National Football League Players Association Lawyers

The National Football League Players Association, or the NFLPA, is the officially recognized National Football League (NFL) union for players in the league. The NFLPA was started in 1956.

What Does the NFLPA Do?

The NFLPA takes on a variety of tasks, which include:

• Represents players to protect their rights concerning wages, hours, and working conditions;
• Negotiates the terms of a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between the NFL and its players;
• Monitors and negotiates retirement and insurance benefits;
• Provides membership services and activities;
• Assists charity and community organizations; and
• Works to promote the reputation and image of NFL players.

How Does the NFLPA Work?

A player who is an NFLPA member on each team elects a Player Representative as well as an Alternate Player Representative to serve on the Board of Player Representatives. Player Representatives obtain their power from the player members who elect them.

What Does the Board of Players Representatives Do?

The Board is required to meet a minimum of 1 time per year and makes such important decisions for the organization such as:

• Adopting an annual budget;
• Electing a President and 10 Vice-Presidents;
• Electing an Executive Director;
• Drafting and implementing regulations that govern player agents and maximum fees players can be charged;
• Authorizing safety and turf studies; and
• Negotiating a 401k plan or a player annuity program.

What is Sports Law?

Sports laws govern the legal issues that pertain to both amateur sports and professional sports, such as the NFLPA. In many cases, sports law may overlap with other areas of law, including:

• Labor law;
• Contract law;
• Antitrust law; and
• Tort law.

What are Sports Agents?

In professional sports, a sports agent acts on behalf of a professional athlete in negotiating advantageous contracts. Usually, a Standard Representation Contract governs the agent-athlete relationship.

This Standard Representation Contract outlines the duties and compensation of the sports agent during the representation of the athlete. Many state legislatures require an agent to register with an administrative agency in an attempt to regulate sports agent activities.

What are Contracts in Sports Law?

Contract law is a major aspect of sports law. Every professional athlete has a contract that specifies how much they will be paid for their services and for how long the athlete will perform for the specified team.

Regardless of the sport, a contract in sports law is usually worth substantial amounts of money and is, therefore, heavily negotiated by sports agents.

What is a Contract?

As contracts are a fundamental element of sports law and player negotiations, it may be helpful to have a basic understanding of what a contract requires. A contract is a legal agreement between two parties that creates mutual legal obligations. Contracts can be oral or written.

Professional sports contracts are typically in written form. There are some types of contracts that are required to be written to be valid, for example, those that involve a significant amount of money, over $500.

Most individuals encounter contracts in everyday dealings in all aspects of their life. A contract is required to include certain elements in order to be enforceable, including:

• An offer;
• And acceptance of the offer presented;
• A promise to perform;
• Valuable consideration;
• The time or the event at which the performance must be made;
• Terms and conditions for the performance; and
• Performance.

What are Contracts Important for the NFLPA?

As noted above, contracts are an important issue in professional sports and sports law. One of the issues that may arise related to a professional sports contract is whether that contract is valid.

This is important because, if the professional athlete has an issue involving their contract, such as they are not getting paid as promised, and their contract is not legally valid, it cannot be enforced in a court of law.

As previously noted, there are several elements that are required to form a contract. There must be mutual agreement, or meeting of the minds, between the parties to the contract.

One of the parties has to make an offer to the other party for their acceptance. In the case of the NFLPA, a player may agree to play for a team for a certain number of years and are promised to be paid a specific salary during that time.

An offer may also be revoked until acceptance, or an agreement to the terms of the offer, occurs. This means that the player may revoke offers until they receive an offer for the compensation they are seeking.

If any change occurs to the terms in acceptance, such as negotiating for a higher salary, it would be considered a counteroffer. Many states differ on this issue so an individual should consider the regulations in their jurisdiction.

Consideration is provided when both of the parties to the contract agree to provide something of value in exchange for a benefit. In the case of professional athletes, they offer their playing services for monetary compensation.

All of the parties to a contract must come to an agreement based on their own will. A contract will be void if there is a mistake, duress or fraud by one or more of the parties.

What is Free Agency?

In the context of professional sports, free agency refers to the situation where a professional sports player can freely seek out employment and a contract with other professional teams. Free agency arises when the player’s contract expires or the player opts out.

A player who is permitted to participate in free agency is referred to as a free agent. The rules governing free agency are specific to each sports league and are determined by the applicable collective bargaining agreement (CBA).

How Often can a Player’s Contract be Renegotiated?

A veteran player’s contract may be renegotiated at any time. However, additional salary increases during the original term of the contract can only occur twelve months after the most recent renegotiation.

A team cannot renegotiate terms from any prior year of a contract. Terms for the current season cannot be renegotiated after the final game of the regular season.

How Much Will the Salary Cap be in 2022?

In 2022, each club will have a salary cap of $208.2 million.

What is the Deadline for Teams to Comply with the Salary Cap?

The deadline for teams to comply with the salary cap is by the start of the 2022 league year. The league year began at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesday, March 16.

Do I Need a Lawyer?

If you have any issues, questions, or concerns related to the National Football League Players Association, it may be helpful to consult with an entertainment lawyer or an agent who is familiar with the NFL. Your attorney can provide you with detailed information regarding the NFLPA.

As discussed above, a contract is an essential element of a professional athlete’s endeavors and it is important to have a valid and enforceable contract. Prior to entering into any agreements or signing any contracts, you should have your attorney review them to ensure that the terms are fair and the contract can be enforced in a court of law.

If you have a dispute with the NFL or NFLPA, it may be helpful to consult a sports lawyer. Your lawyer will assist you with your dispute and represent you during the process.