The loser is locked into the worst draft position next year, no lottery, no trade-outs, plus last preference on any draft-order perks. A pure competitive-balance penalty that compounds bad seasons. Analytics guys in the league insist draft slot barely matters, from the comfort of the second pick.
The long haul: this is not a one-afternoon sentence. With a time commitment of next season, the punishment keeps paying out (for everyone else) long after the season ends. Long sentences need a written end date and a league-appointed enforcer who checks compliance.
Seen in the wild: thegameday.com · reddit.com