Judge Accepts NFL Practice Players Accord

WASHINGTON — A federal judge gave final approval today to a settlement giving NFL teams up to five practice players this season.

Teams have been able to use the players since U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth’s tentative approval of the agreement Sept. 26.

Lawyers for the league and the players who sued over the developmental squads last season said the multimillion-dollar suit remains in place and will not be affected by the settlement over this year’s squads.

Under the agreement, negotiated by NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue and players’ attorney Joseph A. Yablonski, each team may have from three to five players each week who are not part of the active roster but who may practice with the team.

Those players must be rookies or players with fewer than three games of NFL experience and are paid a weekly minimum salary of $3,000. They may also sign with another team to become part of an active roster.

Players on developmental squads in 1989 were paid $1,000 a week during the season and were bound to their teams, prompting the suit alleging antitrust violations.