NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement

Article 33
Practice Squads

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.