Deadlines
In some leagues, free agency has deadlines. For example, under the most recent NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement, restricted free agents who do not sign contracts by December 1 of a given year will be ineligible to play in the National Hockey League for the balance of that season. However, other leagues (such as the National Basketball Association) have no such restrictions.
In Europe, players can only move during transfer windows—during the close season and half-way through the league season. There are exceptions for unsigned professional players in the lower divisions.
Read more about this topic: Free Agent
Famous quotes containing the word deadlines:
“Without music to decorate it, time is just a bunch of boring production deadlines or dates by which bills must be paid.”
—Frank Zappa (1940–1993)