Congratulations. You've been drafted by an ISFL team. The next step of your career is about to begin. First, however, it's time for one of the most tricky parts of the whole process. It's time to negotiate your contract. I'm here to give you the tools you need to do as much as you can to put yourself in a favorable position. I was able to do this recently for my Royals squad and I found it very enjoyable and a lot of people seemed to find it helpful.
So with that said, let me throw out my credentials because there's a fair chance some of you don't know me. I'm a former Ultimus winning GM of the Year and the best expansion GM in league history (until the current crop outdoes me I think). I've completed more than 200 draft picks, contract signings, and trades as part of the league and I also once sold a gun to a postal worker in real life. I also once used a $1 trade to fuck up a division rival's budget. Hehehe.
Anyway, now that you have a little bit of knowledge on who I am, let me lay out what I'm gonna go over. I'm gonna talk about what you can and should do vs what not to do. I'm gonna talk to you a bit about what GMs want (its one thing and its fucking disgusting). I'm gonna talk about your options (literally and figuratively). I'm gonna talk about your priorities.
Let's start with a simple statement. You're alone in this. Every GM has a CoGM, a War Room, a budget that gives them instant access to the state of your position across the league, and knowledge of what's going on everywhere that's two weeks older than what you know. They have somewhere between 5-8 people they can work with to come up with ideas, numbers, ranges, and what your value actually is. They were working on this conversation a week or more before you knew who you were talking to. You have none of those advantages. In fact, from the moment that your name is called on Draft night, you're utterly alone and no one is legally allowed to actually negotiate on your behalf, unless you get an Agent. Agents are few and far between and never last long because the rules are specifically tailored to make it that way. And make no mistake, GMs love this. They love that you're by yourself. They don't want to deal with Agents and the system is designed to make sure they basically never do. This is what you're walking into from the moment you are drafted. So how do you combat this?
Priorities. You need to have an idea of what you want to do with your player. In fact, the good GMs will have asked you about this during your scouting interviews. The great ones will be able to lay out for you how they're gonna help you on the path to get there. When you know this information, it's going to go a long way towards determining what you do next and how they handle your contract. Is it Hall of Fame? Winning a bunch of titles? Being the best at particular position? Setting a particular record? Just hanging out? Wanting to move around the league? Wanna be a GM yourself? There are quite a few options for how you may want your career to go. Figure out which one is the biggest driving force for you and work from there. Because once you know what you want most, you know what direction to go. And they will too. A good or better GM will know pretty much the second the words are on screen whether or not they have a chance to help you get to that goal. They won't tell you that, but understand that they know. So let's talk about what GMs really want.
Every team is in a unique position. There's a scale that goes from start of rebuild all the way to obvious contender. Almost every team is somewhere on that scale. The exceptions are teams who are heading backwards and either are unaware of that, unable to reverse it right this second, or are in the process of making moves to correct that. Regardless of where a particular team happens to be, your set of proprieties and your presence likely fits into those plans somewhere. This is an important thing to find out before you get drafted if at all possible, but if you don't, that's okay. Negotiating is a good time to really delve into that as well. Because if a GM/GMs know where they're at and how you fit in, they can explain it to you. If they have trouble with that, well, that's arguably even more valuable info. Remember, this is YOUR player. You are not a cog in someone else's machine unless you choose to be. You are not beholden to a broken franchise because they typed your player's name in a discord channel. Read that statement again. Memorize it. Understand it.
What GMs want most of all is to get you as cheaply as they can for as long as they can get away with. What good GMs want is that plus the team's health. What great GMs want are both of those plus your happiness. Beyond that, what they all want is to protect the team in case you don't pan out. Maybe you disappear one day and never return. They're mostly not gonna just say this because it's hard to say "hey I just drafted you and we're all excited and now let's make sure we're still good if you fuck off". Puts a slight damper on things. They're completely right to do this, though. At the end of the day they do need to consider what happens if you can't live up for whatever reason. Whether that be boredom or getting hit by a car or armed men taking you hostage. I'll mention here that you CAN sometimes end up in situations where GMs are desperate or have just fallen so in love with you that they're not thinking clearly. You CAN take advantage of this. I don't recommend it. But that's gonna be your call.
