NFLPA EXAMINATION TEST 2025/2026 QUESTIONS AND
SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
✔✔Multiple Franchise Player Designations - ✔✔If a player is tagged a 2nd time in his
career, the same rules apply to his compensation.
If a player is tagged a 3rd time in his career: - Salary will be the greater of the average
of the top 5 salaries, regardless of position (usually will be QB's), or 144% of the
player's previous year salary.
✔✔Waiver System (Players with less than 3 Credited Seasons) - ✔✔Players with less
than 3 credited seasons are always subject to the waiver system.
In-season, there is a 24-hour period in which a Club may submit a claim for a player and
priority is based on team standings from the previous year (order of draft). It is important
to note that a players contract is not actually terminated until he clears waivers.
✔✔WAIVER SYSTEM (Players with 4 or more Credited Seasons) - ✔✔Players with 4 or
more credited seasons are only held to the waiver system until after the trade deadline
(the Tuesday after week 8 of the regular season).
If the player is claimed, and has a "no-trade" clause in his contract, he can declare Free
Agency at the end of that season. If he does not have that clause, he may declare Free
Agency one year later.
✔✔Mini Camps For Veterans - ✔✔Veterans are allowed a maximum of 1 minicamp
consisting of 3 days, plus an additional day for physicals. If there is a new Head Coach
they may have 1 additional mini camp.
✔✔Mini Camps For ROOKIES - ✔✔Each club may hold a Post-Draft Rookie Minicamp
on either the 1st or 2nd weekend following the college draft.
✔✔Preseason Mandatory Report Date - ✔✔Players may not report to camp until 47
days prior to the first regular season game, if your week 1 game is Thurs or Sun; 48
days prior if your week 1 game is a Mon. Rookies may report 7 days prior to the
mandatory report date for Veterans.
✔✔Exceptions to Mandatory Report Date - ✔✔The following players may report 20 days
prior to the 1st preseason game: ๏ Quarterbacks ๏ Players on IR list ๏ Players on
PUP/PUP-NFI list ๏ Players injured, or who have had surgery, in the off-season
✔✔Signing Bonus Forfeiture Types - ✔✔The following bonuses may be forfeited due to
conduct or breach: Signing, Roster, Report and Option bonuses.
,✔✔Signing Bonus Forfeiture Forfeitable Breaches - ✔✔Willfully fail to report, practice or
play ๏ Unavailable due to incarceration ๏ Unavailable due to non-football injury ๏
Voluntarily retires
✔✔Signing Bonus Forfeiture How Much? - ✔✔Forfeitures are generally limited to be
proportionate to the number of games missed due to the breach. For Report, Roster
and Option bonuses - a forfeiture occurs only if a breach occurs in the same year as the
bonus was earned.
✔✔Forfeitures Under Drug Program - ✔✔Suspensions under the Drug Policy have their
own forfeiture of bonuses. These would be proportionate to the length of the
suspension.
✔✔A player is on his team's active roster for the entire 2020 and 2021 seasons. During
the 2022 season, he gets cut on the Monday after the 5th game. He is then signed to
the active roster for a different team for Week 17 of the 2022 season and plays that
Sunday. Which of the following is true? - ✔✔The player has 3 credited seasons and 3
accrued seasons A credited season is 3 games on the active/inactive list. An accrued
season is 6 games on active/inactive or IR. Even though the 6 games came with 2
different teams, the total of 6 is all that matters.
✔✔A free agent player signs a contract in 2028 which has the following terms: 5 years,
signing bonus of $5,000,000, P5 Salaries: 2028 - $1,000,000; 2029 - $1,000,000; 2030 -
$2,000,000; 2031 - $3,000,000; 2032 - $4,000,000. This contract will: - ✔✔Be voided for
violating the 30% rule The 30% rule applies to veteran contracts that are entered into in
a capped year that extend into an uncapped year. The rule provides that a player's
salary may not increase more than 30% of the salary in the final capped year.
✔✔Player A is in the 4th year of his rookie contract. A week before the end of the
league year after his 4th season, the team makes him an offer on a new contract which
averages $4,000,000 per year. Per NFLPA rules, you are required to: - ✔✔Notify the
NFLPA Salary Cap and Agent Administration Department Per the NFLPA directive, any
re-negotiation which averages more than $2 million/season requires a contract advisor
to contact the NFLPA SCAA Department.
✔✔In 2020, the undrafted rookie reservation amount per club was: - ✔✔$123,279.This
will be in the source materials you get for the exam.
✔✔A player who is in the substances of abuse program and has his second Failure to
Cooperate violation in Stage 2: - ✔✔A fine of 2/17ths of his Paragraph 5 salary The
difference between a successful completion of Stage 1 and unsuccessful is that your
penalties are always more. This is explicitly laid out in the SOA policy.
, ✔✔A running back plays only 8 games in 2020 and rushes for 800 yards. His contract
expires and the team wants to give him an NLTBE incentive for rushing yards in 2021.
