NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement

Article 33
Practice Squads


  • Section 1. Practice Squads
    (a)

    In the 2020 and 2021 League Years Practice Squads shall not exceed twelve (12) players per Club. Beginning with the 2022 League Year and for the remainder of this Agreement, Practice Squads shall not exceed fourteen (14) players per Club.

    (b)

    The League may elect to allow some or all Clubs to add to their Practice Squads one additional player, who shall not count against the limit above, whose citizenship and principal place of residence are outside the United States, its Territories, and Canada (“International Player”). The League’s election in any one season shall not determine or affect its election in any subsequent season. Such International Players shall be subject to the same terms and conditions of employment that apply to other Practice Squad players except that they may not, during the term of their Practice Squad Contract, negotiate or sign an NFL Player Contract with any Club. In addition, notwithstanding the provisions of Section 4 below, such International Player shall be eligible to serve on a Practice Squad for three additional seasons after the completion of the player’s year(s) as an International Player. As set forth in Section 3 below, the weekly salary for such International Players shall not be included in the employing Club’s Team Salary and shall instead be deducted from the calculation of the Salary Cap in the same manner as any Player Benefit Cost. Any NFL Club may, but is not required to, reimburse an International Player for the actual, ordinary and reasonable legal expenses and filing fees incurred by the player in securing a visa permitting the player to work in the United States. If permitted by applicable federal law, a Club may elect to pay such filing fees directly to the responsible government agency, and may elect to pay the player’s actual, ordinary and reasonable legal expenses directly to the third-party attorneys or law firms providing such services. All such reimbursements or payments shall be contingent upon the service provider or the player providing the Club with receipts and/or invoices for those expenses and fees. If made in compliance with this provision, the reimbursement or payment of such legal expenses and filing fees shall not be considered Salary, Rookie Salary or a Player Benefit Cost. Any reimbursements or payments beyond the scope of this provision are prohibited. The Club shall promptly report to the NFL all reimbursements or payments, and shall simultaneously submit all receipts and/or invoices reimbursed or paid by the Club. The NFL shall have the right to audit the records of Clubs or Club affiliates to investigate possible violations of this provision. If any Club has made reimbursements or payments that exceed the permissible scope of this provision, (i) the NFL may seek enforcement of any applicable provision of this Agreement including, without limitation, Article 7, Article 13 and Article 14; and (ii) the amount by which such reimbursement or payment exceeds the actual, ordinary and reasonable legal expenses and filing fees incurred by the player may be charged to the League-wide Total Rookie Compensation Pool, the League-wide Year-One Rookie Compensation Pool and to the Club's Total Rookie Allocation, YearOne Rookie Allocation and Team Salary, to the extent those provisions apply to Rookie players or Veteran players. In no event will the Club be responsible for, or incur any liability for or relating to, the adequacy or competency of legal advice rendered to the player by third-party attorneys or law firms or for the result of the player’s application. For the purpose of Club reimbursement of legal expenses and filing fees as detailed in this Subsection (b), an "international player" is a non-US citizen NFL Rookie player or Veteran player who is, or would be, required to secure a visa or other immigration-related approval to practice and play for the Club, whether under an NFL Player Contract or under a Practice Squad Player Contract.

    (c)

    All NFL Practice Squad Player Contracts shall consist of (a) the .pdf Practice Player Contract Form attached hereto as Appendix J (which may not be modified in the form itself); and (b) any attachment submitted therewith containing any changes agreed to between the Club and practice player in a practice player’s contract consistent with the provisions of the CBA, pursuant to Subsection 1(d) below (collectively, the “.pdf Practice Player Contract”). Any such attachment shall be paginated, and each page of any such attachment shall be initialed by the practice player and the Club. The provision of any Practice Player Contract or copy thereof as required by the CBA (for example, without limitation, as required by Article 26, Section 7) may be effectuated by email or other electronic transmission of the complete .pdf Practice Player Contract to the NFL (nflwaivers@nfl.com) or the NFLPA (Mark.Levin@nflpa.com), as applicable. Any reference to the “Practice Player Contract” herein shall apply equally to the .pdf Practice Player Contract Form attached hereto as Appendix J.

    (d)

    The .pdf Practice Player Contract cannot be amended without the approval of the Management Council and the NFLPA. Notwithstanding the foregoing, changes may be agreed to between a Club and a Practice Squad player consistent with the provisions of this Agreement.