So, with that in mind, GMs are trying to lure you in, make you happy, protect themselves, and save some pennies where they can to pay for others. Because your cost is only going to go up. And most people are going to want that money. Especially brand new players who haven't had time to build those bank accounts and want to feel safe knowing they can pay for trainings and equipment. And this is where lots of people will give you the speeches about league jobs and media and graphics and how lucrative they all are and blah blah blah. They're right, but it's still blah blah blah after a while. That's where the money will be. So let me make sure you understand this right away. Money is not gonna be your biggest concern. Lemme break that down per season for you in a non-blah blah way.
7 weeks of $1 Million training + max equipment purchase (Tier 6) $13.5 Million = $20.5 Million
7 weeks of $500k training + min equipment purchase (Tier 1) $2 Million = $5.5 Million
That's your set of numbers for the average season (though occasionally it'll be 8 weeks depending on events). $20.5 Million on the top end, $5.5 Million on the bottom. Regardless of where you fall, your salary is only gonna cover a bit of that. So all the blah blah blahs come down to covering that. Twitter for example will start at $200k per week and realistic to get $400k or more. 7 weeks of that is $1.4 Million on the lowest end. Any article over 2500 words is gonna net you $4.7 Million (this one's making me over $5 Million for example). There are others too, but you get the point without me throwing even more numbers at you. You can find the money if you want it. And you're planning to be more of a super casual player then these things likely don't concern you to start with.
So money? Secondary importance at best for your contract. But for the GMs its one of if not THE driving force in their decisions. This is HUGELY important. Because it means the thing they need to worry about the most is barely a blip on your radar. It's pretty much your one big advantage. So, use it accordingly. You need some money? Well, now you have an idea what you'll need to bridge the gap. You have plans to make it elsewhere? Well, now you know that too. So starting form that point, it's time to get into things you can do.
I've said the following in a billion ways but there is one that a member of my Royals team quoted me on that is probably the best representation of my philosophy. "Don't get money, get clauses." Also yes its inherently weird to quote someone quoting yourself. Now, to talk about clauses, I wanna lay out some of the most common and talk about what each really is and does.
PO- Player option. This means that any season where you have one of those, you can choose to use it and be released form the remainder of your contract.
TO- Team option. Same idea but the team is the one who decides.
MO- Mutual option. I feel like you've got this one.
NTC- No trade clause. Essentially you cannot be traded without waiving this. Sometimes a modified version of an NTC will target specific teams or entities. Ie, I've informed every GM who might draft me that my own contract will contain an NTC to the Orange County Otters.
So let me break this down real quick. MOs are generally the most popular because they're a good mix. POs are risky for teams because it makes them feel like players are capable of just up and leaving. If there's one thing GMs hate, its players who are capable of just up and leaving. TOs are hot garbage and should never be agreed to. If a GM suggests a TO, tell them no. Every time. Ask for an MO instead. If a team wants you to give them a TO and is unwilling to accept an MO, that's a big ol' red flag. Give yourself options. Don't trust a team that wants to have theirs while you get nothing.
Beyond these basic options, there are others that will pop up.. For example, one I've personally asked for is that if I am traded, my remaining seasons gain POs. People frequently negotiate for bonus money if they hit any number of measures on the field or in awards or with TPE. Mostly you can be clever and protect your interests without costing teams a penny if you don't make it. And rewarding if you do. You can also do things for personal reasons. Perhaps you want a certain time period guarantee of a starting spot or particular position. GM options and War Room options, are also examples of this. I personally have a standard clause in my contracts that allows me to be tampered at any time by anyone. Because I have personal reasons for not wanting to deal with the entire topic. There is a LOT of room to work within the structure and there are even ideas you can have that work outside that structure. A great way to judge a team is to get them to agree to something the league can't actually enforce and then see if they honor their promise with no oversight.
