The NFL stipulations on what quarterback Ben Roethlisberger cannot do during his four-game suspension to start the season are strict. Not only can he not practice or work out with his Steelers teammates during that time, he cannot even speak to them about football strategy.

As part of the suspension that was reduced from six games to four by commissioner Roger Goodell Friday, Mr. Roethlisberger must have no contact with teammates, coaches and club officials and cannot visit the team's facilities.

He can rejoin them and fully participate in all practice activities Oct. 4, the day after their fourth game of the season at home against the Baltimore Ravens. He will be eligible to play in their fifth game Oct. 17 against Cleveland. The Steelers do not play the weekend of Oct. 10, giving Mr. Roethlisberger two weeks to prepare for his first game.

During his suspension, he also must "adhere to the program established by our advisors and avoiding any further violations of the Personal Conduct Policy," according to a statement released by the NFL.

"During the suspension, Roethlisberger cannot be at the team's practice facility, attend games, represent the club publicly in any way, have contact with any member of the coaching staff or other football operations personnel, or engage in any team football-related activities or discussions with teammates away from team facilities," the statement continued.

A league spokesman clarified that Mr. Roethlisberger can talk to teammates, but not about Steelers-related matters.

Mr. Goodell said in the statement that was released after he met with Mr. Roethlisberger Friday morning at a New York City area airport, "You have told me and the Steelers that you are committed to making better decisions. Your actions over the past several months have been consistent with that promise and you must continue to honor that commitment."

Mr. Roethlisberger was suspended in April for violating the league's personal conduct policy, but Mr. Goodell said at the time he would review Mr. Roethlisberger's behavior over the next few months. Mr. Goodell, who said in August that Mr. Roethlisberger had gone "above and beyond" to follow a righteous path since his suspension, was satisfied that the player has followed the league's guidelines and stayed out of trouble.

Mr. Roethlisberger was accused of sexually assaulting a 20-year-old female Georgia college student after a night of drinking March 5 in a Milledgeville, Ga., bar. He was not charged by Georgia authorities.

Mr. Roethlisberger will not count on the Steelers' 53-man roster until he returns. The team's plans to replace him at quarterback were further complicated Thursday night when Byron Leftwich, the presumed starter during the suspension, sprained the MCL to his left knee in the final preseason game against the Carolina Panthers at Heinz Field. He will miss two to four weeks because of the injury.

The Steelers have two other quarterbacks on their roster, veteran Charlie Batch and third-year player Dennis Dixon.

Steelers President Art Rooney II, who accompanied Mr. Roethlisberger to his meeting with Mr. Goodell, issued a statement after the suspension was reduced by two games that read, in part:

"Ben has done a good job this summer of growing as the person that he needs to be, both on and off the field. I am confident that Ben is committed to continuing in this positive direction. As a team, our focus is now on preparing for the regular season and getting off to a good start on opening weekend."

Mr. Roethlisberger has said he plans to work out in Pittsburgh with a quarterbacks coach from California. He also wants to find some receivers so he can work on his passing game and has indicated he would like to volunteer to help coach a local high school during his suspension and possibly use their facilities to work out.

During a lengthy interview with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on the day he reported to training camp July 30, Mr. Roethlisberger said he took the instructions from Mr. Goodell seriously.

"I have done everything and beyond that the commissioner has asked and that we have talked about ... I am doing everything possible to abide and go above and beyond what he wants ... just making sure I am doing everything that he and the Rooneys want."

He said the entire ordeal was a burden for him and for his family.

"It's been really hard," Mr. Roethlisberger said. "My family and me have worked so hard to build up a good reputation, to be a God-fearing person, a family man, someone who is active in the community. And to lose that, and ruin it, it hurts my family. It hurt me to see my family hurt. And that's the part of the healing process and what brought me down so far with me and my family."

He asked forgiveness from people and a second chance.

"I think if people are open-minded and willing, I think I can go above and beyond what it's ever been. I really do. I have all the confidence in the world that I am going to come back from this and be a better football player, but I am going to be a better person. I really am; I know it because I feel it.

"It has been an awakening; the alarm went off. Some people are never going to be open to it. Some people are just going to assume that I am the worst in the world. You can't change everybody's mind. I hope that the people that are open and that give me chance, I think they are going to be pleasantly surprised."

Mr. Roethlisberger, coming off one of his best seasons in which he set a Steelers record by passing for 4,328 yards, started the final three preseason games this summer. He has not missed more than four games in one season and only three since the start of 2006. He missed four in '05, when a knee injury kept him on the sideline against Jacksonville, and missed three more in November after surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his knee. He returned to play after Thanksgiving and helped guide the Steelers to their fifth Super Bowl victory.

He missed just three games total the past four seasons -- one last season with a concussion, one game in '07 and one in '06.

In a brief statement released through the Steelers Friday afternoon, Mr. Roethlisberger said:

"I have learned a lot over the past several months about myself as a person. I am committed to continuing on this path of being the type of person my family raised me to be, and exceeding what is expected of me as the quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers."

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