  • Section 2. Signing With Other Clubs
    (a)

    Any player under contract to a Club as a Practice Squad player shall be completely free to negotiate and sign a Player Contract with any Club at any time during the League Year, to serve as a player on any Club’s Active or Inactive List, and any Club is completely free to negotiate and sign such a Player Contract with such player, without penalty or restriction, including, but not limited to, Draft Choice Compensation between Clubs or First Refusal Rights of any kind, or any signing period, except that such player shall not be permitted to sign a Player Contract with another Club to serve as a Practice Squad player while under contract as a Practice Squad player.

    (b)

    Notwithstanding Subsection (a) above, a Practice Squad player may not sign an NFL Player Contract with his Club’s next opponent later than 4:00pm, New York time, on the sixth day preceding the game (except in bye weeks, when the prohibition commences on the tenth day preceding the game). When the current employer club has a bye the weekend before the game against the Club signing the Practice Squad player to an NFL Player Contract, such contract must be executed prior to 4:00pm, New York time, on the 10th day preceding the game. After the Conference Championship games, Practice Squad Players on Clubs participating in the Super Bowl may not sign an NFL Player Contract with their current Club’s Super Bowl opponent.

  • Section 3. Salary

    Except as provided in Section 5 (Standard Elevation Addendum) and Section 7 (Standard Contagious Disease Addendum) of this Article, the salary for a Practice Squad player shall be limited to the following fixed amounts per week, including postseason weeks in which his Club is in the Playoffs:

    (a)

    Any Practice Squad player who falls within categories (i), (ii) or (iii) in Section 4 of this Article shall receive a fixed weekly Paragraph 4 Salary in the following amounts for each League Year of this Agreement:

    20202021202220232024202520262027202820292030
    $8,400$9,200$11,500$12,000$12,500$13,000$13,750$14,500$15,250$16,000$16,750

    (b)

    Any Practice Squad player who does not fall within categories (i), (ii) or (iii) in Section 4 of this Article shall receive a fixed weekly Paragraph 4 Salary within the following minimum and maximum amounts in each League Year of this Agreement, as agreed upon by the Club and the player:

    20202021202220232024202520262027202820292030
    (Min.)$12,000$14,000$15,400$16,100$16,800$17,500$18,350$19,200$20,050$20,900$21,750
    (Max.)$12,000$14,000$19,900$20,600$21,300$22,000$22,850$23,700$24,550$25,400$26,250

    (c)

    No Practice Squad Player Contract may provide for Salary guarantees, bonuses, incentives or compensation of any kind other than the fixed weekly Paragraph 4 amounts set forth in Subsections 3(a) and (b) of this Article, as applicable. For the sake of clarity and the avoidance of doubt, during the 2022 League Year, any Practice Squad player who falls within categories (i), (ii) or (iii) of Section 4 below must contract for a fixed Paragraph 4 Salary of $11,500 per week. Alternatively, during the 2022 League Year, any Practice Squad player who does not fall within categories (i), (ii) or (iii) of Section 4 below must contract for a Paragraph 4 Salary of between $15,400 and $19,900 per week.

  • Section 4. Eligibility

    Beginning in the 2020 League Year, the Practice Squad shall consist of the following players; (i) players who do not have an Accrued Season of NFL experience; (ii) free agent players who were on the Active List for fewer than nine regular season games during their only Accrued Season(s); (iii) a maximum of four free agent players per Club who have earned no more than two Accrued Seasons, with those four players to have no limitation as to the number of games on the game day Active List in either of those seasons; and (iv) a maximum of two free agent players per Club with no limitations as to their number of earned Accrued Seasons; provided, however, that the NFL shall increase the maximum number of players in category (iv) above from two players to four players for the 2022-30 League Years.

  • Section 5. Standard Elevation Addendum
    (a)

    All Practice Squad players will execute an addendum to the Practice Squad Player Contract relating to elevations from a Club’s Practice Squad to the Club’s Active/Inactive List, as set forth in Appendix J (“Standard Elevation Addendum”).

    (b)

    In each game of the regular and postseason, a Club may choose to elevate a maximum of two players from its Practice Squad to its Active/Inactive List without the player first terminating his Practice Squad Player Contract and executing an NFL Player Contract.

    (c)

    If a Practice Squad player is elevated to a Club’s Active/Inactive List, the terms of the Standard Elevation Addendum will be in effect.

