Clarett v. National Football League
United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
369 F.3d 124 (2004)
Maurice Clarett (plaintiff) sued the NFL (defendant), arguing its rule requiring players to wait three full seasons after high school before entering the draft violated antitrust law by unreasonably restraining the market for player services; the district court agreed, finding the eligibility rules were not shielded by the non-statutory labor exemption because they did not appear anywhere in the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between the NFL and the NFL Players Association (NFLPA).
Whether the National Football League's eligibility rules are a condition of employment under the collective bargaining process and thus protected under the non-statutory exemption from antitrust laws.