In
professional sports, a holdout (also written as hold out) occurs when a player fails to report to their team—usually before the start of a
season—or fails to perform the services outlined in the terms of their contract. Players holdout for various reasons, however the desired outcome is usually to renegotiate their contract to more favorable terms. Players have also failed to report to a team after being drafted out of college, usually because they do not want to play for that team or want to play another sport. Although a player in this scenario has not signed a contract, they are usually considered a holdout because the team that drafted them secures exclusive rights to sign them to contract. A famous example of this was the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers drafting
Bo Jackson with the first pick of the
1986 NFL Draft
The 1986 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 29–30, 1986, at the Marriott Marq ...
; Jackson did not report to the team because he wanted to pursue a career as a baseball player.
The length of a holdout can range from just a few days to an entire season, or even indefinitely. Some players have utilized just the threat of a holdout to try to gain leverage in contract negotiations.
Notable examples
National Football League
* With the
first overall pick in the
1986 NFL draft
The 1986 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 29–30, 1986, at the Marriott Marq ...
, the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers drafted
Bo Jackson despite him telling the team he wanted to pursue a career as a baseball player.
He never signed with the team.
National Basketball Association
* Following a loss in the
2021 NBA playoffs in Game 7 against the
Atlanta Hawks,
Ben Simmons
Benjamin David Simmons (born 20 July 1996) is an Australian professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for one season with the LSU Tigers, after which he was ...
demanded a trade and held out from participating in training camp and the regular season. The 76ers fined Simmons for conduct detrimental to the team, reportedly in excess of $19 million. After eight months, the 76ers traded Simmons along with players and picks to the
Brooklyn Nets for
James Harden and
Paul Millsap.
National Hockey League
*
Alexei Yashin
Alexei Valeryevich Yashin (russian: Алексей Валерьевич Яшин; born 5 November 1973) is a Russian former professional ice hockey centre who played 12 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Ottawa Senators and New ...
sat out the
1999–2000 NHL season
The 1999–2000 NHL season was the 83rd regular season of the National Hockey League. With the addition of the expansion Atlanta Thrashers, 28 teams each played 82 games. This was the first season played in which teams were awarded a point for an ...
due to a contract dispute in the final year of his five year deal. He returned for the
following season as a result of an arbitration case which determined that Yashin owed an additional year on his contract before he could become a free agent.
See also
*
Lockout (sports)
References
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Terminology used in multiple sports