reserve clause

American  

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.

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Etymology

Origin of reserve clause

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.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 25, 2024

Pasquel may not have ended segregation or overturned the reserve clause, but he certainly hastened the demise of both.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 7, 2022

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

From Washington Post • Sep. 8, 2021

In 1975, an arbitrator struck down the reserve clause in the cases of pitchers Andy Messersmith and Dave McNally.

From New York Times • Aug. 18, 2021

The reserve clause in contracts was the direct cause of that struggle.

From The Scrap Book, Volume 1, No. 5 July 1906 by Various