First time that baseballs exemption was not valid for

first time, that baseball’s exemption
was not valid for other team sports
Ø
Essentials of Sports Law , pg. 462

23 Chapter 10:
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Antitrust and Professional Sports
Ø
Flood was traded to Philadelphia from
St. Louis and appealed to the MLB
Commissioner (Kuhn) to reject the
trade; the court cited Federal Baseball
as precedent and ruled against Flood
Ø
Decision affirmed that Major League
Baseball is the only
professional sport                            with
an antitrust                     exemption
Ø
Essentials of Sports                        Law ,
pg. 487

24 Chapter 10:
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Antitrust and Professional Sports
Ø
Plaintiff proved that NFL player
restrictions (the draft, the “reserve
clause”, and the “option clause”)
were restraints of trade.
Ø
the NFL modified                          its
draft to be less              restrictive as
a result
Ø
Essentials of
Sports Law ,                                pg.
463

25 Chapter 10:
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Ø
Plaintiffs brought a class action
suit to challenge the draft,
reserve system, and
compensation practices
Ø
Court agreed and
found per se
violations of the
Sherman Act
Ø
Essentials of Sports
Law , pg. 465

26 Chapter 10:
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Ø
Mackey was the president of the
NFLPA
Ø
Plaintiff challenged the “Rozelle
Rule” (compensation by
Commissioner for free agents) on
antitrust grounds and won
Ø
NFLPA accordingly negotiated a
new CBA that replaced the
Rozelle Rule with the “Right of
First Refusal/Compensation
System”
Ø
Essentials of Sports Law , pg. 491

27 Chapter 10:
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Antitrust and Professional Sports
1.) The restraint on trade must primarily
affect only the parties to the
Collective Bargaining Agreement
2.) The issue must concern a