RENTON — The Seahawks didn't have to choose between going hard and going home.

They apparently did both as the league determined one of the team's offseason workouts violated the stipulation that these offseason practices include no live contact, and as a result, the team lost two days of organized team activities this week.

The punishment was announced by the league and the players association Tuesday.

The Seahawks have canceled their practices on Wednesday and Thursday and also any offseason work scheduled for Friday. Players will be paid, but won't be allowed at the team facility.

Teams are allotted 10 days of OTAs in the offseason, but those workouts are restricted to less than two hours. And players can wear helmets, but not pads. There are to be no contact drills, according to the new collective-bargaining agreement the owners and players signed last year. The league's rules also stipulate the workouts must be filmed.

The league did not specify what the violation was or when it occurred, only that a workout included live contact.

"We've had great practices," coach Pete Carroll said in a statement released by the team. "Our guys have met every expectation. They have worked like crazy to get the job done. We have talked all of the talk throughout the time about taking care of one another, working to make it safe, play within the guidelines.

"And we probably have stretched this limit, obviously, by this indication. I'm not surprised at that. We're as competitive as you can be. And we have a very young football team. Most of these guys have never been in an OTA practice. So this is the first for them to get a smell of it."

The team's offseason conditioning program concludes with a three-day minicamp next week, which is mandatory.

Danny O'Neil: 206-464-2364 or doneil@seattletimes.com.

On Twitter @dannyoneil