Practice squad
In the 1940s, Cleveland Browns coach Paul Brown created a group of players who never made the main roster but stayed on reserve. Team owner Arthur "Mickey" McBride placed these athletes on the payroll of his taxicab company, Yellow Cab of Cleveland. They performed no actual work for the cab firm yet carried that name forever. The practice spread through professional football leagues across North America. The National Football League did not officially recognize taxi squads until the 18th of February 1965. On that date, owners adopted a 40-man active roster with an unregulated taxi squad called the future list. Over subsequent seasons, league rules limited inactive players to seven spots. By 1974, the NFL eliminated the taxi squad entirely and moved those seven spots into an expanded 47-man active roster.
Players join practice squads due to lack of space on teams or because they need more development time. Many successful NFL stars spent time on these rosters before finding success in the league. Linebacker James Harrison, safety Adrian Phillips, offensive tackle Jason Peters, wide receiver Danny Amendola, running backs Danny Woodhead and Arian Foster, and center Kyle Cook all started there. Practice squad contracts automatically terminate one week after a team's final regular season or postseason game. Teams sign them to reserve futures contracts once their season ends. These contracts allow players to remain members of the 90-man offseason roster starting in March. The 2020 collective bargaining agreement let teams elevate up to two players per week to the active roster. Such promotions must occur the day before a game. Players revert to the practice squad without clearing waivers if elevated for up to three weeks starting in 2022.
The 1993 collective bargaining agreement limited practice squads to five players. Owners voted to expand that number to eight on the 1st of April 2004. August 2014 saw another expansion bringing the limit to ten players. The 2020 collective bargaining agreement increased sizes to twelve players starting that year and fourteen beginning in 2022. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the NFL temporarily raised the size to sixteen for the 2020 season. This larger size became permanent effective with the 2022 season. Eligibility limits changed over time as well. In 1998, only players without an accrued season or those with one accrued season but fewer than nine games played could join. A player could stay on the squad for up to two seasons until rules expanded again. By 2016, four veteran players were allowed on each practice squad. Starting in 2022, teams could carry six veterans with two or more accrued seasons.
Since the 2021 season, two salary scales exist for practice squad members. Rookies and players with two or fewer accrued seasons fall into the first group. Veterans with unlimited accrued seasons belong to the second group. Minimum weekly salaries rose steadily from $3,300 between 1993 and 1997 to $15,250 by 2028. Practice squad players earn considerably less than active roster counterparts. In 2020, the minimum weekly salary was $8,400 while a rookie's minimum reached $610,000. Some players receive much higher pay. The New England Patriots paid third-year player Billy Yates the full $425,000 he would have earned as an active member in 2006. These contracts lack signing bonuses and guaranteed money despite paying for eighteen weeks annually. Teams must balance budget constraints against the need to develop talent without overspending.
Professional leagues use practice squads to bring athletes from outside North America where gridiron football lacks popularity. The NFL launched its International Practice Squad Program in 2004. Rolando Cantu of Mexico joined the Arizona Cardinals' active roster after spending time on that program in 2005. Players from the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Finland, Sweden, Japan, and Russia participated during those early years. Eighteen teams sponsored sixteen players in 2008 before discontinuing the formal program in 2009. A new initiative called the International Player Pathway began in 2017 involving only NFC South teams. Each division team could sign one international player who did not count toward normal limits. By 2024, all NFL teams could participate and elevate these players to gameday rosters for up to three games per season. Other international names like Efe Obada, Moritz Böhringer, and Jarryd Hayne tried starting their careers through practice squads without initial program participation.
The National Hockey League used taxi squads during the 2020, 21 season to describe players traveling with but not playing until needed. Deputy commissioner Bill Daly stated this concept was devised solely to circumvent difficulties summoning backup players caused by COVID-19 outbreaks. The NHL reinstated the rule on the 26th of December 2021 following schedule disruptions including a suspension of all games from December 23 to 27. Nippon Professional Baseball utilizes a developmental system allowing unrestricted signing of players who cannot play in major league games. These developmental players may appear in limited numbers within minor leagues. CFL teams follow similar rules to the NFL while maintaining unique nationality-based designations. Canadian citizens are national players while non-Canadians become American or global players. Each CFL team normally limits practice squads to ten players with two required as nationals. Global player designations started in 2019 as part of partnerships with amateur leagues in Mexico and Europe.
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Common questions
Who created the practice squad in professional football?
Cleveland Browns coach Paul Brown created the practice squad group of players who never made the main roster but stayed on reserve. Team owner Arthur Mickey McBride placed these athletes on the payroll of his taxicab company Yellow Cab of Cleveland.
When did the National Football League officially recognize taxi squads?
The National Football League did not officially recognize taxi squads until the 18th of February 1965. On that date owners adopted a 40-man active roster with an unregulated taxi squad called the future list.
How many players are allowed on NFL practice squads in 2022 and beyond?
The 2020 collective bargaining agreement increased sizes to twelve players starting that year and fourteen beginning in 2022. This larger size became permanent effective with the 2022 season after being temporarily raised to sixteen for the 2020 season during the COVID-19 pandemic.
What is the minimum weekly salary for practice squad members in recent years?
Minimum weekly salaries rose steadily from $3,300 between 1993 and 1997 to $15,250 by 2028. In 2020 the minimum weekly salary was $8,400 while a rookie's minimum reached $610,000.
Which international leagues use practice squad or taxi squad systems similar to the NFL?
The National Hockey League used taxi squads during the 2020 21 season to describe players traveling with but not playing until needed. Nippon Professional Baseball utilizes a developmental system allowing unrestricted signing of players who cannot play in major league games while CFL teams follow similar rules to the NFL.