NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell did something remarkable on Thursday: He admitted he made a mistake and proceeded to fix it. In so doing, he sent a powerful message to both his players and to society—one that experts are telling me might actually help reduce domestic violence.

You may remember the controversy from earlier this summer, when Goodell announced that Ray Rice, running back for the Baltimore Ravens, would serve a two-game suspension and lose salary for those weeks following an incident involving his (then) fiancée. The penalty was relatively mild by league standards. Players who violate the league’s drug policy routinely get much harsher treatment, even for marijuana, which has no effect on playing ability and is now legal in a few states. The decision seemed to suggest the league didn’t take domestic violence all that seriously, even though there’s some evidence to suggest pro football players are unusually prone to committing acts of domestic violence.

Critics everywhere (including yours truly, here at QED) let Goodell have it. And his first reaction was to defend the move, arguing that he was trying to take into account Rice’s otherwise good record off-the-field and the statements of the victim, who had since married him. But Goodell later said he’d review the league’s policy and it turns out that he was serious about it. On Thursday, he released a letter to fellow owners. Here’s the key excerpt:

Although the NFL is celebrated for what happens on the field, we must be equally vigilant in what we do off the field. At times, however, and despite our best efforts, we fall short of our goals. We clearly did so in response to a recent incident of domestic violence. We allowed our standards to fall below where they should be and lost an important opportunity to emphasize our strong stance on a critical issue and the effective programs we have in place. My disciplinary decision led the public to question our sincerity, our commitment, and whether we understood the toll that domestic violence inflicts on so many families. I take responsibility both for the decision and for ensuring that our actions in the future properly reflect our values. I didn't get it right. Simply put, we have to do better. And we will.

From there, Goodell went on to outline a much stricter disciplinary policy related to domestic violence. NFL employees whom the league determines have committed acts of domestic violence will be subject to six game offenses for the first offense and lifetime bans for the second, although players will have the option to petition for reinstatement. The league would also have the option of imposing sterner penalties after a first offense, if, for example, the abuse involved a weapon or a player had a prior history of committing such acts. Note that these penalties would apply to all NFL employees—coaches, front office personnel—and not just players.

There’s more. Goodell announced that the league would be improving its training and counseling, while incorporating domestic violence awareness and prevention into its high profile-public service efforts. As Jane McManus noted at ESPN: