reserve clause

noun

Sports.

1. the clause in the contract of a professional player in some sports that binds the player to a team for a season beyond the expiration of the contract in the event a new contract has not been made meanwhile or the player has not been sent to another team.

Word History and Origins

Origin of reserve clause¹

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

Moss became acquainted with outfielder Curt Flood, who challenged the reserve clause in federal court after refusing to report to the Philadelphia Phillies when the St. Louis Cardinals traded him in 1969.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Baseball also was operating under the reserve clause, which bound a player to his current team indefinitely.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

When Curt Flood first challenged the reserve clause, owners fought for it all the way to the Supreme Court — and won.

Read more on Washington Post

He also oversaw the undermining of the reserve clause, which allowed teams to control players in perpetuity — a process that wasn’t always linear.

Read more on Washington Post

But at the time, the Major Leagues’ reserve clause essentially kept players under a franchise’s control in perpetuity.

Read more on New York Times