---
slug: "practice-squad"
title: Practice Squad
depth_tier: entry
side: UNIVERSAL
category: Personnel
source_id: "DFT-0054"
created: 2026-04-19
updated: 2026-04-19
canonical: https://learningfootball.xyz/terms/practice-squad
---
# Practice Squad

## Short Definition

A developmental roster of up to 16 players who practice with an NFL team but are not on the active 53-man roster and cannot play in games without elevation.

## Definition

The practice squad is a secondary developmental roster of up to 16 players who practice with the team but are not on the 53-man active roster and cannot play in regular season games without being elevated. Practice squad players are paid a weekly rate set by the CBA and do not count against the 53-man limit.

They are eligible to be signed to another team's active roster—teams cannot prevent this unless the player has earned exclusive rights status through prior experience. This creates a constant tension: teams want to develop players on the practice squad, but valuable developmental players are always at risk of being claimed by a competing team.

Teams can elevate practice squad players to the active roster on a short-term basis—standard elevations allow players to dress without permanently consuming a roster spot, with each player limited to two standard elevations per season before requiring a permanent roster move. Recent CBA expansions have grown the practice squad from 10 to 16 players and added provisions for veteran players.

## Example

"He clears waivers and goes to the practice squad—the team keeps developing him without burning a roster spot. The risk is another team claims him before he gets there."

## Common Confusion

Practice squad players do not play in regular season games. They practice and develop but are inactive on Sundays unless elevated to the active roster. Elevation is a separate transaction with its own weekly limits per player per season.

## Related

- 53-man-roster
- undrafted-free-agent
- roster-construction
- rookie
- veteran

---
Source: https://learningfootball.xyz/terms/practice-squad