The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) plans to amend the Uniform Players Contract (UPC) in an attempt to keep up with the changing times.
“The UPC has been in existence for decades already, and it’s high time to revisit it given the developments and changes in the basketball world,” said treasurer Atty. Raymond Zorrilla in a virtual press conference, Wednesday.
The matter was one of the many topics discussed by the Board of Governors during its annual planning session in Boracay over the weekend, for it became one hot topic last year after Kiefer Ravena took his talents to Japan.
He was still under contract with NLEX but eventually received clearance to play for Shiga, though it wasn’t without controversy as questions surrounding the move. The 28-year-old is practically in a one-year rental with the Lakestars.
“The main thrust of revisiting the UPC is to make it a contract of sanctity that would not be violated, that is fair not only to the PBA, to the team but to the players as well,” said Zorrilla, also the governor of Phoenix.
The PBA is also looking to make the UPC a tripartite agreement. Presently, the UPC is an agreement between the player and the ball club.
“We would also like to suggest that the PBA will be part of the UPC. Previously, the UPC was between a team and a player but right now we’re going to make it a tripartite agreement, with the PBA as a party also to the contract,” Zorrilla said.
Other provisions that the board plans to do with regards to the UPC are rules on expiring deals, injuries while under contract, image and likeness of players, and fines on contract violations on players or teams — or even both.
“We’re looking at provisions on injury to players sustained while under contract. We would also look into provisions of using images of players even after their retirement, subject to agreement with the player also,” Zorrilla said.
“We would be dwelling also on imposing fines and penalties for any violation on the UPC — whether by the player or by the team.”
The league official said that they will sit down with the management committee for the proposed revisions before presenting such to the board for approval.
