The Mzansi Super League draft takes place on Wednesday. Here are some of the regulations regarding the American-style draft.
Mini draft
International marquee players only:
- The mini draft is specifically for a team to select their international marquee player.
- The mini draft consists of a single round and will take place prior to the main player draft.
- Each team is allowed only one pick during the mini draft.
- No trading of picks between teams is permitted.
- A team’s pick order is determined at the draft matrix event.
Main player draft
Pick process:
- The draft pick order is based on a weighted matrix that is predetermined – the draft matrix.
- A major consideration in making the draft fair is to determine what measure of ‘value’ is to be allocated to each pick slot within the matrix. An analysis was done on these values and a weighting ascribed to each value.
- Following the weightings, the teams are arranged in each round in such a way that the aggregate weightings for each team are more or less the same.
- A single round of lots is to be drawn to determine the starting order on the draft matrix. This will take place at a lottery event on 15 October 2018.
- The draft matrix is then populated applying the weighting formula.
*DraftMatrix – this is compiled by the league and provided to the teams immediately following completion of the drawing of the lots on the 15 October 2018.
Draft process:
- The teams will be able to plan following the announcement of the draft matrix before the main player draft.
- Each team will have 14 draft picks (one in each round) in total, the order set out in the draft matrix.
- ‘Strategic planning breaks’ will be provided after every five rounds of the main player draft to allow for further planning on player acquisition.
- Each of the 14 rounds has a specific player salary value for all six picks in that round.
- Teams follow the pick order per the draft matrix. The league clearly indicates those players who remain in the draft, and are able to be picked, in each following round, considering those players who may fall out of the draft after each round because of a set reserve price.
Draft regulations:
- Each team will be provided with the draft matrix once the order is determined by the first round of lots.
- All players in the main player draft, irrespective of the categories assigned to them (excluding marquee players), will be eligible to be picked in any of the 14 rounds (this includes the rookie players).
- Each team must have a squad of 16 players, including their two marquee players who are assigned.
- Each team must have three national contracted players in the squad of 16.
- Each team must have a minimum of three and maximum four overseas players of which a minimum of two must be
foreign overseas players (includes the international marquee player). (To be confirmed) - Each team must draft at least one rookie
- If any player who has a nominated reserve price wants to amend the reserve price, he must notify the league in writing at least 48 hours before the draft. The player can only reduce the reserve price and not increase it. The league will immediately notify all teams of any reserve price changes.
- Each team will be given a maximum of one minute to exercise its pick for each of the first seven rounds.
- Each team will be given a maximum of one minute and 30 seconds to exercise its pick for each of the last seven rounds.
- Should a team not have its pick ready at the end of the allotted time, the team will move to the back of the queue (for that round only) and the next team on the matrix will have that pick. The team will return to his allotted order on the matrix for the next round.
- No team will be allowed to skip a round of picks and must draft a player in each round of picks.
- A player (other than the marquee players) can only be contracted within the main player draft process – no other mechanism will be permitted.
- No trading of picks (order) or players will be permitted in relation to the main player draft.
Draft amounts
- Total draft amount pa–R5,325,000.00 (Edition one only)
- Draft round amounts are as follows:
