How does cfl draft work

A full explanation of roster restrictions can be found in the article Understanding Roster Restrictions. Prior to the formation of the CFL , Canadian Rugby Unions restricted the number of imports on a team to five starting in In addition, players were required to reside in Canada for one year to participate in the Grey Cup.

While the rule is sometimes described as being developed to protect Canadian jobs, it was in fact implemented to develop the sport in Canada since there were no football "jobs" to have in Canada.

While many factors result in todays restrictions, it is recognizing having Canadians on the rosters and starting positions is important to the continued development of football in Canada. In the mid's import restrictions were still controlled by the CRU and teams were allowed 10 imports on the roster with eight import players allowed to dress for games.

By game roster sizes were set at 30 players—17 non-imports and 13 imports with an additional non-import and import allowed on a non-active roster. Prior to the practice of naturalized non-imports, players who became Canadian citizens by five years of residence in Canada, was unlimited.

In , the definition of non-import was changed to a Canadian citizen who gained that status by five-year residence or birth in this country, provided he has lived here for 13 of his first 21 years.

However, the rule was not retroactive and did not apply to players under current contract, who had already played in the league or were on negotiation lists at the time of its adoption. In , a restriction was adopted of a maximum of three naturalized Canadians against the roster limits of 18 non-imports and 14 imports for a game roster size of 32 players.

However, the restriction on naturalized imports was challenged in court. It would take a decade before grandfathered naturalized Canadians had no presence on CFL rosters. In , one import position was named the designated import.

The designated import was allowed to replace another import in the game, but the man he replaced would not be allowed to return to the game. In the CFL amended the rule to allow designated imports who were quarterbacks to enter and leave the game freely in substitution of the quarterback. This change allowed CFL teams to carry dedicated backup quarterbacks.

Previously, a team's backup quarterback was another positional player, normally a defensive back. The number of imports was increased to 15 and the roster size to 33 in It was later increased to 34 players, 19 non-imports and 15 imports and continued the designated import rule.

The judge did not strike down the designated import rule however, and it lived on. In the old designated import rule was eliminated by the league and game rosters were set at 35 19 non-imports, 13 imports and three quarterbacks. In a quarterback position was dropped reducing the roster to The designated import rule known today was introduced in Roster sizes were set at 20 non-imports, 14 imports and 2 quarterbacks. One import was a designated import and was restricted to participating in special team plays.

In rosters were increased to 40 players, 19 non-imports, 18 imports and 3 quarterbacks with two designated imports. The designated import rule had been adjusted, allowing unlimited special teams play, but also providing for a designated import to replace another import player on offence or defence.

In this way, starting positions for non-imports were protected since no more than 16 imports plus the quarterback could hold the 24 offensive or defensive starting positions. In rosters increased again to 42 players, 20 non-imports, 19 imports and 3 quarterbacks. The number of designated imports increased to three, meaning a minimum of seven non-import starting positions were required.

It should be noted that teams have started more than the minimum of non-imports required, indicating greater Canadian talent than is often recognized. The CFL 's man active rosters which include 1-player reserve lists , injured lists and practice rosters can be found by team on the CFL team websites.

The CFL Transaction page have the latest transactions, roster moves and activity from around the league. Teams must declare their player roster and depth chart 24 hours before game time and player roster and 1-player reserve list scratch one player 1 hour prior to game time. Free agency begins in the CFL at noon ET on February 9th, for all players whose contract term is set to expire.

The list of players who potentially could become free agents at the next contract expiry date is published by early December each year. Starting in , the CBA establishes a week long negotiating window for other clubs to submit contract offers before free agency begins. In , this occurred from noon Jan. In the two hours before free agency begins, players may accept any offer received from any club, or reject all offers and become a free agent, which automatically rescinds any outstanding offers.

The CFL maintains a free agent tracker each year. Signings can be tracked on the league transaction page. Contracts have expired mid-February for quite a number of years now. Previously, contracts expired mid-March and prior to that April 1st those dates last seen in the 's in CFLdb 's collective recollection.

Practice rosters provide CFL teams with additional reserve players to practice with the club but do not dress for games. The practice roster provides players familiar with a team's system that can be added to the regular roster in case of injury, situation or performance. Starting in , all contracts in the CFL are two-way, meaning they specify an active game roster salary as well as a Practice roster salary.

Players who are offered and accept a practice roster position come under the jurisdiction of the practice roster salary and terms of the player contract. Practice roster sizes are set at a maximum of 12 players, consisting of a minimum of 1 National player and a maximum of 9 American players and 2 Global players.

A minimum of 1 National player is required, and if the practice roster consists of 7 players, a minimum of 2 National players are required. If 11 spots are used, 1 player must be a Global player and if 12 spots are used, 2 players must be classified as Global players.

In and an additional Global player is allowed on the practice roster, bring the total allowed to Practice roster expansion occurs for 30 days coinciding with the period after the NFL roster cut down period increases the roster by five 5 players to a maximum of 17 in the fall.

Starting in teams have the ability to choose when their 30 day expansion period begins within the league window, which in started Sept. Practice roster contracts allow a player to be signed by another club to a regular player contract, meaning the player must take an active man roster spot.

The club that currently holds the practice roster contract has the same option to place the player on the man roster to avoid losing the player. Players on the practice roster are not allowed to sign a contract with another team until they are released from their contract or the contract expires.

There are no league restrictions to how long how many seasons a player may stay on a practice roster. It is purely a player's decision to accept a practice roster spot when offered by a team. Teams are ranked by their records the previous season. The team with the worst record selects first, the second-worst record second, etc.

The Grey Cup champions are given the last pick in a round eighth. Hamilton had the worst record in the CFL last season, and will pick first. Why is one team allowed to select multiple times in a round? Conversely, why do some teams not have a selection until later rounds?

Teams can use draft choices in trades with other clubs. Along with their own first round pick, the Stampeders select three times in the opening round. Toronto traded away their first three picks in earlier deals, and will not make its first selection until the fourth round. If there are eight teams and six rounds, why are there only 47 picks? The Hamilton Tiger-Cats, the best team of the regular season, ended up with the No.

The draft snaked this year, meaning the last team in a round picked first in the next round, and so on. At the end of the night, 54 players joined the ranks with sights set on playing for the Grey Cup this year and for years to come. The Stampeders also selected his teammate Amen Ogbongemiga, who signed as an undrafted free agent with the Chargers. Below are all of the picks:.

NFL Draft: Canadians who have been drafted since Due to the fact teams will have rookies from the draft and this year's event, there will only be six rounds.

Due to the lack of a season standings, draft order was determined randomly. Hamilton, who finished atop the standings, snagged the No. Also different this year: The draft will snake around, meaning Hamilton will pick first overall, but last in the second round.

They'll then make the first pick of the third round. Montreal will not pick ninth overall; they traded away their first-round pick in the Johnny Manziel deal. This is the final piece of that trade. The top seven prospects listed below were either drafted to the NFL — a record-tying four were selected — or signed as an undrafted free agent.