RULE 7 Franchise Players

7.1a) During the RFA (restricted free agent) time period - each owner will be able to Franchise five players a year whose contract will expire. Each owner must post on the message board and declare their tag options by an established deadline that the commish sets. The commish will then post five lists of all the tagged players on the message board. Below are the five franchise tag options.

Franchise Tag 1 – There are one of two options, Option-A and Option-B.

Option-A = An exclusive franchise tag = Average of top 5 at position or 120% whichever greater. This player is not available to any other team under this tag.

Option-B = A non-exclusive franchise tag = Average of top 10 at position or 120% whichever greater. This player is available to any other team via the auction. The auction for these players will start at the franchise tag amount. The team the placed the tag has the right to match the amount the player receives through free agency. If it is not matched by the tagged team, the team that won the auction will pay compensation of a 1st plus a 2nd, or a 1st round pick in the upcoming draft. The choice of compensation is up to the tagger.

Franchise Tag 2 - Average of top 15 at position or 120% whichever greater. This player is available to any other team via the auction. The auction for these players will start at the franchise tag amount. The team the placed the tag has the right to match the amount the player receives through free agency. If it is not matched by the tagged team, the team that won the auction will pay compensation of a 2nd.)

Franchise Tag 3 - Average of top 20 at position or 120% whichever greater. This player is available to any other team via the auction. The auction for these players will start at the franchise tag amount. The team the placed the tag has the right to match the amount the player receives through free agency. If it is not matched by the tagged team, the team that won the auction will pay compensation of a 3rd.)

Franchise Tag 4 - Average of top 25 at position or 120% whichever greater. This player is available to any other team via the auction. The auction for these players will start at the franchise tag amount. The team the placed the tag has the right to match the amount the player receives through free agency. If it is not matched by the tagged team, the team that won the auction will pay compensation of a 4th and a 6th.)

UFA Tag – Any player picked up in blind bidding during the season can be extended for two years at the current price you won him for. This player is not available for any other team.
If no offers are made on a franchised player then the original team will have the right to sign an extension 1- 5years for that player. If a team makes an offer sheet to a franchised player the original owner will have one week in order to match the highest offer sheet made. If the original owner does not match the offer sheet made on his player then the original owner must be compensated by the team signing his franchise player away. The compensation for signing someone's franchise player away will be a draft pick decided by the original tag. Each team will be allowed to offer 5 tags (tags 1-4 & UFA tag), and each tag can be used once.

If a future pick is involved in compensation for a franchised player then the pick will be the original pick of that team and not another pick that was acquired through another trade.