Do other sports handle their salary caps differently?

Reverend Conehead

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The only other sport I really follow is NCAA football, which, of course, is an amateur league that doesn't pay players. I don't follow baseball, basketball, or other professional sports. I used to follow the NHL, but I haven't for some time. So I wanted to pump the brains of other sports fans who would know more than I do. Do other sports leagues have a salary cap that is different from the NFL. Specifically, is there a league that caps money per position? I've often wondered if capping per position would end the problem of overpaying for one position such as quarterback, thus leaving the team in salary cap hell. I heard another fan mention that some other league does this, but I don't remember the details or what sport it is.

So I'm curious if another league has done this and if it worked well or if they ran into certain pitfalls from doing it that way. Of course, there's not just one way it could be done. For example, you could have a cap on what you pay for the entire O line or you could do it per position such as X dollars for RT, Y for RG, Z for center, etc. I would be inclined to think a cap for the whole O line and a cap for the whole D line, a cap for all receivers, etc., would be simpler, but I'm not sure. And, of course, I've never run a professional sports team.

But it would be really interesting to know if some kind of per position cap could work or if there are problems a system like that would create.
 

Jake

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NBA has the Bird Exception:

In essence, the Larry Bird exception allows teams to exceed the salary cap to re-sign their own free agents, at an amount up to the maximum salary. To qualify as a Bird free agent, a player must have played three seasons without being waived or changing teams as a free agent.
 

Corso

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NBA has the Bird Exception:

In essence, the Larry Bird exception allows teams to exceed the salary cap to re-sign their own free agents, at an amount up to the maximum salary. To qualify as a Bird free agent, a player must have played three seasons without being waived or changing teams as a free agent.
The NBA has a ton of subtle circumventions of the cap.
Mid-Level exemptions, lower-level exemptions, the traded player exemption...
It's a soft cap with lots of manipulations available, expecially for teams willing to pay the "Tax" for going over.
 

JBS

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NcaaF is similar to mlb..there is no salary cap..schools are allowed to buy players for as much as they see fif
 

Jake

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The NBA has a ton of subtle circumventions of the cap.
Mid-Level exemptions, lower-level exemptions, the traded player exemption...
It's a soft cap with lots of manipulations available, expecially for teams willing to pay the "Tax" for going over.

I wouldn't want all of that in the NFL, but I would like a QB Exception similar to the Bird Exception.

Having a QB worth paying shouldn't be a penalty, making it harder for you to have a team around him.
 

Corso

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I wouldn't want all of that in the NFL, but I would like a QB Exception similar to the Bird Exception.

Having a QB worth paying shouldn't be a penalty, making it harder for you to have a team around him.
That is certainly something I can get behind, but will the rest of the NFL, including the players?
I can see some sort of rift happening with certain elite players at certain positions opposing this type of financial segregation while ignoring them.
 

big dog cowboy

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The only other sport I really follow is NCAA football, which, of course, is an amateur league that doesn't pay players.
tenor.gif
 

TequilaCowboy

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I wouldn't want all of that in the NFL, but I would like a QB Exception similar to the Bird Exception.

Having a QB worth paying shouldn't be a penalty, making it harder for you to have a team around him.

I would even say every team would be allowed one player to be exempted from the salary cap calculation and would encourage a team to keep that player no matter his salary. This would allow teams to retain a favorite player for example like a Montana, Mahomes, Emmitt, etc. A player who has meant a lot to the team and community and they would not be cut or wind up their career with another team. But yes, a QB would fit perfectly under a rule like this with his hefty salary. Good point.
 

Oz-of-Cowboy-Country

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Hi! This is Goodell...

I'm creating a new league rule. If a player is franchise tagged then 10 million of that players contract will not count against the cap that year.


Thanks for your love...in advance.
Signed...R.Goodell
 

Jake

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That is certainly something I can get behind, but will the rest of the NFL, including the players?
I can see some sort of rift happening with certain elite players at certain positions opposing this type of financial segregation while ignoring them.

Players would absolutely support it. There would be more cap space for the rest of the team and they have a better chance of keeping their QB.
 

Corso

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Players would absolutely support it. There would be more cap space for the rest of the team and they have a better chance of keeping their QB.
You could certainly be right.
I don't claim to know the hearts of all men.
 

Mannix

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I would absolutely LOVE to see the NFL drop the salary cap altogether....we would then see without a doubt how much Booger really wants to win.
 

