Prior to the 2020 season, a new rule was passed delaying the Rookie Signing Option by One Season with the stipulation that the player's salary would increase $1.0mil for the current season if the player was signed to a contract of four years or less, and an increase of $1.5mil for the current season if the player was signed to a contract of five years or more.
Since that decision is not made until the roster cut down period, and the first time we will do this is THIS season, I've had to modify the pre-roster cut down salary worksheet since the salary previously in the "2023 Salary" column did not reflect the $1.0mil or $1.5mil salary increase for these players. Now, as the note at the top of the revised salary worksheet states, the 2023 season salary for the FA23 / Drafted20 assumes the player is signed to a contract of 4 years or less. If the player is signed to a contract of five years or more, his 2023 season salary listed will be $0.500 higher. I've also made the salary of these players RED so you heed this warning. If you have any questions, let me know and or consult Rules 14.4.c, 14.10 and 14.11, an excerpt of which to explain this is:
Joe Smith is drafted in the 2020 KRFL Rookie Draft. He is listed as a “FA23/Drafted20” in the Salary Worksheet since he was drafted in the 2020 KRFL Rookie Draft. +In the 2020 KRFL season, his salary does not count against the team’s salary cap. +He will first appear in a KRFL game in the 2021 KRFL season and his salary based upon rule 1 4.2 will count against the team’s salary cap beginning with the 2021 season. +The 2022 KRFL season will be his second season. As noted, his salary in 2022, his second KRFL season, is the same as his first season (i.e. based upon rule 14.2) and will count against the team’s salary cap. +The 2023 KRFL season will be his contract “option year” season. So, during the 2023 Roster Cut Down period, the team will need to contract Smith or Smith becomes a free agent and will be in the 2023 free agent draft. If Smith is contracted, his salary for the 2023 season will automatically increase based on Section 14.10 & 14.11, and this salary will count against the team’s salary cap in 2023 and future contract years.
The exact rule from the rule book is: 14.4 - A Player's option year salary expires at the end of the season in which his option year began. The KRFL owner has three options which he may exercise between the end of the season and the cut down date: a. Release the player into the free agent draft, b. If the player was drafted in the Free Agent Draft, sign the player to a multi-year contract starting at the same initial salary, or sign the player to a one-year contract at the same initial salary. c. If the player was drafted in a Rookie Draft, sign the player to a multi-year contract starting at the salary he was drafted at PLUS the increase for one season based on rules 14.10 or 14.11, or sign the player to a one-year contract at the salary he was drafted at plus the increase for one season based on Rule 14.10 or 14.11.
