Men at Work

A look at the labor structure of three major professional team sports.

Gene Upshaw

Executive director, players’ union

NFL

* SALARY CAP: If player costs reach 67% of designated NFL gross revenue, a cap will be triggered and unrestricted free agency will begin for players after four years.

* DRAFT: It will be reduced from 12 to seven rounds, plus one round for teams that lose free agents. $2 million per club for 1993 draft choices.

* FREE AGENCY: Starting this year, players who have been in the league at least five years and whose contracts have expired will be unrestricted free agents. Each team will exempt one “franchise” player for the duration of his career.

* ARBITRATION: None.

* MINIMUM SALARY: $50,000.

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David Stern

NBA commissioner

NBA

* SALARY CAP: $14 million per team. Teams can go over cap to re-sign own free-agent players.

* DRAFT: Two rounds, with no restrictions on signing bonuses.

* FREE AGENCY: In almost all cases, players are eligible to become unrestricted free agents after their second contract.

* ARBITRATION: None.

* MINIMUM SALARY: $140,000.

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Don Fehr

Executive director, players’ union

BASEBALL

* SALARY CAP: None.

* DRAFT: Any player who has completed his senior year of high school or either of two years at a community college can be drafted. A player in a four-year school can’t be drafted until after his junior year. No restriction on rounds or signing bonuses.

* FREE AGENCY: Any player with six years of major league service who is not under contract for the next season can file for free agency.

* ARBITRATION: Any player with three or more years of major league service, including the top 17% of players with more than two but less than three years of service, are eligible.

* MINIMUM SALARY: $109,000.