June 7, 2022 – Expansion Draft 2022 – Protected Player List

Dear Members,

Please be advised that member clubs’ protected player lists are due to the League prior to Thursday June 23rd, 12 noon ET. Upon receipt and review of all lists, the League will publish all member clubs’ protected players. The Las Vegas Desert Dogs expansion club may begin to contact unprotected players effective upon the Leagues’ release of this list on June 23rd, 2022 until the conclusion of the Expansion Draft on July 7th.  Additionally, please see related rules regarding the submission of protected player lists, below.  

The Expansion Draft will be held on July 7th. Exact time and details tbd.

Expansion Draft Rules & Related Bylaws
Las Vegas Desert Dogs will select players as per below:

There will be 14 rounds and a maximum of 14 players selected in the expansion draft. No team will be allowed to lose more than 1 player.  

Bylaw II G:

Each Member Club shall designate its maximum protected Offensive Runners pursuant to Option A or Option B in the Expansion Chart on a date determined by the League.  

The leagues’ lacrosse operations department will determine from all the previous seasons the primary position the player has played at either the defensive end or offensive end in games played.  The players’ most recent season played will attribute 60% of his overall calculation, all previous seasons if played will attribute to the remaining 40% of his calculation. Calculation is done by primarily determining whether the player enters the floor via the offensive door or the defensive door during even strength game situations.   If a player under determination has yet to play any NLL games, the lacrosse operations department will review his amateur box career in the same manner as indicated above.  If the player has only previous field lacrosse experience, the lacrosse operations department will determine his NLL position status as follows: attack and offensive midfielder will be Offense, and defense, LSM and short stick middie defenders will be Defense.   

Clubs may appeal the League’s decision in writing to the League within 24 hours of the Leagues’ decision on a players’ position if the club feels there are extenuating circumstances and reasons why a player had to play a particular position during the most recent season.  The League will make a final decision within 48 hours.  The decision will be final.   

 

Expansion clubs that have played one season and do not make the playoffs can protect twelve (12) runners (“Runner” as defined below) plus one (1) goaltender (“Goalie” as defined below) with a maximum of six (6) offensive runners (“Offensive Runner” as defined below). The Expansion Club may also choose to protect thirteen (13) Runners and no Goalies with a maximum of six (6) offensive runners. All other rules shall apply.  See Expansion Chart below.  

i) For purposes of this By-law II(G), the following definitions shall apply: 

a. A “Goalie” is any Player, whether a Rookie or a veteran Player, who dressed as one of the two (2) designated goaltenders for any regular season or playoff game in the previous season. Provided, however, that if a Member Club was unable to dress its two (2) then-currently designated goaltenders for a regular season or playoff game due to unforeseen circumstances, such as an injury during a two game road trip, the runner who dressed as a goaltender due to such circumstances shall not be deemed to have dressed as one of the two (2) designated goaltender during that game for the purposes of this By-Law. 

b. A “Runner” is any Player, whether a Rookie or a veteran Player, who does not fall within the definition of “Goalie.” 

c. An “Offensive Runner” is any Player so designated by his Member Club and approved as such by the Commissioner.  

d. Notwithstanding the above definitions, the League reserves the right to make the final determination on the status of any Player. 

ii)  For the avoidance of doubt, among the Players protected on a Member Club’s Expansion Draft Protect List there may only be one (1) Goalie. 

2.  Multiple Team Expansion Draft Lottery Procedure.  When there are two expansion teams, the team that wins the coin toss or lottery ball drawing shall have the choice to select first in either the Entry Draft or Expansion Draft (one only). The team that loses the coin toss or lottery ball drawing shall select first in the other Draft.    

When there are three or more expansion teams, the team that wins the lottery ball drawing (the “Winning Team”) shall have the choice to select first in either the Entry Draft or Expansion Draft (one only, the “Chosen Draft;” with the unchosen draft being the “Other Draft”). The lottery for the Chosen Draft shall continue until all the balls have been drawn. After the lottery for the Chosen Draft has completed, the lottery for the Other Draft shall begin. It shall occur in two stages. First, there shall be a lottery ball drawing to determine the first selection in the Other Draft, in which the Winning Team shall not participate. Second, after the rights to the first selection have been determined, the Winning Team’s ball shall be added to the lottery balls, and the lottery ball drawing shall thereafter proceed until all balls have been drawn.  Once the order of selection has been determined for the first round of the Entry Draft for the expansion clubs, the order for those clubs will reverse in order for the second round, then convert back to the first round order for the third round.  As such, each of the odd numbered rounds will use the same order as one another for the expansion teams, and each of the even numbered rounds will use the same order as one another for the expansion teams. 