    (d)

    Any elevation of a player from a Club’s Practice Squad to its Active/Inactive List must occur no earlier in the week than the final day for such player personnel transactions prior to the game for which the player is being elevated, but not later than the applicable player personnel transaction deadline for that day. Any player who is elevated to a Club’s Active/Inactive List must be listed on the Club’s game-day Active List or Inactive List, as applicable.

    (e)

    Any player who is elevated to a Club’s Active/Inactive List for a regular season or postseason game pursuant to this Section 5 shall automatically revert to the Club’s Practice Squad at 4:00 p.m., New York time, on the first business day following such game without being subject to waivers.

    (f)

    A Practice Squad player may be elevated to a Club’s Active/Inactive List for a maximum combination of two regular season or postseason games in the same League Year. After a Club has elevated a player to its Active/Inactive List for a maximum combination of two games during the regular season or postseason, any subsequent elevation of the player must be an activation to the Club’s 53-player Active/Inactive List. In such a case, the player must first terminate his Practice Squad Player Contract and execute an NFL Player Contract, and the Club must request waivers on that contract, or terminate the contract if the player is not subject to waivers, before resigning the player to its Practice Squad. If the Club requests waivers on the player’s NFL Player Contract and that contract is not claimed by another Club, or if the Club terminates the player’s contract, the player shall become a free agent and shall be free to sign an NFL Player Contract or a Practice Squad Player Contract with any Club, including the Club that requested waivers or terminated the contract. If the player’s NFL Player Contract is not claimed, or if the contract is terminated, and the player subsequently signs a Practice Squad Player Contract with a new Club, nothing shall preclude the signing Club from elevating the player to its Active/Inactive List up to a maximum combination of two regular season or postseason games, subject to the rules set forth in this Section 5. If a Practice Squad Player: (i) has been elevated to a Club’s Active/Inactive List for either one or two games pursuant to this Subsection 5; and (ii) the Club subsequently requests waivers on or terminates his NFL Player Contract, or if the Club terminates his Practice Squad Player Contract; and (iii) thereafter resigns the player to its Practice Squad, the player may not be elevated to that Club’s Active/Inactive List pursuant to this Section 5 for the remainder of that regular or postseason.

    (g)

    If a Practice Squad player is elevated to a Club’s Active/Inactive List for any regular season game, the player’s weekly compensation specified in Paragraph 4 of the Practice Squad Player Contract will be adjusted to one-seventeenth (1/17th) of the Paragraph 5 minimum salary for players on a Club’s Active/Inactive List with the Practice Squad player’s number of Credited Seasons (i.e., the “up” amount) for such game.

    (h)

    If a Practice Squad player is elevated to a Club’s Active/Inactive List for any postseason game, he shall be paid Postseason Pay under the applicable Section of Article 37 of this Agreement for such game.

    (i)

    A Practice Squad Player’s elevation to a Club’s Active/Inactive List pursuant to this Section 5 shall not serve as the basis for any claim for Termination Pay pursuant to Article 30 of this Agreement. Nor shall any amounts paid to a Practice Squad Player under Subsections (g), (k) or (l) of this Article constitute or be deemed Paragraph 5 Salary within the meaning of Article 30 of this Agreement.

    (j)

    Any games for which a player is elevated to a Club’s Active/Inactive List in this manner shall count for purposes of earning a Credited Season for both minimum salary and pension credit and an Accrued Season for purposes of free agency, even though the player is playing under the Standard Elevation Addendum to his Practice Squad Player Contract.

    (k)

    In the event a Practice Squad player: (1) sustains a football-related injury during the game for which he was elevated to the Club’s Active/Inactive List (or during practice after being elevated but prior to the game), and (2) is physically unable to practice or play for the Club due to the injury, the player’s weekly compensation specified in Paragraph 4 of the Practice Squad Player Contract will be adjusted to one-seventeenth (1/17th) of the Paragraph 5 minimum salary for players not on a Club’s Active/Inactive List (i.e., the “down” amount) with the player’s number of Credited Seasons. Such a player shall receive this weekly “Salary Continuation” for so long as he remains physically unable to perform the services required of him because of such injury. Once the Practice Squad player is physically able to perform the services required of him by his Practice Squad Player Contract, his salary will be adjusted to the amount set forth in Paragraph 4 of that contract for the period of time he remains on the Club’s Practice Squad. Any dispute concerning the player’s entitlement to Salary Continuation while he remains on the Club’s Practice Squad and/or any dispute concerning the number of weeks of Salary Continuation to which the player may be entitled shall be resolved in accordance with the rules and procedures set forth in Article 43 (Non-Injury Grievance) of this Agreement. The neutral physician procedures set forth in Article 44 (Injury Grievance) shall apply to any such grievance.

