The Canadian Football League Players’ Association has received a finalized version of the collective bargaining agreement with the league.
There are some changes made to the hard copy of the CBA and the CFLPA outlines each below.
Moving into the 2020 season, we would like to provide you with a summary of key points in addition to the communication we sent out on the 16th of May, 2019.
Notable Changes to Collective Bargaining Agreement:
Article 3 – Standard Player Contract
Subject to Section 9.02, when a non-veteran Player signs a C.F.L. Standard Player Contract or Practice Roster Agreement with a Member Club (herein referred to as the “First Contract”), the Member Club must offer the Player a one year C.F.L. Standard Player Contract with an option to renew. For greater clarity, a Player’s “First Contract” means any contract signed prior to attaining veteran status. In addition, on a Player’s First Contract, it is still open to a Member Club to provide the Player with alternatives to a one (1) year C.F.L. Standard Player Contract with an option to renew for one (1) year. Those alternatives could include multiple one (1) year contracts for three (3) years or more with no option year.
Once a Player signs a Standard Player Contract (“SPC”), the Player shall be given a copy at the time of signing, and then once the SPC is registered by the Commissioner, the Player shall be given a copy of the registered SPC. No SPC is official until it has been registered by the Commissioner.
Starting for 2020, all Standard Player Contracts will contain both an Active Roster salary and a Practice Roster salary (Two Way Contract). When signing the contract, the amounts for both categories must be inputted and registered with the C.F.L. (and can be negotiated).
Article 6: Practice Times
Section 6.04 (Voluntary Off-Season Workouts) will not be operative (i.e. no off-season team workouts).
Article 9: Minimum Compensation
For 2020 and 2021 the minimum base pay for Global Classified players is $54,000 and for American and National Players it will be $65,000 (this is the base salary and excludes all pre-season (camp) pay, play-off pay, Club pension contributions and any payments put into an addendum). If any player is scheduled to make less than the minimum their Club will “automatically bump” their pay up to the minimum.
Length of Contracts
All Nationals will be required to sign a minimum 2 + 1 first contract and follow the salary grid at outlined below (this term does not apply to Nationals who signed registered contracts in 2019):
“A” Grid – 1st or 2nd round CFL Draft Choice
Base Salary (max.) Max. Sign or Housing (Optional) 50% + 1 based on offence and defence snaps (Optional)
1st Year $65,000 $7,500 $7,500
2nd Year $65,000 $7,500 $7,500
3rd Year $65,000-$71,500 max. $7,500 $7,500
“B” Grid – 3rd or 4th round CFL Draft Choice
Base Salary (max.) Max. Sign or Housing (Optional) 50% + 1 based on offence and defence snaps (Optional)
1st Year $65,000 $5,000 $7,500
2nd Year $65,000 $5,000 $7,500
3rd Year $65,000-$71,500 max. $5,000 $7,500
“C” Grid – 5th round or higher CFL Draft Choice plus undrafted
Base Salary (max.) Max. Sign or Housing (Optional) 50% + 1 based on offence and defence snaps (Optional)
1st Year $65,000 $2,500 $7,500
2nd Year $65,000 $2,500 $7,500
3rd Year $65,000-$71,500 max. $2,500 $7,500
Note: No other bonus payments (inside an addendum) are permitted (i.e. no per Sacks, All-star, or Outstanding Player, etc. payments)
All Global players will be required to sign a minimum 2 + 1(option) first contract.
All American players will be required to sign a minimum 1 + 1(option) first contract.
Note: No restrictions on bonus payments to Global or American Players.
Article 11: Pre-Season Compensation
Quarterbacks or injured veterans who report to training camp and participate in Rookie Camp for the full duration shall receive, in addition to the amounts above, an additional weekly payment as per Section 11.01.
Article 14: Rules and Regulations
Change to section 5, paragraph 4 of the CFL By-laws;
6. The following Players shall be classified as National Players:
(a) Canadian citizens at the time of signing the Player’s first C.F.L. Standard Player Contract or Practice Roster Agreement;
(b) A Player classified as a National prior to May 21st, 2019; or
(c) A Player who was physically resident in Canada for an aggregate period of five years prior to attaining the age of 18 years.
