Disadvantages of Salary Caps

In the previous couple of articles, we have tried to understand what salary caps are. We also know the different types of salary caps, where they are followed across the world, their objectives as well as their advantages.

It needs to be understood that the salary cap system is not free from its flaws. In fact, it has many flaws. This is the reason that even though salary caps are implemented by sports leagues across the world, they are also a hotly debated topic.

Many critics claim to have presented empirical evidence which proves that salary caps do not have the desired effect when achieving their stated objectives.

Over the years, many problems have been raised against the salary cap system. These problems have led to heated debates in the media as well. Some of the common disadvantages of the salary cap system have been explained below in this article.

1. Limits Player Remuneration: The first and foremost argument against the salary cap system claims that it is a conspiracy by the wealthy franchise owners to ensure that player remuneration is limited and that they get to keep the bulk of the profits generated by the team. This argument presents the situation as if it is a competition between the franchise owners and players.

   It is a known fact that a sports franchise only makes money when its players are popular. Hence, in the absence of these salary caps, the free market would ensure that a bulk of these profits end up in the hands of the players. However, it is claimed that wealthy franchise owners ensure that artificial salary caps are put in place so that they can avoid paying players their fair share and keep the bulk of the profits for themselves.

2. Complex Rules and Loopholes: The salary cap system which has been implemented in most parts of the world is quite complex. Very few leagues have a hard cap system that completely prohibits exceeding the stated budget. However, in most parts of the world, the rules related to salary caps can be quite complex. There are multiple conditions under which the cap can be modified to some extent.

   For instance, if the league finished first in the previous year, they might get some relaxation in terms of salary cap rules. Similarly, there are extremely complex rules which create a system riddled with loopholes. The end result is that a lot of teams spend money on legal teams to get help so that they can use these loopholes to their advantage. The entire point of having salary caps can be defeated if the rules governing such caps are too complex.

3. Incentivizes Financial Manipulation: In many parts of the world, salary caps are based on revenue. Now, it is important to realize that the revenue generated by sports franchises isn’t exactly straightforward. This revenue is generated across several years and even across various geographies. Hence, franchises have a lot of freedom when it comes to accounting.

   The revenue recognition policies of franchises can vary significantly. Also, even if there is a single policy prescribed for all franchises, there is still the possibility of creative accounting taking place.

   It is possible for sports franchises to accelerate or defer the amount of revenue that is being recognized. This will allow them to increase or decrease their salary cap as per their requirements in any given year. Once again, the result of salary caps is that the focus begins to shift from sporting prowess to creativity in accounting!

4. Possibility of Collusion: The existence of a salary cap system also creates an incentive for various team owners to collude. The prime example of this collusion can be seen from the NFL case which happened in the United States in 2011.

   The year 2011 was an uncapped year for the league. This meant that officially the league was not prohibiting or restricting the amount of salary which could be paid to the players. However, the players union alleged that the league as well as the owners of all the franchises had secretly colluded and agreed to an unofficial salary cap of $123 million dollars. It is said that the players found out about this at a later stage.

   Finally, the players union filed a lawsuit in a Minnesota court against the league and sought over a billion dollars in compensation for the unfair trade practices used by the league. The NFL has been at the center of many such scandals.

   Even in 2022, players filed a lawsuit against the league claiming that the franchises had been colluding in order to ensure that certain quarterbacks are denied the opportunity to sign a fully guaranteed contract. The problem with these claims of collusion is that they are very difficult to prove in court. However, the existence of such recurring claims does create doubt in the mind of the fans which ends up negatively impacting the overall league.

5. Disincentivizes Performance: It is a known fact that human beings are motivated by money. The salary cap system creates the environment of a socialist system as far as the players are concerned. This is because if a famous player has already reached their peak, there is no reason for them to try to perform better. This is because even if they do perform better, the team management will not be able to reward them unless they are able to reduce the salaries of other players.

   Hence, it can be said that the salary cap system creates a zero-sum situation unless the franchise is underutilizing its budget, to begin with. The zero-sum situation means that a player can only gain financially if another player loses an equal amount. The end result is that players can become demotivated to perform better.

6. Loss of Promising Talent: Salary caps are also responsible for sports franchise teams losing a lot of talent. This is because of the fact that sports teams are first compelled to acquire and groom young talent. This takes a lot of money and resources. However, over a period of time, when the young player becomes an established brand name, they expect to be paid more for their skills.

   However, salary caps put an artificial upper limit on the amount of money that can be paid to these players. The sports franchise will not be in a position to increase the remuneration of these players unless they had underutilized their budget previously or are reducing the salaries of other players.

   Many times, sports franchises lose out on young talent because the league rules do not allow them to pay more money even if they want to.

7. Based on Previous Performance: Another big concern related to salary caps is the fact that it is related to the past year’s financial performance.

   Salary caps are generally calculated either based on a single year’s financial performance or they are calculated based on the financial performance of multiple past years. In either case, the amount available to pay salary can vary from year to year.

   It is possible for a team having $100 million in salary budgets right now to have $90 million in the next year. Hence, the team will be compelled to reduce the salaries of its players on release some players and buying new ones.

   Also, the salary cap rule does not take into account the performance of the current season. Hence, it does not allow sports franchises to have a performance-linked compensation structure.

   The sports franchises cannot have a big variable component in their salaries which will be paid out based on performances. Hence, it prevents the sports franchise from using salaries as a tool to incentivize their players to perform better.

8. Players Begin Moving to Other Leagues: Salary caps have been seen to be effective only if introduced in leagues that can already be considered to be the best in their respective sports. This is because, in such leagues, the players are already earning the maximum that they can. Hence, even though their earnings get restricted because of a salary cap, they do not seem to have a better opportunity. This is the reason why salary caps have been successful in baseball and basketball leagues in America.

   However, when it comes to European football, the salary cap has not been found to be as effective. This is because there are many football leagues that are played in Europe.

   If a single league tries to apply rules related to salary caps, then there is a likelihood that the players will start seeing an economic advantage in transferring out of that league. As a result, the salary cap will keep wages artificially lower and will end up pushing players toward other leagues.

9. Can be Circumvented: It has been alleged that certain sporting franchises have been circumventing salary cap rules. This is done by artificially providing subsidies to players in a manner that cannot be directly accounted for.

   For instance, if the sporting franchise is owned by a wealthy real estate baron, they could sell a property to the player for a fraction of the cost. Hence, they would be indirectly paying the player and such a payment will not show up on the books. Hence, it is possible and even common for sporting franchises to circumvent these rules.

10. No Restrictions on the Club: Lastly, many players and critics believe that the salary cap rule is unfair. This is because it places restrictions on only one side. There are no restrictions placed on the corresponding side i.e. the sports franchise owners. They are allowed to keep the wages artificially low which results in increased profits for them.

    However, there is no restriction in terms of how the excess profits are used. The franchise owners are under no obligation to spend these funds for the benefit of the franchise. They are allowed to pocket the difference.

The fact of the matter is that the salary cap system has been under fire due to several reasons. The system has been criticized by several critics for its perceived shortcomings. Some of the most discussed shortcomings have been explained in this article. There are a few more which will be discussed in the next one.