The last thing you have to work with is the length of your contract. But it gets dicey there. Standard max contract length is 3 seasons and every GM is going to try to get that from you. Remember earlier when I gave you a whole big ass list of advantages that GMs have over you? Well, here's another one. If you do not complete 3 seasons on your rookie contract, then your 2nd contract is not allowed to be max length either. It was once only applied to rookies who only completed 1 year of their rookie contract but alas. Also of note that if your team trades you, this rule still applies, despite the team who holds the rights not being the drafting team that the protection was supposed to be for. Yet, you still have the option for a shorter contract no matter how many times the team's power to affect your contracts gets extend. If you are unsure of your situation or lack confidence in your interactions with the GMs, you have this option. Hold it tightly and don't forget in case you need it.
It's very possible you'll run into a situation where a GM offers you a contract and throws around terms like "standard rookie contract" or "this is what we do". This is a tactic that really means "here's a contract that's easy for me". Don't be afraid to ask for things. Don't accept a contract you don't want at face value. Again, only you can speak for you and they have a whole team behind them. If they're in this position, they can handle a contract discussion. Or else you'll find out they shouldn't be in this position. You have a variety of options and choices at your disposal to help yourself and every single "but the team" exists to rob you of the desire to use those. The day you find yourself wanting to sacrifice of yourself in order to strengthen the team is a GREAT day. Its a day I fervently hope you reach. But you reach it the day YOU reach it. Not the day they choose for you to balance their books. Do not hesitate to stand your ground.
Now there's one more bit that needs mentioning but before I do I want to divert slightly and talk about restraint. You see, while you may have all these things to work with and the world is basically out to get you til you prove yourself (and often afterwards), there's another commodity to consider. Your reputation. The way in which you negotiate will say a lot. Having what power you do is one thing, but how you choose to use it is another. And it will follow you as you go forward. And GMs are....and I mean this in the nicest way possible...goissipy bitches who love drama (as long as its someone else's drama). GMs will talk about you to other GMs. So be wary as you're going about your business. The possibility that someone is sharing screenshots that show you're over demanding is always possible. You could be affecting your future stock with every other team and no know it. Ultimately, try to be a good league citizen and use what powers you have wisely and fairly. That's the balance to standing up and fighting for yourself. And the tricky part is that you're STILL all alone in this.
So now I'm gonna go over one final thing. It rarely happens. But....there exists for GMs the possibility to stop negotiating with you and declare that you're holding out. it's also possible for you to hold out in actuality but either way it's gonna be called that. They can decide they simply aren't going to find common ground and reach for that holdout. And what happens then is that YOU get punished. Your ability to earn TPE is strangled into near nonexistence. If memory serves you can only do Activity checks during this time. It is THE nuclear option and like is aid it has absolutely rarely been used. Generally if you reach an impasse, a team will just trade you to an amenable partner, possibly after badmouthing you a bit for being difficult depending on the quality of the GM. But..it IS a possibility. It's the best defense a GM has against a player who is being difficult for the sake of doing so and also the best weapon a GM has to bring someone in line to do what they want. Again, just gonna reiterate that it basically never happens. The amount of times can be counted on one hand in the 3+ year history of the league. But its possible. And its yet another of those advantages a GM has on you. And its designed to be exactly that. If you feel like your demands are reasonable, this is a good time to reach out to HO who can at least talk to you about it (though their ability to intervene is incredibly limited). You have one final move in your arsenal if the unthinkable occurs here. You've put all of one season into a player who has barely gotten off the ground and you can fully well threaten to retire and recreate on the spot. That'll generally get anyone's attention. But it is not a move to be taken lightly. And even if you're right it could follow you around. But it's there. Your own nuclear bomb.
Now...despite the scare talk and all the possibly bad things I've mentioned, you're almost certainly not gonna have that much trouble. GMs generally know they're there for the players and they're going to generally try to accommodate you within reason. In fact quite a few will be ecstatic that you have things you want because it's a pretty decent sign that you're a player who is more engaged. And for them, it also helps to let them know some ways to make you happy to be there. And if you don't feel like your new GM feels this way....well now hopefully you have some more tools in your belt to handle that situation. With the draft broadcast looming in a little less than two days, you ARE currently in a scenario where you can ask all kinds of questions to people who are not in the know about the results (ie GMs, War Room members, HO, graphics wizards). You can fee more than welcome to add some questions here and I'll do my best to help you along as well. once the draft is public, things get a lot more restricted (as I've mentioned) and the ability to help becomes a lot more base don "can I do this or not" rather than "should" or more involved questions. I hope it helps and good luck on Friday!
