I know the league tends to keep things as clear as mud when it comes to player contracts, but is there somewhere that has the length of player contracts? I have this for salary amount, but it doesn't help me on length Any help would be much appreciated
All I can tell you is that the standard deal is four years. It is general 2 years plus 2 club option years or it is 3 years plus one club option year. There are exceptions of course, generally a few international players.
I remember reading in the Beckham Expirment that the standard contract was 4 years with every year being a club option, but that was 5 years ago, before the current CBA was agreed to. In 2012, I wouldn't know, but most NASL and USL teams only give out 1 year contracts with the exception of a few players.
When the new CBA was signed in 2010, the standard length of contracts was changed to 3 years instead of 4. I'm pretty sure that covered all contracts for players signed out of college in 2010, along with any other new contracts signed from 2010 onward.
is there a reason the league doesn't publish contract lengths with the salary numbers they post? Or is it just another quirk of the league?
It is a 3+1 as the standard. So from the players perspective (CBA) it is a three year deal. From the league/team perspective it is a 4 year deal.
Actually, almost no league does except in cases where it is known (e.g. max contract). It is the media that general find out the terms of the deal.
Well . . . sorta . . depends on the perspective of the reporter writing the story. The deals were still signed as 3 or 4 year deals but that was before guaranteed contracts. So in essence, each deal was a one year deal with a few exceptions (those who worked guarantees into the deal). You will often see foreign press report deals as two years (or recently in the case of Garcia for Houston - six months) even though the team will report a 4 year deal. This is because, we are about the only place that has the concept of option years. So, again it depends on the perspective.
I was just curious as to when certain player's contracts were going to expire. Do I need to go look when they last signed an extension and then add 2? Or am I S.O.L. on this?
Sorta SOL. However, if you can find the press release they will usually report the length of the contract. You will just never know the option years. If there is no press release, it is safe (but not guaranteed) to assume 3 years with a one year option for a total of four (unless it is an older player then it might even be a 2+2 or a 1+1+1+1). With DPs . . good luck.
Source? I read in several places back in 2010 that it had changed from basically a 4 year term to a 3 year term with that CBA. Previously the terms were 2+2, in 2010 they supposedly changed to 2+1. I can't find anywhere online that talks about it though.
Much like you, it is all heresy since there are really no details on the transactions. But I am in the 90% confidence level based on conversations. Also, if you go ahead and look at the last few player announcements you will find they are 4 year deals (which we can assume is a 3+1) including OBG for Houston signed this transfer period. Cameron was also on a four year deal after signing 18 months ago. And didn't they announce Brek as a four year deal as well?
I haven't seen too many sources report lengths of new contracts. When Wondolowski signed a new contract each of the past two years, they were announced as 3 year deals (most recently, in Feb 2012 it was said that the contract would keep him in San Jose through 2014). I googled a few other recent contract signings (Moor, Cummings, Larentowicz and Pickens from Colorado for example) and didn't find much that talked about contract length.
You can find a few out there. http://espn.go.com/espn/next2012/story/_/id/7302529/neymar-brek-shea-espn-mag-next-issue http://www.chron.com/sports/dynamo/article/Honduran-midfielder-Garcia-joins-Dynamo-3617968.php Wondo has signed two consecutive extensions ( a year a part) so his deal is not typical