NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has defended the punishment handed to Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice.

Rice was suspended for two games by the NFL for breaching the league's personal conduct code after being arrested in February for allegedly assaulting his fiancee, whom he has since married.

There has been criticism of the NFL for the severity of the punishment, but Goodell feels that the length of the ban is right given all the circumstances in the case.

Goodell told reporters: "Our policy is clear. We have very firm policy that domestic violence is not acceptable here in the NFL and there will be consequences for that. We obviously were going through the process of evaluating the issue and whether there would be discipline. We look at all of the facts we have available to us.

"[Rice] has been accountable for his actions. He recognizes he made a horrible mistake that is unacceptable by his standards, by our standards, and he's got to work to re-establish himself.

"The criminal justice system, as you know, put him in a diversionary program with no discipline, and we felt it was appropriate to have discipline and to continue counseling programs and to continue our educational work."

Rice will miss his side's games against the Cincinnati Bengals and the Pittsburgh Steelers.