2019 – An American or Global Player who is draft eligible no earlier than the 2021 Draft and has played football for a minimum of three (3) year at a USports institution and has graduated with a degree at that institution.
2020 – In addition to the 2019 amendment above, the following will take effect the day before the start of training camp in 2020: An American player on a roster with the same CFL team after three (3) consecutive years or four (4) years in the CFL. These players apply only to the starter ratio and not the roster allocation.
7. The following Players shall be classified as American Players:
(a) A Player other than a National Player or a Global Player.
8. The following Players shall be classified as Global Players:
(a) Any player who does not hold Canadian or American citizenship and has not been physically resident in Canada for an aggregate period of five (5) years prior to attaining the age of eighteen (18) years, or who does not qualify as a National in any other way.
It is further agreed that wherever the word International appears in the C.F.L. Constitution, By‑Laws and Regulations it will be read as “American”.
Article 17: Practice Roster and Practice Agreement
Practice roster players are to be paid during bye-weeks, regardless of practice and during the post-season.
Article 23: Roster Size
For the 2020 and 2021 seasons, the active Roster size of each Member Club in the C.F.L. for regular season, playoff and Grey Cup games shall be a minimum of forty-four (44) Players and a maximum of forty-five (45) Players.
For the 2020 and 2021 seasons, there shall not be more than twenty (20) American Players, which shall include four (4) designated American Players and which shall exclude quarterbacks on the Active Roster of each Member Club for regular season, playoff and Grey Cup games.
For the 2020 and 2021 seasons, each Member Club shall have one (1) Player on its Reserve Roster in addition to its Active Roster, who shall be signed to C.F.L. Standard Player Contracts and who may attend at all practices and meetings, but shall not be allowed to participate in regular season, playoff or Grey Cup games. The Player on the Reserve Roster shall receive all the benefits that they would receive as if they were on the Active Roster, except that they shall not be allowed to participate in regular season, playoff or Grey Cup games.
For the 2020 and 2021 seasons, each Member Club shall have two (2) Players on its Active Roster who are considered Global Players for each regular season, playoff and Grey Cup games.
For the 2020 and 2021 seasons, each Member Club must dress at least two (2) quarterbacks for each regular season, playoff and Grey Cup games.
Teams will be eligible to name as National Starters a maximum of three (3) Players per game who have become National Players by virtue of the Amended definition of National, i.e. Americans who have played with the same C.F.L. team for three (3) consecutive years or who have played four (4) years in the C.F.L. These three (3) players only apply to the starter ratio, and not to the roster allocation.
In the event of a game injury to any of the Club’s ten (10) National Starters, the injured player(s) can be replaced by either a National or any other American on the roster who qualifies under the Amended definition of National above.
During each season, Section 8, sub-sections 1, 2 and 5 of the C.F.L. By-Laws (Appendix “E” to the Collective Agreement) shall be amended and shall be deemed to be amended as follows:
1. For the 2020 and 2021 seasons, the Commissioner shall maintain in the League office a registry of Players under contract with each Member Club. Prior to the commencement of the regular season schedule each Member Club shall, in accordance with a timetable prescribed by the Management Council, establish its active Roster at:
a maximum of 45 Players, including 2 Players who shall be identified as quarterbacks and 43 other Players, of whom not more than 20 may be Americans, or
2. Prior to the commencement of the regular season schedule, each Member Club shall in accordance with the timetable prescribed by the Management Council, establish its reserve Roster of 1 Player.
5. A Member Club shall be permitted to dress for a regular season or playoff game or League Championship Game its active Roster as described in paragraph 1. The Players identified as quarterbacks shall be permitted to alternate for each other during the game at the quarterback position exclusively and shall not be permitted to enter the game at another position, under any circumstances. For the purposes of this paragraph, the duties of the quarterback position may include punting, place kicking, kicking off or holding the ball for the kicker on a convert or field goal attempt. A National quarterback will be considered one of a Club’s starting National Players as long as he remains on the field at the quarterback position. When the Member Club dresses its full quota of American Players four shall be designated Americans and designated as special team Players who may enter the game at another position only upon the understanding that another American Player is required to leave the game for that play.