So with that said, let me throw out my credentials because there's a fair chance some of you don't know me. I'm a former Ultimus winning GM of the Year and the best expansion GM in league history (until the current crop outdoes me I think). I've completed more than 200 draft picks, contract signings, and trades as part of the league and I also once sold a gun to a postal worker in real life. I also once used a $1 trade to fuck up a division rival's budget. Hehehe.
Anyway, now that you have a little bit of knowledge on who I am, let me lay out what I'm gonna go over. I'm gonna talk about what you can and should do vs what not to do. I'm gonna talk to you a bit about what GMs want (its one thing and its fucking disgusting). I'm gonna talk about your options (literally and figuratively). I'm gonna talk about your priorities.
Let's start with a simple statement. You're alone in this. Every GM has a CoGM, a War Room, a budget that gives them instant access to the state of your position across the league, and knowledge of what's going on everywhere that's two weeks older than what you know. They have somewhere between 5-8 people they can work with to come up with ideas, numbers, ranges, and what your value actually is. They were working on this conversation a week or more before you knew who you were talking to. You have none of those advantages. In fact, from the moment that your name is called on Draft night, you're utterly alone and no one is legally allowed to actually negotiate on your behalf, unless you get an Agent. Agents are few and far between and never last long because the rules are specifically tailored to make it that way. And make no mistake, GMs love this. They love that you're by yourself. They don't want to deal with Agents and the system is designed to make sure they basically never do. This is what you're walking into from the moment you are drafted. So how do you combat this?
Priorities. You need to have an idea of what you want to do with your player. In fact, the good GMs will have asked you about this during your scouting interviews. The great ones will be able to lay out for you how they're gonna help you on the path to get there. When you know this information, it's going to go a long way towards determining what you do next and how they handle your contract. Is it Hall of Fame? Winning a bunch of titles? Being the best at particular position? Setting a particular record? Just hanging out? Wanting to move around the league? Wanna be a GM yourself? There are quite a few options for how you may want your career to go. Figure out which one is the biggest driving force for you and work from there. Because once you know what you want most, you know what direction to go. And they will too. A good or better GM will know pretty much the second the words are on screen whether or not they have a chance to help you get to that goal. They won't tell you that, but understand that they know. So let's talk about what GMs really want.
Every team is in a unique position. There's a scale that goes from start of rebuild all the way to obvious contender. Almost every team is somewhere on that scale. The exceptions are teams who are heading backwards and either are unaware of that, unable to reverse it right this second, or are in the process of making moves to correct that. Regardless of where a particular team happens to be, your set of proprieties and your presence likely fits into those plans somewhere. This is an important thing to find out before you get drafted if at all possible, but if you don't, that's okay. Negotiating is a good time to really delve into that as well. Because if a GM/GMs know where they're at and how you fit in, they can explain it to you. If they have trouble with that, well, that's arguably even more valuable info. Remember, this is YOUR player. You are not a cog in someone else's machine unless you choose to be. You are not beholden to a broken franchise because they typed your player's name in a discord channel. Read that statement again. Memorize it. Understand it.
What GMs want most of all is to get you as cheaply as they can for as long as they can get away with. What good GMs want is that plus the team's health. What great GMs want are both of those plus your happiness. Beyond that, what they all want is to protect the team in case you don't pan out. Maybe you disappear one day and never return. They're mostly not gonna just say this because it's hard to say "hey I just drafted you and we're all excited and now let's make sure we're still good if you fuck off". Puts a slight damper on things. They're completely right to do this, though. At the end of the day they do need to consider what happens if you can't live up for whatever reason. Whether that be boredom or getting hit by a car or armed men taking you hostage. I'll mention here that you CAN sometimes end up in situations where GMs are desperate or have just fallen so in love with you that they're not thinking clearly. You CAN take advantage of this. I don't recommend it. But that's gonna be your call.
