Disgraced American football player Ray Rice was yesterday considering contesting his indefinite ban from the NFL for knocking his then fiancee unconscious in a lift in February.

At first, the league suspended Rice for two games for hitting his wife Janay but after the footage was leaked of him hitting her and then dragging her body out of the lift, the NFL banned the running back for life and the Baltimore Ravens released him from his $35 million (£21,547,279) contract.

NFL Players Association (NFLPA) officials believe that due to Rice being initially punished for two games, the league cannot further punish him with a lifetime ban for the same incident as it falls under the “double jeopardy” argument.