    (l)

    If a Practice Squad player sustains a football-related injury during the game for which he was elevated to a Club’s Active/Inactive List (or during practice after being elevated but prior to the game) and is subsequently placed on the Club’s Practice Squad/Injured List, he will be paid Salary Continuation (for so long as he remains physically unable to perform the services required of him because of such injury) at a rate equal to the prorated portion of the Paragraph 5 minimum salary for players not on a Club’s Active/Inactive List (i.e., the “down” amount) with the player’s number of Credited Seasons. Once the Practice Squad player is physically able to perform the services required of him by his Practice Squad Player Contract, his salary will be adjusted to the amount set forth in Paragraph 4 of that contract for the period of time he remains on the Club’s Practice Squad/Injured List. Any dispute concerning the player’s entitlement to Salary Continuation while he remains on the Club’s Practice Squad/Injured list and/or any dispute concerning the number of weeks of Salary Continuation to which the player may be entitled shall be resolved in accordance with the rules and procedures set forth in Article 43 (Non-Injury Grievance) of this Agreement. The neutral physician procedures set forth in Article 44 (Injury Grievance) shall apply to any such grievance.

    (m)

    If a player receives salary under the circumstances set forth in Subsections (k) or (l) above, then those games shall count toward a Credited Season under the Bert Bell/Pete Rozelle NFL Player Retirement Plan.

    (n)

    If a player is elevated to a Club’s Active/Inactive List pursuant to this Section 5, and the Club chooses to add the player to its 53-player Active/Inactive List following the game for which the player was activated, the Club must follow all of the established procedures for signing a Practice Squad player to an NFL Player Contract (including making room for that player on the Club’s 53-player Active/Inactive List).

    (o)

    Use of these procedures by any Club in any week of the regular season or postseason shall be in the sole discretion of the Club.

    (p)

    Nothing in this Section shall affect in any way a Practice Squad player’s right under Section 2 of this Article to negotiate and sign an NFL Player Contract with any Club at any time during the League Year (except during the period beginning with the player’s elevation to a Club’s Active/Inactive List and ending with the player’s automatic reversion to the Club’s Practice Squad) to serve as a player on such Club’s Active or Inactive List subject to the restrictions stated therein.

    (q)

    Nothing in this Section shall affect in any way a Club’s right to activate a player from its Practice Squad to its 53-player Active/Inactive List.

  • Section 6. Active List (Other Clubs)

    If a player on the Practice Squad of one club (Club A) signs an NFL Player Contract with another club (Club B), (1) the player shall receive three weeks salary of his NFL Player Contract at the 53-player Active/Inactive List minimum even if he is terminated by Club B prior to earning that amount, and (2) Club B is required to count the player on its 53-player Active/Inactive List for three games (a bye week counts as a game) even if he is terminated, traded, or assigned via waivers to another club or is signed as a free agent to another club’s 53-player roster or another club’s Practice Squad prior to that time. If the player is terminated from Club B’s 53-player roster and signed to Club B’s Practice Squad, he shall continue to count on the club’s 53-player Active/Inactive List but shall not count against the twelve or fourteen-player Practice Squad limit, as applicable, until the three-game requirement has been fulfilled. If a player is terminated prior to the completion of the three-game period and is signed to Club B’s Practice Squad or is signed or assigned to another Club’s 53-player roster or Practice Squad, any Salary (as that term is defined in Article 13, Section 4 that he receives from any NFL club applicable to the three-game period shall be an offset against the three weeks’ Salary that he is entitled to receive from Club B. If the promotion occurs with fewer than three games remaining in the Club’s regular season, the three game requirement for roster count shall not carry over into the next season.

  • Section 7. Standard Contagious Disease Addendum
    (a)

    All Practice Squad players will execute an addendum to the Practice Squad Player Contract relating to the Contagious Disease Policy (as set forth in Appendix J).

