NFL announces changes to practice squad rules for 2022 season

The NFL announced several changes to its practice squad rules on Wednesday, according to league reporter Ian Rapoport. Firstly, the number of players a team can designate to its practice will remain at 16 after it was increased from 12 this past season.

The major change to the rule comes in the form of which players are allowed to be added to the practice squad.

Of the 16 players, at least six have to be rookies with no NFL experience. After that, teams will be allowed to add up to six more players regardless of how many years of experience they have accrued. The remaining members of the practice squad must have two years of experience or less.

There is also a limit to the number of games that a practice squad player can appear in during a single season. This year the number will be set at three. After players have reached that maximum amount of games, they will have to be promoted to the 53-man roster in order to continue playing that season.

“In such a case, the play must first terminate his practice squad player contract and execute an NFL player contract,” the league said in a statement regarding its new rules. “The club must request waivers on that contract, or terminate the contract if the player in not subject to waivers, before re-signing the player to its practice squad. If the club requests waivers on the player’s NFL contract and that contract is not claimed by another club, the player shall become a free agent and be free to sign any NFL contract or practice squad contract with any club, including the club that requested waivers or terminated the contract.”

Last season practice squad players made $9,200 per week, and players with more than two years of experience made $14,000 per week. All practice squad salaries are counted under the team’s salary cap.