By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Euroleague Basketball and ELPA reached an agreement and concluded an amendment of the Euroleague Framework Agreement (EFA), the Players Association announced.
The additions include the insurance of players’ families, preseason length and release after the season, higher limit on bonuses, standardized physical tests, and more.
Per ELPA:
The Euroleague Players Association (ELPA) announced today that after many months of negotiations with Euroleague Basketball, it has successfully concluded an amendment of the EuroLeague Framework Agreement (EFA) and the Standard Player Contract (SPC). From this point forward the SPC is implemented on a league-wide basis and will serve as a compulsory minimum standard defining the relationship between EuroLeague players and clubs.
The negotiations between ELPA and Euroleague Basketball were supported by a direct involvement of EuroLeague clubs and a collective formed by several prominent player agencies, increasing the overall acceptance of the EFA and SPC among the relevant stakeholders. The current EFA will last until the end of the season 2023/24, unless it will be renewed prior to its expiration.
With the updated EFA, ELPA achieved major improvements and elevated standards for all players in EuroLeague. In addition to the working conditions under the existing EFA, some of the new improvements include:
- insurance for players’ families
- unified maximum pre-season length and defined player release after the season
- increased limit on performance bonuses
- implementation of a league-wide pre-season physical performance test for all clubs to serve as a standardised evaluation of players’ physical shape before the start of basketball activity
- a defined protocol on choosing the attending doctor in case of player’s surgery, including the role of EB Medical Officer
- in case of a player/club dispute, the claimant may choose to bring an arbitration before the EBDRC or the BAT
- clarification regarding the length of temporary contracts (minimum duration of 30 days with an expiration date prior to the end of the season)
In addition, ELPA and EuroLeague Basketball commit to study a creation of a league-wide player insurance system in case of permanent disability/death and will continue to regularly update the player Covid-19 guidelines, if needed. The EFA, signed in 2021, is the first of its kind in pan-European basketball and has become a reference for team sports in general. The amended EFA and SPC are published here.