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NFLPA Resumes Its Regulation Of Agents

The NFL Players Association will soon resume its regulation of agents who represent football players in contractual negotiations with teams. The NFLPA Board of Player Representatives recently passed a resolution to adopt and implement an agent regulation system that will have identical language as the system in place prior to the NFLPA’s decertification back in March 2011.

Individuals who were certified NFLPA Contract Advisors in good standing as of the NFLPA’s decertification are now granted Interim Certification. Such certification temporarily allows those individuals to represent NFL players in contract negotiations. Those advisors must apply for full certification (which includes membership and background check fees) by October 1, 2011.

Individuals who were not NFLPA Certified Contract Advisors prior to the NFLPA’s decertification and who wish to become certified may submit an application for full certification in January 2012. The NFLPA did not accept any new Contract Advisors in 2011, but will revert back to its old policy of accepting applications strictly in the month of January. New applicants must have an undergraduate degree and a post graduate degree or have at least 6 years of relevant, full time negotiating experience.

Disputes between players and their agents based on representation agreements signed between March 11, 2011 and September 9, 2011 may be submitted for NFLPA arbitration if both the player and agent agree in writing to do so. Thus, the court system may also be available for disputes similar to the Complaint filed by Carl Carey, Jr. against Robert Quinn.

By Darren Heitner

Darren Heitner created Sports Agent Blog as a New Year's Resolution on December 31, 2005. Originally titled, "I Want To Be A Sports Agent," the website was founded with the intention of causing Heitner to learn more about the profession that he wanted to join, meet reputable individuals in the space and force himself to stay on top of the latest news and trends.

Heitner now runs Heitner Legal, P.L.L.C., which is a law firm with many practice areas, including sports law and contract law. Heitner has represented numerous athletes and sports agents as legal counsel. He has also served as an Adjunct Professor at Indiana University Bloomington from 2011-2014, where he created and taught a course titled, Sport Agency Management, which included subjects ranging from NCAA regulations to athlete agent certification and the rules governing the profession. Heitner serves as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Florida Levin College of Law, where he teaches a Sports Law class that includes case law surrounding athlete agents and the NCAA rules.

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