American Sports Contracts

Tyler Durden

For our football (soccer) players they sign a fixed term contract (3 or 4 years usually) and are free to move to any other club at the end of that contract if they wish. If the move before their contract has ended then the buying club has to pay a transfer fee for them. In the last six months of their contract they are allowed to talk to other clubs but not before that last six months (though that may change in light of a bit of controversy at the mo).

So my question is, how do contracts for footballers (american footballers I guess) differ to ours, or do they?

Dr. Giganto

Sports Moderator

For NFL players, the contract basically has two parts to it, the signing bonus and the salary.

The signing bonus is money that you usually get up front, but sometimes it is deferred through the life of the contract. That money is guaranteed, so player's usually want as big a signing bonus as possible

A football player's salary is NOT guaranteed. Basically, the team can cut a player at any time, and will not owe the player any of the money still owed to him under the contract (except if the signing bonus was deferred)

The contract basically works the same way as you said above...you get x amount of money, for x amount of years. also, sometimes there are incentives thrown in, such as "If Quarterback X throws 30 touchdowns, he gets an additional million dollars" or something like that

Tyler Durden

Thanks D.

Dr. Giganto

Sports Moderator

oh, but only the NFL is like that....

Baseball, hockey, and basketball players have a set salary for a set number of years, and that money is guaranteed...football is the only American sport with non-guaranteed contracts