Free Agency

Free Agents are players who are not signed to a contract as of the start of the Off-season in any particularly given year.

Free Agent Types
Free Agents are broken into Three Types, Protected Free Agents (PFA), Restricted Free Agents (RFA) and Un-Restricted Free Agents (UFA).

Protected Free Agents (PFA)
A Protected Free Agent (PFA) is a player who is 23 years old or under as of the off-season (ie: end of playoffs) in which they are eligible for Free Agency, They must also have been under-contract prior to the start of the off-season. A Protected Free Agent (PFA) is unique that it is allowed one Arbitration attempt prior to being added to the Restricted Free Agent (RFA) Pool. After the eligible PFA has rejected its three (3) portal contract extension attempts, the Office of the Commissioner will extend one (1) Arbitration offer on behalf of the player that the team owners can either accept or reject (see Arbitration rules). If accepted, the PFA will resign with its original team at the Arbitration Value for One (1) Season – if rejected, the PFA is then put into the Restricted Free Agent Pool. Players can only attend Arbitration once with the same team. All Arbitration Discussions must be completed prior to the start of Free Agency.

Restricted Free Agents (RFA)
A Restricted Free Agent (RFA) is a player who is 27 years old or under as of the off-season (ie: End of playoffs) in which they are eligible for Free Agency, They must also have been under-contract prior to the start of the off-season. A Restricted Free Agent is made available for free-agency, but is subject to Compensation if signed by a team other than its original (see RFA Compensation). The RFA’s original team can make an offer on the player as well. Instead of compensation, the original team has the option to match the contract offered by an opposing team - signing the player for the same deal the other team offered - but must pay that team $500,000 as compensation for matching the offer. If player is not signed as a RFA by another team and receives no offer from his original team, the player becomes an Unrestricted Free Agent at the end of the Pre-Season.

Un-Restricted Free Agents (UFA)
An Un-Restricted Free Agent (UFA) is a player of 28 years old or older as of the off-season in which they are eligible for Free Agency regardless of being previously under contract with a team prior to the off-season and free agency. UFA status also applies to ANY Player that has been released from a contract regardless of age. Also, un-drafted players over the age of 25 will be released from the Juniors League and enter the TFHL as a UFA when they become age eligible. Un-activated drafted prospects whom also reach the age of 25 in the Junior League will give their drafted team notice to activate them and sign an entry level contract with them, failure to do so will result in the player become a UFA. Likewise, players who are RFA but do not have a contract by the end of Pre-Season are also considered UFA.

Any Team can sign a UFA Player and there is no Compensation associated with any player with a UFA status.