So, with that in mind, GMs are trying to lure you in, make you happy, protect themselves, and save some pennies where they can to pay for others. Because your cost is only going to go up. And most people are going to want that money. Especially brand new players who haven't had time to build those bank accounts and want to feel safe knowing they can pay for trainings and equipment. And this is where lots of people will give you the speeches about league jobs and media and graphics and how lucrative they all are and blah blah blah. They're right, but it's still blah blah blah after a while. That's where the money will be. So let me make sure you understand this right away. Money is not gonna be your biggest concern. Lemme break that down per season for you in a non-blah blah way.
7 weeks of $1 Million training + max equipment purchase (Tier 6) $13.5 Million = $20.5 Million
7 weeks of $500k training + min equipment purchase (Tier 1) $2 Million = $5.5 Million
That's your set of numbers for the average season (though occasionally it'll be 8 weeks depending on events). $20.5 Million on the top end, $5.5 Million on the bottom. Regardless of where you fall, your salary is only gonna cover a bit of that. So all the blah blah blahs come down to covering that. Twitter for example will start at $200k per week and realistic to get $400k or more. 7 weeks of that is $1.4 Million on the lowest end. Any article over 2500 words is gonna net you $4.7 Million (this one's making me over $5 Million for example). There are others too, but you get the point without me throwing even more numbers at you. You can find the money if you want it. And you're planning to be more of a super casual player then these things likely don't concern you to start with.
So money? Secondary importance at best for your contract. But for the GMs its one of if not THE driving force in their decisions. This is HUGELY important. Because it means the thing they need to worry about the most is barely a blip on your radar. It's pretty much your one big advantage. So, use it accordingly. You need some money? Well, now you have an idea what you'll need to bridge the gap. You have plans to make it elsewhere? Well, now you know that too. So starting form that point, it's time to get into things you can do.
I've said the following in a billion ways but there is one that a member of my Royals team quoted me on that is probably the best representation of my philosophy. "Don't get money, get clauses." Also yes its inherently weird to quote someone quoting yourself. Now, to talk about clauses, I wanna lay out some of the most common and talk about what each really is and does.
PO- Player option. This means that any season where you have one of those, you can choose to use it and be released form the remainder of your contract.
TO- Team option. Same idea but the team is the one who decides.
MO- Mutual option. I feel like you've got this one.
NTC- No trade clause. Essentially you cannot be traded without waiving this. Sometimes a modified version of an NTC will target specific teams or entities. Ie, I've informed every GM who might draft me that my own contract will contain an NTC to the Orange County Otters.
So let me break this down real quick. MOs are generally the most popular because they're a good mix. POs are risky for teams because it makes them feel like players are capable of just up and leaving. If there's one thing GMs hate, its players who are capable of just up and leaving. TOs are hot garbage and should never be agreed to. If a GM suggests a TO, tell them no. Every time. Ask for an MO instead. If a team wants you to give them a TO and is unwilling to accept an MO, that's a big ol' red flag. Give yourself options. Don't trust a team that wants to have theirs while you get nothing.
Beyond these basic options, there are others that will pop up.. For example, one I've personally asked for is that if I am traded, my remaining seasons gain POs. People frequently negotiate for bonus money if they hit any number of measures on the field or in awards or with TPE. Mostly you can be clever and protect your interests without costing teams a penny if you don't make it. And rewarding if you do. You can also do things for personal reasons. Perhaps you want a certain time period guarantee of a starting spot or particular position. GM options and War Room options, are also examples of this. I personally have a standard clause in my contracts that allows me to be tampered at any time by anyone. Because I have personal reasons for not wanting to deal with the entire topic. There is a LOT of room to work within the structure and there are even ideas you can have that work outside that structure. A great way to judge a team is to get them to agree to something the league can't actually enforce and then see if they honor their promise with no oversight.
The last thing you have to work with is the length of your contract. But it gets dicey there. Standard max contract length is 3 seasons and every GM is going to try to get that from you. Remember earlier when I gave you a whole big ass list of advantages that GMs have over you? Well, here's another one. If you do not complete 3 seasons on your rookie contract, then your 2nd contract is not allowed to be max length either. It was once only applied to rookies who only completed 1 year of their rookie contract but alas. Also of note that if your team trades you, this rule still applies, despite the team who holds the rights not being the drafting team that the protection was supposed to be for. Yet, you still have the option for a shorter contract no matter how many times the team's power to affect your contracts gets extend. If you are unsure of your situation or lack confidence in your interactions with the GMs, you have this option. Hold it tightly and don't forget in case you need it.
