MISL Players Take Cuts That Owners Required to Save League

The Major Indoor Soccer League remained in business Friday.

Negotiations went down to the 9 p.m., PDT, deadline before the MISL Players Assn. reached a new two-year agreement in which they accepted the cost-cutting measures that the owners said were necessary for the league to continue operations.

On Feb. 26, the owners said that if the players did not accept a salary-cap reduction and elimination of guaranteed no-cut, no-trade contracts, along with numerous other cost-reduction measures, by Friday night, they would fold the 10-year-old league after the regular season ends Sunday.

Now, the Lazers will conclude the regular season against the Wichita Wings at 7:30 tonight at the Forum and will open the playoffs against the Kansas City Comets April 22, also at the Forum.

The new agreement will be in effect until Oct. 1, 1990. At that time, if another agreement hasn’t been reached, there will be no salary cap.

The salary cap was reduced from $1.275 million to $900,000 per team. Originally, the owners had proposed an $898,000 salary cap.

Among other issues, it was decided that agreements would be reached on a formula for dealing with contract guarantees by June 1. If no agreement is reached, a player will take a 15% cut for the remainder of his contract. If the cut is between 16% and 30%, he has the right to declare himself a free agent.