In North American sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has run out and is now free to sign with another team. The term came into wide use after most player contracts with sports leagues no longer contained a "reserve clause". In some leagues, there is a distinction between an "unrestricted free agent" and a "restricted free agent." A restricted free agent is a player who may be free to sign with another team, but with certain restrictions. Often times the player's current team may have to sign off on the deal, or, more frequently, may have the right to match the terms and conditions of the proposed new contract, or the current team may be entitled to compensation in the form of money or draft picks from the player's new team.
Restricted freeagents are players who have completed three accrued seasons of service and whose contracts have expired.
Unrestrictedfreeagents are players with four or more accrued seasons whose contracts have expired.
They are free to sign with any club, with no compensation owed to their old club, through July 22 (or the first scheduled day of the first NFL training camp, whichever is later).
In North American sports, a freeagent is a player whose contract with a team has run out and is now free to sign with another team.
Often times the player's current team may have to sign off on the deal, or, more frequently, may have the right to match the terms and conditions of the proposed new contract, or the current team may be entitled to compensation in the form of money or draft picks from the player's new team.
For example, under the current NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement, restricted freeagents who do not sign contracts by December 1 of a given year will be ineligible to play in their league for the balance of that season.
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