What is the lowest amount of yards the bonus can start at to be considered NLTBE? -
✔✔801 An NLTBE incentive must be just 1 more (yard, touchdown, interception, etc)
than what the player achieved the year before. It does not matter how many games the
player played.
✔✔Player A is drafted in the 2020 draft. He receives a 4-year contract with signing
bonus of $800,000 and a first-year salary of $600,000. What is his maximum salary for
2022? - ✔✔$1,000,000 The signing bonus pro-rates to $200,000 per year ($800k/4).
This, plus a first-year salary of $600,000, gives a first-year cap number of $800,000.
Under the 25% rule for rookies, which provides that the maximum cap increase from
year to year a rookie can receive is 25% of the first-year cap number, the maximum cap
for this player in Year 3 (2020) is $1,200,000. Since $200,000 of that is already taken up
by the pro-rated signing bonus, that leaves $1,000,000 left for his salary
✔✔How soon may a player return from Injured Reserve after he is placed on Injured
Reserve - Designated for Return? - ✔✔3 weeks This was updated as part of the side
letters from the last year. This will be given to you in your materials.
✔✔A player plays all of the 2020, '21, '22, '23, '24, '25 and '26 NFL seasons and then
submits his retirement paperwork. This player will receive what amount in severance? -
✔✔$235,000 You will get a chart of benefits as your source materials. Each season
played is worth a different amount; just be careful to add up those amounts.
✔✔A player with a full split is injured in the first regular-season game. The team cuts the
player and the player files an injury grievance. The player settles with the team for 5
weeks of pay at the down split amount. The player gets: - ✔✔Both an accrued season
and a credited season for benefits This player was paid for 6 games. For a credited
season for benefits, games on IR count, so once this player got 3 games, he got a
credited season for benefits. For an accrued season, games on IR count — so once this
player got 6 games (1+5), he got an accrued season.
✔✔A player with 5 credited season retires in 2024. Five-and-a-half years later, he goes
back to school to finish his degree. He incurs $75,000 in qualifying tuition expenses.
What is the maximum amount, if any, he can be reimbursed under the Tuition
Assistance Plan? - ✔✔$75,000 This will be explicit in the source materials for benefits.
✔✔A player receives a signing bonus of $10,000,000 on a 5-year contract. The player is
then suspended for 4 games during the 3rd year of the contract. Under the CBA, what is
the maximum amount of the signing bonus the player can be made to forfeit? -
✔✔$500,000 Under the CBA rules, the player's signing bonus attributable to each
season is $2,000,000. ($10,000,000/5). The player will then miss 4 games out of 16
(4/16 = 1/4). 1/4 of $2,000,000 = $500,000
SOLUTIONS GRADED A+
✔✔Multiple Franchise Player Designations - ✔✔If a player is tagged a 2nd time in his
career, the same rules apply to his compensation.
If a player is tagged a 3rd time in his career: - Salary will be the greater of the average
of the top 5 salaries, regardless of position (usually will be QB's), or 144% of the
player's previous year salary.
✔✔Waiver System (Players with less than 3 Credited Seasons) - ✔✔Players with less
than 3 credited seasons are always subject to the waiver system.
In-season, there is a 24-hour period in which a Club may submit a claim for a player and
priority is based on team standings from the previous year (order of draft). It is important
to note that a players contract is not actually terminated until he clears waivers.
✔✔WAIVER SYSTEM (Players with 4 or more Credited Seasons) - ✔✔Players with 4 or
more credited seasons are only held to the waiver system until after the trade deadline
(the Tuesday after week 8 of the regular season).
If the player is claimed, and has a "no-trade" clause in his contract, he can declare Free
Agency at the end of that season. If he does not have that clause, he may declare Free
Agency one year later.
✔✔Mini Camps For Veterans - ✔✔Veterans are allowed a maximum of 1 minicamp
consisting of 3 days, plus an additional day for physicals. If there is a new Head Coach
they may have 1 additional mini camp.
✔✔Mini Camps For ROOKIES - ✔✔Each club may hold a Post-Draft Rookie Minicamp
on either the 1st or 2nd weekend following the college draft.
✔✔Preseason Mandatory Report Date - ✔✔Players may not report to camp until 47
days prior to the first regular season game, if your week 1 game is Thurs or Sun; 48
days prior if your week 1 game is a Mon. Rookies may report 7 days prior to the
mandatory report date for Veterans.
✔✔Exceptions to Mandatory Report Date - ✔✔The following players may report 20 days
prior to the 1st preseason game: ๏ Quarterbacks ๏ Players on IR list ๏ Players on
PUP/PUP-NFI list ๏ Players injured, or who have had surgery, in the off-season
✔✔Signing Bonus Forfeiture Types - ✔✔The following bonuses may be forfeited due to
conduct or breach: Signing, Roster, Report and Option bonuses.
,✔✔Signing Bonus Forfeiture Forfeitable Breaches - ✔✔Willfully fail to report, practice or
play ๏ Unavailable due to incarceration ๏ Unavailable due to non-football injury ๏
Voluntarily retires
✔✔Signing Bonus Forfeiture How Much? - ✔✔Forfeitures are generally limited to be
proportionate to the number of games missed due to the breach. For Report, Roster
and Option bonuses - a forfeiture occurs only if a breach occurs in the same year as the
bonus was earned.
