Ray Rice’s appeal of his indefinite suspension from the NFL will be heard by a neutral arbitrator.

The league and the NFL Players Association reached an agreement on arbitration for the former Baltimore Ravens running back, NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith wrote in an email to players Monday.

“For the first time ever, the league in the Rice Appeal, has agreed to use a neutral arbitrator which is being selected in discussions with the NFLPA,” Smith wrote. “The league has submitted names to us, and we have submitted names to the league; we will confer with the league shortly regarding the final choice of an appeals arbitrator.

“Although this occurs in the context of a difficult set of facts and circumstances, it is positive movement on the overall question of neutral arbitration and a fair Personal Conduct discipline process.”

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, who issued Rice’s suspension, earlier recused himself from the appeals process.

Rice was initially suspended two games by the league after he was charged with domestic violence in a February incident involving his then-fiancee in a New Jersey casino.

Goodell came under fire for his ruling. He subsequently apologized while changing the NFL’s domestic-violence punishment parameters, saying in a memorandum that “we didn’t get it right” with Rice.

When video emerged Sept. 8 showing Rice punching his then-fiancee in the face, the Ravens cut Rice, and Goodell increased the punishment to an indefinite suspension.

In filing its appeal Sept. 16, the union wrote, “Under governing labor law, an employee cannot be punished twice for the same action when all of the relevant facts were available to the employer at the time of the first punishment.”

Goodell said he and league officials never saw the video of Rice striking his fiancee before it became public. Rice said he previously told Goodell exactly what occurred, while Goodell said in interviews that Rice’s answers were ambiguous.

In his email, Smith also told players, “We have spent a considerable amount of time and effort to identify experts from a variety of backgrounds to serve on a Commission to assist us and the league to improve education, prevention, counseling, and the discipline process regarding domestic violence and sexual assault. …

“Finally, we are beginning the process of reaching out to our league sponsors to inform them of the work we are doing in this area and to demonstrate that while we have occasional player issues, that the far majority of players are exactly the type of representatives they want and that we will address the process issues that have caused them concern.”