3. Maximum Number of Players Drafted from a Member Club.  No Member Club shall be required to lose more Players than the number of expansion teams entering the Expansion Draft. For purposes of clarity, during an expansion selection with more than one expansion team, a current Member Club may lose its maximum allotment of Players prior to another or any other Member Club losing any Players.  For example, Member Club A could lose two Players (in a two team expansion draft) before Member Club B has lost any Players. 

4. No Additional Protected Players in Expansion Drafts. During any Expansion Draft, Member Clubs are not permitted to pull back or protect additional players after an expansion team drafts a Player from that Member Club.    

                                                                     

EXPANSION CHART
Year	Current Clubs	Additional Entry Draft picks	Protected Players	# Expansion selections	Total
Summer ’18	9	3 – after 2nd, 3rd, 4th	11 players: 10+1 goalie or 11 runners	9	18
Summer ’19	11	3 – after 2nd, 3rd, 4th	11 players: 10+1 goalie or 11 runners	11	20
Expansion #14	13	2 –  1st, 2nd (before compensatory picks	Option A: 5 Offense + 5 Defense +1 goalie OR Option B: 4 Offense + 7 Defense + 1 goalie (If not protecting a goalie: 5 Offense + 6 Defense Or 4 Offense + 8 Defense)   First year expansion team – If they miss the playoffs they can protect 12 runners (maximum of 6 Offense) and 1 goalie. (If not protecting a goalie, they can protect 13 runners (maximum of 6 Offense)	13	21
Expansion#15	14	2 – 1st, 2nd (before compensatory picks	Option A: 5 Offense + 5 Defense +1 goalie OR Option B: 4 Offense + 7 Defense + 1 goalie (If not protecting a goalie: 5 Offense + 6 Defense OR 4 Offense + 8 Defense)   First year expansion team – If they miss the playoffs they can protect 12 runners (maximum of 6 Offense) and 1 goalie. (If not protecting a goalie, they can protect 13 runners (maximum of 6 Offense)	14	22
Expansion #16	15	2 – 1st, 2nd (before compensatory picks	Option A: 5 Offense + 5 Defense +1 goalie OR Option B: 4 Offense + 7 Defense + 1 goalie (If not protecting a goalie: 5 Offense + 6 Defense OR 4 Offense + 8 Defense)  First year expansion team – If they miss the playoffs they can protect 12 runners (maximum of 6 Offense) and 1 goalie.  (If not protecting a goalie, they can protect 13 runners (maximum of 6 Offense)	15	23
*Should two expansion teams come in at the same time, the two clubs will be deemed collectively as the lower number for purposes of additional entry draft picks they will receive.

 

League Bylaw VI A 2 

Transaction Deadlines During an Expansion in the Off-Season

• Contract signings of member clubs’ own players shall be permitted effective immediately upon the conclusion of each member clubs’ season.  
•  

  Contract Signing – Clubs are permitted to re-negotiate and re-sign contracts of players on their roster provided the player is the property of that member club and upon the conclusion of their season up to fourteen days (as designated per CBA timeframe) prior to the Expansion Draft.  

• Trades – Trades are not permitted.   
• Trades resume upon the conclusion of the Expansion Draft. 
• No other roster transactions, including releasing a player, or other roster movement are permitted effective upon the conclusion of the member clubs’ season until the conclusion of the Expansion Draft.  
• This also includes within fourteen days prior to the Expansion Draft, member clubs and expansion clubs are not permitted to make any roster transactions, trades or contract signings. 
• Expansion teams can contact and speak to any unprotected players on member clubs’ rosters upon the League’s release of the Expansion Draft Protected Player List. 
• Expansion teams can contact member clubs regarding any player personnel or negotiate trades before the expansion draft.  
• Expansion Teams cannot trade an expansion draft selection. 
• Should an expansion draft and dispersal draft occur in the same off season, the expansion draft shall be scheduled prior to the dispersal draft and be completed prior to July 20^th.  
• The League will use best efforts to schedule an Expansion Draft shortly thereafter the Championship. 
• Free agency signings shall be permitted beginning on the Free Agency signing period as designated by the League. 

Thank you,