JoeKing

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I wouldn't want all of that in the NFL, but I would like a QB Exception similar to the Bird Exception.

Having a QB worth paying shouldn't be a penalty, making it harder for you to have a team around him.
As long as all teams are playing by the same rules, what you are complaining about does not matter. Every team has to figure out what is important to them. If that importance is a QB worth paying then it is up to them how to fit that salary within the cap space that also has to pay the rest of the team.
 

csirl

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Many big pro sports leagues worldwide have no salary cap at all e.g. all the big soccer leagues, rugby etc. But they have parity issues and money can buy success.
 

Flamma

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I wouldn't want all of that in the NFL, but I would like a QB Exception similar to the Bird Exception.

Having a QB worth paying shouldn't be a penalty, making it harder for you to have a team around him.

What QBs get paid is what's supposed to make up the difference in talent. The better the player, the more money against the cap. But apparently it doesn't work that way for quarterbacks. Any quarterback that starts is expecting market value whether or not he can even hold his peer's jock strap. If the implement a QB exception it will only make matters worse. I think the Bird exception, or something similar to that would at least give some flexibility based on how well you draft. I would limit it to drafted players.
 

Aerolithe_Lion

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The closest thing to a positional cap is in the NBA where there is a cap on how much a single player can make
 

fivetwos

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The only other sport I really follow is NCAA football, which, of course, is an amateur league that doesn't pay players. I don't follow baseball, basketball, or other professional sports. I used to follow the NHL, but I haven't for some time. So I wanted to pump the brains of other sports fans who would know more than I do. Do other sports leagues have a salary cap that is different from the NFL. Specifically, is there a league that caps money per position? I've often wondered if capping per position would end the problem of overpaying for one position such as quarterback, thus leaving the team in salary cap hell. I heard another fan mention that some other league does this, but I don't remember the details or what sport it is.

So I'm curious if another league has done this and if it worked well or if they ran into certain pitfalls from doing it that way. Of course, there's not just one way it could be done. For example, you could have a cap on what you pay for the entire O line or you could do it per position such as X dollars for RT, Y for RG, Z for center, etc. I would be inclined to think a cap for the whole O line and a cap for the whole D line, a cap for all receivers, etc., would be simpler, but I'm not sure. And, of course, I've never run a professional sports team.

But it would be really interesting to know if some kind of per position cap could work or if there are problems a system like that would create.
Sounds like you'd like to create way for teams that give out underperforming contracts to still be competitive.

Big contracts are like draft picks. You only have so many, and the teams that don't screw it up have a better shot to win.

I dont see the problem with the current system. Teams spend as they see fit. Some end up on top, others end up being stuck with guys who mail it in after getting paid.

Thats part of the game as far as I see it.
 

Bobhaze

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The only reason the NFL owners continue to mandate a hard salary cap: greed.

And the irony is the NBA (as several have noted on this thread) uses quite a few cap exemptions that allow teams to keep their star players in several scenarios, and somehow the NBA owners are still making big profits. MLB doesn’t even have a salary cap and yet there is never a shortage of owners or owner groups lined up to be a MLB owner.

The NFL owners should want to make a profit. I don’t fault them for that. But their profit margins far exceed what other owners in other sports make, while their players are treated more like gladiators with a much smaller piece of the pie than the other major sports.

The NFL owners’ greed is an actual threat to the game. Having a softer cap with some exceptions would be very popular with both the players and fans. More star players would get to stay with their original teams.
 

Proof

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What QBs get paid is what's supposed to make up the difference in talent. The better the player, the more money against the cap. But apparently it doesn't work that way for quarterbacks. Any quarterback that starts is expecting market value whether or not he can even hold his peer's jock strap. If the implement a QB exception it will only make matters worse. I think the Bird exception, or something similar to that would at least give some flexibility based on how well you draft. I would limit it to drafted players.

How would it make it worse? Unless you mean it would inflate their contracts more? Because if it doesn’t count against the cap, who cares
 

Flamma

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How would it make it worse? Unless you mean it would inflate their contracts more? Because if it doesn’t count against the cap, who cares

In a perfect world Patrick Mahomes should take up more cap space than Alex Smith. If their pay doesn't affect the cap, then both teams have equal cap space, one team has the much better quarterback.

Only their pay helps make up the difference in qb talent. Because they should take up more cap space.
 
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