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NFLPA Re-certifies Agents; Announces New Standard Representation Agreements

Yesterday, the NFL Players Association sent an email to all NFLPA Contract Advisors informing them of whether they are now fully certified by the Association and advising that at some time in the future, Contract Advisors will be using new Standard Representation Agreements (SRA) with their NFL (and potential NFL) clients.

In early March 2011, the NFLPA decertified in an effort to file an antitrust action (amongst other stated reasons) against the NFL after the NFL locked out its players.  Upon decertification of the Association, all Contract Advisors lost such status; the NFLPA was no longer regulating agents that represented football players.  Upon the re-establishment of the NFLPA as a union (as opposed to the trade association it claimed to be for a period of time), the NFLPA provided “temporary certification” to all agents who were certified as Contract Advisors prior to the decertification of the Association.  Only now (after a background investigation) are agents sure as to whether that temporary certification has turned into permanent certification or not.

The NFLPA also mentioned that they are in the process of printing revised SRAs.  However, in the meantime, Contract Advisors may continue to use the SRA dated 03/07 until you they advised that a supply of new SRAs have been mailed to them, along with instructions for completing the SRAs properly.

By Darren Heitner

Darren Adam Heitner, Esq., is a preeminent sports attorney and the founder of Heitner Legal, P.L.L.C., a Fort Lauderdale-based law firm specializing in sports law, contract negotiations, intellectual property, and arbitration. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 2010 and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, magna cum laude, from the University of Florida in 2007, where he was named Valedictorian of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Admitted to practice in the state bars of Florida, New York, and the District of Columbia, as well as multiple federal courts, Darren also serves as a certified arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association.

As an adjunct professor, Darren imparts his expertise through teaching Sports Law at the University of Florida Levin College of Law and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) at the University of Miami School of Law in the Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law LL.M. program. His scholarly contributions include authoring several books published by the American Bar Association, such as How to Play the Game: What Every Sports Attorney Needs to Know, and numerous articles in prominent publications like Forbes, Inc. Magazine, and Above the Law. His thought leadership in NIL has earned him recognition as one of the foremost experts by The Wall Street Journal, USA TODAY, and On3, and he has been lauded as a “power player in NIL deals” by Action Network and a “top sports trademark attorney” by Sportico.

Darren’s passion for sports law led him to establish Sports Agent Blog on December 31, 2005, initially titled “I Want To Be A Sports Agent.” The platform, created as a New Year’s resolution, has grown into a cornerstone of the sports agency community, offering in-depth analysis of industry trends, legal disputes, and agent-player dynamics. His commitment to the field is further evidenced by his representation of numerous athletes and sports agents, as well as his prior role as an Adjunct Professor at Indiana University Bloomington, where he developed and taught a course on Sport Agency Management from 2011 to 2014.

Darren’s contributions have been recognized with prestigious honors, including the University of Florida’s 40 Under 40 Award, the University of Florida Levin College of Law’s Outstanding Young Alumnus Award, and designation as the best lawyer in Fort Lauderdale by Fort Lauderdale Magazine. He remains an active voice in the sports law community, sharing insights through his weekly NIL newsletter and his X posts, engaging a broad audience on legal developments in sports.