✔✔Forfeitures Under Drug Program - ✔✔Suspensions under the Drug Policy have their
own forfeiture of bonuses. These would be proportionate to the length of the
suspension.
✔✔A player is on his team's active roster for the entire 2020 and 2021 seasons. During
the 2022 season, he gets cut on the Monday after the 5th game. He is then signed to
the active roster for a different team for Week 17 of the 2022 season and plays that
Sunday. Which of the following is true? - ✔✔The player has 3 credited seasons and 3
accrued seasons A credited season is 3 games on the active/inactive list. An accrued
season is 6 games on active/inactive or IR. Even though the 6 games came with 2
different teams, the total of 6 is all that matters.
✔✔A free agent player signs a contract in 2028 which has the following terms: 5 years,
signing bonus of $5,000,000, P5 Salaries: 2028 - $1,000,000; 2029 - $1,000,000; 2030 -
$2,000,000; 2031 - $3,000,000; 2032 - $4,000,000. This contract will: - ✔✔Be voided for
violating the 30% rule The 30% rule applies to veteran contracts that are entered into in
a capped year that extend into an uncapped year. The rule provides that a player's
salary may not increase more than 30% of the salary in the final capped year.
✔✔Player A is in the 4th year of his rookie contract. A week before the end of the
league year after his 4th season, the team makes him an offer on a new contract which
averages $4,000,000 per year. Per NFLPA rules, you are required to: - ✔✔Notify the
NFLPA Salary Cap and Agent Administration Department Per the NFLPA directive, any
re-negotiation which averages more than $2 million/season requires a contract advisor
to contact the NFLPA SCAA Department.
✔✔In 2020, the undrafted rookie reservation amount per club was: - ✔✔$123,279.This
will be in the source materials you get for the exam.
✔✔A player who is in the substances of abuse program and has his second Failure to
Cooperate violation in Stage 2: - ✔✔A fine of 2/17ths of his Paragraph 5 salary The
difference between a successful completion of Stage 1 and unsuccessful is that your
penalties are always more. This is explicitly laid out in the SOA policy.
, ✔✔A running back plays only 8 games in 2020 and rushes for 800 yards. His contract
expires and the team wants to give him an NLTBE incentive for rushing yards in 2021.
What is the lowest amount of yards the bonus can start at to be considered NLTBE? -
✔✔801 An NLTBE incentive must be just 1 more (yard, touchdown, interception, etc)
than what the player achieved the year before. It does not matter how many games the
player played.
✔✔Player A is drafted in the 2020 draft. He receives a 4-year contract with signing
bonus of $800,000 and a first-year salary of $600,000. What is his maximum salary for
2022? - ✔✔$1,000,000 The signing bonus pro-rates to $200,000 per year ($800k/4).
This, plus a first-year salary of $600,000, gives a first-year cap number of $800,000.
Under the 25% rule for rookies, which provides that the maximum cap increase from
year to year a rookie can receive is 25% of the first-year cap number, the maximum cap
for this player in Year 3 (2020) is $1,200,000. Since $200,000 of that is already taken up
by the pro-rated signing bonus, that leaves $1,000,000 left for his salary
✔✔How soon may a player return from Injured Reserve after he is placed on Injured
Reserve - Designated for Return? - ✔✔3 weeks This was updated as part of the side
letters from the last year. This will be given to you in your materials.
✔✔A player plays all of the 2020, '21, '22, '23, '24, '25 and '26 NFL seasons and then
submits his retirement paperwork. This player will receive what amount in severance? -
✔✔$235,000 You will get a chart of benefits as your source materials. Each season
played is worth a different amount; just be careful to add up those amounts.
✔✔A player with a full split is injured in the first regular-season game. The team cuts the
player and the player files an injury grievance. The player settles with the team for 5
weeks of pay at the down split amount. The player gets: - ✔✔Both an accrued season
and a credited season for benefits This player was paid for 6 games. For a credited
season for benefits, games on IR count, so once this player got 3 games, he got a
credited season for benefits. For an accrued season, games on IR count — so once this
player got 6 games (1+5), he got an accrued season.
✔✔A player with 5 credited season retires in 2024. Five-and-a-half years later, he goes
back to school to finish his degree. He incurs $75,000 in qualifying tuition expenses.
What is the maximum amount, if any, he can be reimbursed under the Tuition
Assistance Plan? - ✔✔$75,000 This will be explicit in the source materials for benefits.
✔✔A player receives a signing bonus of $10,000,000 on a 5-year contract. The player is
then suspended for 4 games during the 3rd year of the contract. Under the CBA, what is
the maximum amount of the signing bonus the player can be made to forfeit? -
✔✔$500,000 Under the CBA rules, the player's signing bonus attributable to each
season is $2,000,000. ($10,000,000/5). The player will then miss 4 games out of 16
(4/16 = 1/4). 1/4 of $2,000,000 = $500,000