When the Member Club dresses 19 American Players, three shall be designated Americans and designated as special team Players who may enter the game at another position only upon the understanding that another American Player is required to leave the game for that play.
When the Member Club dresses 18 American Players, two shall be a designated Americans and designated as a special team Players who may enter the game at another position only upon the understanding that another American Player is required to leave the game for that play.
The designated Americans shall only be allowed to participate on the special teams; provided however, a designated American may be directly substituted to replace another American Player provided the said American Player being replaced is on the same side (offensive or defensive) that the designated American will be playing on. The designated American may replace any other American Player during the game on either side of the ball on the understanding that the Player that he replaces may not re-enter that game.
Teams will be eligible to name as National Starters a maximum of three (3) Players per game who have become National players by virtue of the Amended definition of National i.e. Americans who have played with the same C.F.L. team for three (3) consecutive years or who have played four (4) years in the C.F.L. These three (3) Players only apply to the starter ratio, and not to the roster allocation. In the event of a game injury to any of the Clubs’ ten (10) National Starters, the injured player(s) can be replaced by either a National or any other American on the roster who qualifies under the Amended definition of National.
Article 30: Recognition of Economic Conditions
Section 30.01 Salary Expenditure Cap
2019 – $5,250,000.00
2020 – $5,300,000.00
2021 – $5,350,000.00
Section 30.04 Incremental Broadcast Revenues
A. C.F.L. 2.0 Broadcast Revenues
20% of C.F.L. Broadcast Revenues outside of the TSN/ESPN agreements will be applied to the SEC in the following year following receipt of those revenues. This calculation will apply to all 2.0 Broadcast Revenues received after May 1, 2019 until December 31, 2019 to apply to the 2020 SEC. For greater clarity, should the C.F.L. receive one million dollars ($1,000,000) in 2.0 Broadcast Revenues in 2019, then the sum of two hundred thousand dollars ($200,000) divided by nine (9) teams in the League will be added to the 2020 SEC.
For the calculation of the 2021 SEC, 20% of all 2.0 Broadcast Revenue received in 2020 will be added to the 2021 SEC.
B. TSN “Ratings Fee” Payment
Commencing with the SEC in 2021, based on the measurement formula that was applied in 2020 for the television ratings of the 2020 season, 20% of any Ratings Fee payments, if applicable and payable to the C.F.L., will be applied to the 2021 SEC.
Article 36: National Football League
Section 36.01
Paragraphs 3, 12, 13, 15 and 22 of the C.F.L. Standard Player Contract shall be read subject to this Article.
A Player who has signed a C.F.L. Standard Player Contract with a Member Club may sign an N.F.L. Standard Player Contract with a National Football League Member Club (hereinafter referred to as an “N.F.L. Club”) from the date following the day that the C.F.L. season has ended for the Player until his Contract has expired or the second Tuesday in February in the following season, whichever is earlier; provided that the said Player is about to enter his option year in the year following the season just ended, or has played out his option and his Contract will be expiring on the second Tuesday in February in the year following the season just ended.
If a Player signs an N.F.L. Standard Player Contract with an N.F.L. Club, the said Player shall remain under Contract with the N.F.L. Club until the Contract has been terminated by the N.F.L. Club or any other N.F.L. Club to whom the said Contract is assigned. When a Player is under Contract with an N.F.L. Club, he shall not be entitled to the benefits under his C.F.L. Standard Player Contract and the Collective Agreement.
In the event that the N.F.L. Club terminates the Player’s N.F.L. Standard Player Contract, and the Player’s C.F.L. Standard Player Contract has not expired, the Player’s C.F.L. Standard Player Contract and any renewal thereof between the Player and the Member Club shall become effective and shall remain in effect until its expiration date, and all benefits in accordance with the said C.F.L. Standard Player Contract and Collective Agreement shall continue to remain in effect.
Effective 2020 and going forward, all players under contract will be eligible for the NFL Option Window, described herein, at the end of each season, regardless of the length of their contract. This proposed clause is subject to agreement from the NFL.
