Practice Squad < - - A little old, but probably still accurate
review of practice squad rules
September, 4, 2010
9/04/10
1:30
PM ET
By Tim Graham | ESPN.com
51COMMENTS0EMAILPRINT
With teams required to get their rosters down to 53 players by 6 p.m. Saturday, I thought it would be a good idea to review practice squad eligibility.
Article XXXIV of the collective bargaining agreement outlines the rules. Teams are allowed to have eight practice squad players. A team cannot simply assign a fringe player to the practice squad. He must first be waived and go unclaimed by another club. The player then would become a free agent, not bound to sign a practice squad deal.
Players must meet one of the following criteria while previously not being on a practice squad more than two seasons:
No accrued seasons of NFL experience.
Free agents who were on an active roster for fewer than nine regular-season games during their accrued seasons.
A season on the practice squad constitutes three weeks. There are provisions for a third season on a practice squad.
Practice squad players remain free to sign with any other club (how the Buffalo Bills pried Brian Brohm from the Green Bay Packers) but must remain on his new team's 53-man roster unless cut.
Players make a minimum of $5,200 a week on the practice squad, but any terms can be negotiated.
---------------------NEW RULES---------------------------------
New Rules
The new rules will allow teams to sign two practice-squad players who don’t have more than two accrued seasons, which, in the Cardinals' case, means every player drafted since 2012. The other eight players fall under the current rules, which state they would be ineligible for the practice squad if they were on the active roster for more than eight games in any of their accrued seasons.
The other rule change increased the minimum number of games a player needs on a practice squad for it to count toward the NFL’s limit of three practice-squad seasons from three to six.
The changes will be enacted only in 2014 and 2015. The current rules will be back in place for 2016.