Such players have special restrictions on the terms under which they can retain or change employment status with their athletic club teams.
In the National Football League, a restricted free agent is one with three or fewer accrued seasons (six or more regular season games with a team)[1] of service, who has received a "qualifying" offer (a salary level predetermined by the NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement between the league and its players, known as a "tender") from his current club.
In addition to the following outcomes, if a player does not receive an offer sheet from his original team, he becomes an unrestricted free agent.
A player may only declare himself to be an unrestricted free agent if he is over the age of 27 or has played in the league for a minimum of 7 years.
The current team must extend a "qualifying offer" to a restricted free agent to retain negotiating rights to that player.
Players in the National Basketball Association (NBA) with four or fewer years of experience may become restricted free agents under certain conditions.
However, unlike its North American counterpart, teams that decide not to match offer sheets collect transfer fees instead.
[3] The players that appear in the list of not subject to the right of first refusal are totally free to sign for the club they wish at the end of their contract.