The NFLPA grievance hearing regarding the punishments for suspended players in the New Orleans Saints “bounty” scandal lasted two-and-a-half hours in front of arbitrator Shyam Das at NFL headquarters in New York on Wednesday.

The NFL was represented by Dan Nash of Akin Gump law firm as well as other league attorneys. Jeffrey Kessler argued the NFLPA’s grievance.

There was no ruling and there are no further hearings scheduled for this particular grievance.

Ex-Saints linebacker Scott Fujita and ex-Saints defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove, were present for the arbitration, according to knowledgeable sources.

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The NFL players union has challenged Commissioner Roger Goodell’s authority to suspend players who participated in the Saints’ pay-for-pain scandal and wants him removed from hearing appeals.

The union filed a grievance late Thursday, one day after Goodell suspended four players who participated in bounties from 2009-11. The complaint says Goodell is prohibited from punishing players for any aspect of the case occurring before the new collective bargaining agreement was signed last August. It argues that a CBA system arbitrator, and not Goodell, has the right to decide player punishment under such circumstances, as well as rule on any appeals.

In a document obtained by The Associated Press, the union told the league Goodell “released all players from conduct engaged in prior to execution of the CBA.”

“Thus, even assuming for the sake of argument that the commissioner had the authority to punish players for conduct detrimental under the alleged facts and circumstances of this particular situation — he does not — he nevertheless would be prohibited from punishing NFL players for any aspect of the alleged ‘pay-for-performance/bounty’ conduct occurring before Aug. 4, 2011,” the union said.

Last August, the league agreed not to file lawsuits against players regarding detrimental conduct that occurred prior to signing the new CBA. But the clause the union cites doesn’t deal with conduct detrimental to the league that endangered player safety over three seasons.

Earlier this week, Goodell suspended linebacker Jonathan Vilma for the 2012 season; defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove, now with Green Bay, for eight games; defensive end Will Smith, for four games; and linebacker Scott Fujita, now with the Cleveland Browns, for three games.

The union said the suspensions violate the league’s “duty of fairness to players,” and that the process “violated various procedural requirements of the collective bargaining agreement, including limits of Goodell’s authority over the matter and failure to disclose sufficient evidence of the violations.”

The league said its investigation showed “a significant number of players participated” in the bounty system — by ponying up cash or collecting it — but noted that “the players disciplined participated at a different and more significant level.” The league said anywhere from 22 to 27 Saints players participated.

The suspended players haven’t filed appeals, league spokesman Greg Aiello said Friday. The deadline is Monday and Vilma and Smith have already said they plan to file.

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