Practice squad

In gridiron football, the practice squad is a special group of players that a team signs, but they are not part of the main team roster. These players help the team practice by acting like the next opponent’s team, which helps the main team get ready for games. Because they know the team’s plays and formations well, they can also help train new or less experienced players who might get to play on the main team later.

This is especially important for professional gridiron football teams, because they usually don’t have special minor league or farm team groups to help train new players. The practice squad can also step in to help when a main team player gets hurt or leaves for a short time, like if they need to deal with a family emergency. This way, the team always has enough players ready to go.

National Football League

History

In the 1940s, the coach of the Cleveland Browns, Paul Brown, created a group called the "taxi squad." This group included players who were good but did not make the main team. They were kept ready to help if needed. The National Football League (NFL) started using taxi squads officially in 1965. Over time, rules changed, and by 1974, the taxi squad was no longer used. Later, a new system for players who were not on the main team was introduced.

Mechanism

Players can join a practice squad for different reasons, such as not having enough space on the main team or needing more time to develop. Practice squad players can be moved to the main team at any time. Many players used the practice squad as a stepping stone to become successful in the NFL. The practice squad exists only during the regular season and playoffs. After the season ends, these players usually sign contracts to join the team's roster for the next season.

Squad size

In 1993, practice squads were limited to five players. Over the years, this number increased. By 2004, it grew to eight players, and by 2014, it was ten. In 2020, the size went up to 12 players, and then to 14 in 2022. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the size was temporarily increased to 16 in 2020, and this larger size became permanent starting in 2022.

Eligibility

In 1998, rules were added to limit who could join a practice squad. Only players with limited playing time could be on the squad, and they could only stay for a certain number of seasons. These rules changed over time, allowing more experienced players to join the practice squad under certain conditions. By 2022, teams could have up to six experienced players on their practice squad at once.

Salaries

Since 2021, there are different salary levels for practice squad players based on their experience. Rookies and less experienced players earn one amount, while more experienced players earn more. The weekly pay for practice squad players has increased over the years. In 2020, the minimum weekly pay was $8,400, which is much less than what main team players earn. Some practice squad players earn even more, depending on their experience and the team.

Canadian Football League

The Canadian Football League (CFL) has rules for practice squad players that are similar to the NFL, but with some special rules because of how the league handles players from different countries. In the CFL, players from Canada are called "national" players, while players from other countries are called either "American" or "global" players.

Each CFL team can usually have up to 10 players on their practice squad, and 2 of these must be national players. The pay for these players counts toward the team's total spending limit. Sometimes, a team can have up to 12 practice squad players if they include more "global" players. Because the CFL season starts earlier than the NFL's and the CFL is a smaller league, each team's practice squad gets bigger at the start of the NFL season. At that time, teams can have up to 15 practice squad players, or 17 if they include "global" players. The extra 5 players added at this time do not count toward the team's spending limit.

XFL and NFL Europe

During the short 2020 season of the XFL, there was a special team called "Team 9." It acted like a practice squad and a farm team for the whole league instead of each team having its own practice squad. Team 9 had its own coaches but didn’t play any official games. The players on Team 9 were paid $1,040 each week. Team 9 was not brought back when the XFL started again in 2023. A similar setup was also used by NFL Europe, which was the NFL’s league in Europe and is no longer running.

College and high school football

In college football, players who are on a team's roster and practice with the team but do not play are called redshirts. These are mostly freshmen and transfer students who cannot play in games because of NCAA rules. If a player spends a whole season as a redshirt, that season does not count toward their four years of eligibility to play college football. Sometimes, if a player has a major injury, they may get a second redshirt year. Before 2018, a player lost redshirt status if they played in any game that season, but now they lose it only if they play in more than four games. Before 1972, freshmen were not allowed to play in varsity games, though they could practice with the team and compete on separate freshmen teams, similar to junior varsity teams in high school football.

International players

The practice squad is also used to train players from places outside the United States or Canada, where gridiron football isn’t very popular. This helps grow interest in the sport around the world. In the CFL, players from outside Canada were once called “international” players. In 2019, a new group called “global” players was added for those from places other than the United States and Canada.

The NFL has special programs for international players on practice squads. The first program began in 2004 and included players from countries like the United Kingdom, France, and Japan. A newer program started in 2017, and it now includes all NFL teams. Some international players have also joined NFL teams’ practice squads without these special programs.

In the CFL, teams can have up to two “global” players on their practice squads. These players don’t count toward the normal limit and help bring more international talent to the league.

Other sports

In the National Hockey League, during the 2020–21 season, there was a group of players called the "taxi squad." These players traveled with the team but didn’t play unless someone got sick with COVID-19 and the team needed extra players quickly. This idea was only used that one season to help deal with problems caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Later, in the 2021–22 season, the league brought back a similar rule because many games were disrupted by COVID-19 issues.

In Japan, the Nippon Professional Baseball league has a system for developing young players. Teams can sign many players to help them practice and play in minor league games, but these players cannot join the main league games.