    (b)

    If a player is elevated from Practice Squad to the Active/Inactive List for a game because a club was given roster exemptions due to confirmed or suspected cases of a contagious disease among its players, then the terms of the addendum in that Player’s Practice Player Contract will be in effect. A Practice Squad player who is elevated to the Active/Inactive List under these circumstances will not be required to sign an NFL Player Contract for that game.

    (c)

    If a player is elevated from the Practice Squad to the affected Club’s Active/Inactive List, the player’s weekly compensation specified in Paragraph 4 of the Practice Squad Player Contract will be adjusted to 1/17th of the Paragraph 5 minimum salary for Active/Inactive List players with the same number of credited seasons for such game. Any games for which a player is elevated in this manner to the Active/Inactive List would count for purposes of earning a Credited Season for both minimum salary and pension credit and an Accrued Season for purposes of free agency, even though player is playing under the aforementioned addendum to his Practice Squad Player Contract.

    (d)

    At the conclusion of the club’s game, any player who was elevated from the Practice Squad to the affected club’s Active/Inactive List for the game will automatically revert to the club’s Practice Squad roster without going through waivers.

    (e)

    In the event a Practice Squad player: (1) sustains a football-related injury (either in a practice prior to the game or in the game itself) after being elevated to the Active/Inactive List under the circumstances described in Subsection (b) above, and (2) is physically unable to practice or play for the Club due to the injury, then the player’s weekly compensation specified in Paragraph 4 of the Practice Squad Player Contract will be adjusted to 1/17th of the Paragraph 5 minimum salary for players not on a Club’s Active/Inactive List (i.e., the “down” amount) with the same number of Credited Seasons. Such a player shall receive this weekly “Salary Continuation” for so long as he remains physically unable to perform the services required of him because of such injury. Once the Practice Squad player is physically able to perform the services required of him by his Practice Squad Player Contract, then his salary will be adjusted to the amount set forth in Paragraph 4 (“Compensation”) of that contract for the period of time he remains on the club’s Practice Squad. Any dispute concerning the player’s entitlement to Salary Continuation while he remains on the Club’s Practice Squad and/or any dispute concerning the number of weeks of Salary Continuation to which the player may be entitled shall be resolved in accordance with the rules and procedures set forth in Article 43 (Non-Injury Grievance) of this Agreement. The neutral physician procedures set forth in Article 44 (Injury Grievance) shall apply to any such grievance.

    (f)

    If a Practice Squad player sustains a football-related injury during the game in which he was elevated (or during a practice after being elevated to the Club’s Active/Inactive List but prior to the game) and is subsequently placed on the Club’s Practice Squad/Injured list, he will be paid Salary Continuation (for so long as he remains physically unable to perform the services required of him because of such injury) at a rate equal to the prorated portion of the Paragraph 5 minimum salary for players not on a Club’s Active/Inactive List (i.e., the “down” amount) with the same number of Credited Seasons. Once the Practice Squad player is physically able to perform the services required of him by his Practice Squad Player Contract, his salary will be adjusted to the amount set forth in Paragraph 4 of that contract for the period of time he remains on the Club’s Practice Squad/Injured list. Any dispute concerning the player’s entitlement to Salary Continuation while he remains on the Club’s Practice Squad/Injured list and/or any dispute concerning the number of weeks of Salary Continuation to which the player may be entitled shall be resolved in accordance with the rules and procedures set forth in Article 43 (Non-Injury Grievance) of this Agreement. The neutral physician procedures set forth in Article 44 (Injury Grievance) shall apply to any such grievance.

    (g)

    If a player receives salary under the circumstances set forth in Subsections (e) or (f) above, then those games shall count toward a Credited Season under the Bert Bell/Pete Rozelle NFL Player Retirement Plan.

    (h)

    If a Club chooses to add the Practice Squad player to its Active/Inactive List following the game in which exemptions were granted and the player was elevated, then the Club must follow all of the established procedures for signing a Practice Squad player to an NFL Player Contract (including making room for that player on club’s Active/Inactive List).

    (i)

    Use of these procedures by any Club in any week of the regular or postseason shall be in the sole discretion of the Club subject only to prior approval of the Commissioner and after a showing of confirmed or suspected contagious disease among its players. The NFLPA and its Medical Director shall be informed when such procedures are invoked.

  • Section 8. Housing

    If a Club signs a free agent player to its Practice Squad and such player does not already reside in the area of the Club’s home city, the Club shall make best efforts to provide the player an option for short-term, month-to-month housing at the player’s expense.