It's very possible you'll run into a situation where a GM offers you a contract and throws around terms like "standard rookie contract" or "this is what we do". This is a tactic that really means "here's a contract that's easy for me". Don't be afraid to ask for things. Don't accept a contract you don't want at face value. Again, only you can speak for you and they have a whole team behind them. If they're in this position, they can handle a contract discussion. Or else you'll find out they shouldn't be in this position. You have a variety of options and choices at your disposal to help yourself and every single "but the team" exists to rob you of the desire to use those. The day you find yourself wanting to sacrifice of yourself in order to strengthen the team is a GREAT day. Its a day I fervently hope you reach. But you reach it the day YOU reach it. Not the day they choose for you to balance their books. Do not hesitate to stand your ground.
Now there's one more bit that needs mentioning but before I do I want to divert slightly and talk about restraint. You see, while you may have all these things to work with and the world is basically out to get you til you prove yourself (and often afterwards), there's another commodity to consider. Your reputation. The way in which you negotiate will say a lot. Having what power you do is one thing, but how you choose to use it is another. And it will follow you as you go forward. And GMs are....and I mean this in the nicest way possible...goissipy bitches who love drama (as long as its someone else's drama). GMs will talk about you to other GMs. So be wary as you're going about your business. The possibility that someone is sharing screenshots that show you're over demanding is always possible. You could be affecting your future stock with every other team and no know it. Ultimately, try to be a good league citizen and use what powers you have wisely and fairly. That's the balance to standing up and fighting for yourself. And the tricky part is that you're STILL all alone in this.
So now I'm gonna go over one final thing. It rarely happens. But....there exists for GMs the possibility to stop negotiating with you and declare that you're holding out. it's also possible for you to hold out in actuality but either way it's gonna be called that. They can decide they simply aren't going to find common ground and reach for that holdout. And what happens then is that YOU get punished. Your ability to earn TPE is strangled into near nonexistence. If memory serves you can only do Activity checks during this time. It is THE nuclear option and like is aid it has absolutely rarely been used. Generally if you reach an impasse, a team will just trade you to an amenable partner, possibly after badmouthing you a bit for being difficult depending on the quality of the GM. But..it IS a possibility. It's the best defense a GM has against a player who is being difficult for the sake of doing so and also the best weapon a GM has to bring someone in line to do what they want. Again, just gonna reiterate that it basically never happens. The amount of times can be counted on one hand in the 3+ year history of the league. But its possible. And its yet another of those advantages a GM has on you. And its designed to be exactly that. If you feel like your demands are reasonable, this is a good time to reach out to HO who can at least talk to you about it (though their ability to intervene is incredibly limited). You have one final move in your arsenal if the unthinkable occurs here. You've put all of one season into a player who has barely gotten off the ground and you can fully well threaten to retire and recreate on the spot. That'll generally get anyone's attention. But it is not a move to be taken lightly. And even if you're right it could follow you around. But it's there. Your own nuclear bomb.
Now...despite the scare talk and all the possibly bad things I've mentioned, you're almost certainly not gonna have that much trouble. GMs generally know they're there for the players and they're going to generally try to accommodate you within reason. In fact quite a few will be ecstatic that you have things you want because it's a pretty decent sign that you're a player who is more engaged. And for them, it also helps to let them know some ways to make you happy to be there. And if you don't feel like your new GM feels this way....well now hopefully you have some more tools in your belt to handle that situation. With the draft broadcast looming in a little less than two days, you ARE currently in a scenario where you can ask all kinds of questions to people who are not in the know about the results (ie GMs, War Room members, HO, graphics wizards). You can fee more than welcome to add some questions here and I'll do my best to help you along as well. once the draft is public, things get a lot more restricted (as I've mentioned) and the ability to help becomes a lot more base don "can I do this or not" rather than "should" or more involved questions. I hope it helps and good luck on Friday!
![[Image: 68.png]](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/722696337912496132/759304283312881684/68.png)