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Headline NFL Players Recruiting

NFLPA Considers Dropping Junior Rule, Removing Runners

Reporting from the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, ESPN’s Joe Schad, wrote that DeMaurice Smith (Executive Director of the NFLPA) is considering new rules that would (1) only permit NFLPA Certified Contract Advisors to communicate with prospective clients, and (2) scrap the Junior Rule.

The first change would be implemented in an effort to minimize the impact of “runners,” who are non-NFLPA certified third parties that are typically not employed by sports agencies, but recruit athletes for the purpose of directing them to certain agents.  Many believe that runners are largely responsible for the gross amount of impermissible benefits provided to student-athletes while they are eligible to participate in collegiate sports.

The second change would do away with a rule (the Junior Rule) that has been ridiculed and ignored since first implemented.  The Junior Rule effectively attempts to restrict NFLPA Certified Contract Advisors from communicating with prospective clients until those clients have either completed their true junior season or redshirt sophomore season.

Schad received some great quotes from the always affable Ralph Cindrich, who reflected on both potential rule changes.  Commenting on the Junior Rule, Cindrich stated,

“The ‘junior rule’ is idiotic and unfair to reputable agents. Athletes need advice and assistance. Agents who break the rules are going to break the rules anyway.”

And with regards to runners, Cindrich added,

“If you are an agent you have to be in control of your office. If you employ runners what you really have are dirty partners.”

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.