appreciate the seriousness of your conduct or, even worse, that you may feel free to engage in similar conduct in the future.'

Peterson, who played in one game this season, had been on leave with pay since he was arrested in mid-September in Texas. The Vikings benched him for one game, then reinstated him and then benched him again after a public uproar from fans and sponsors. To calm the crisis, the league took the unusual step of putting Peterson on the commissioner's exempt list, which allowed him to be paid while he sat out.

The Peterson and Rice cases have precipitated perhaps the biggest crisis of Goodell's eight years as commissioner. Chastened by fans, the news media and some of the league's biggest sponsors, Goodell overhauled the N.F.L.'s personal-conduct policy, which has been criticized for being opaque and inconsistently applied.

Goodell, who has been portrayed as insensitive to the seriousness of domestic violence, has also hired several experts on the issues, stiffened penalties for players who commit domestic abuse and increased counseling and education for players and team personnel.