The National Football League (NFL), which previously only prohibited alcohol in team locker rooms, is now banning alcohol from all team functions, buses and flights, the Associated Press reported May 31.

"Effective immediately, clubs are prohibited from providing alcoholic beverages, including beer, in any club setting, including in locker rooms, practice or office facilities, or while traveling, including on team buses or flights," NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a letter to team officials and coaches. "This prohibition extends not only to players, but to all team personnel, as well as to other guests traveling with the team or who have access to club facilities."

"I believe that no constructive purpose is served by clubs continuing to make alcoholic beverages available, and that doing so imposes significant and unnecessary risks to the league, its players and others," wrote Goodell.

Goodell has taken a hard line on ethical violations by NFL players, many of which have been alcohol-related. By contrast, Major League Baseball declined to issue a league-wide alcohol ban even after the DWI death of St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Josh Hancock last month; baseball commissioner Bud Selig said such decisions should be left to individual teams.