Big Bash's direct overseas signing rule explained

What is a direct overseas signing?

Now in its second season, the multi-year contract option allows clubs to pre-sign one men's and women's overseas player for up to a maximum of three years ahead of the KFC BBL and Weber WBBL drafts. The contracting mechanism was introduced ahead of the 2024 drafts to help retain and attract new international players amid an increasingly competitive global T20 landscape.

Pre-signed players are required to be available for the entire WBBL|11 and BBL|15 season including finals.

Six men's teams and five women's teams have overseas players returning from last season after they signed multi-year deals, with Adelaide Strikers announcing new overseas direct signings for both competitions in late May (Jamie Overton and Laura Wolvaardt), while Melbourne Renegades re-signed star West Indies allrounder to a new two-year deal.

Meanwhile, Lizelle Lee was Hobart Hurricanes' WBBL direct signing last season but has since become an Australian permanent resident and has transferred onto local player contract, freeing up the club's overseas women's slot. Sydney Sixers men also have their spot still available.

Colin Munro (Heat), Sam Billings (Thunder), Chris Jordan (Hurricanes), Tim Seifert (Renegades), Tom Curran (Stars) and Finn Allen (Scorchers) are the men's players returning for a second season in BBL|15, and they'll be joined by Nadine de Klerk (Heat), Hayley Matthews (Renegades), Marizanne Kapp (Stars), Sophie Devine (Scorchers), Amelia Kerr (Sixers) and Chamari Athapaththu (Thunder) who return for another campaign in WBBL|11.

Why the availability rules?

In the past three BBL seasons – since the inception of South Africa's new franchise league (beginning in early January) and the UAE’s International League T20 competition (beginning in mid-January) – Big Bash clubs have found it increasingly difficult to keep overseas talent for the entire season despite the introduction of a new draft system prior to BBL|12.

The Sixers finished the regular season in second last summer but lost both James Vince and Akeal Hosein prior to BBL|14 finals, sinking to their second straight sets exit in the past three years. Runners-up Sydney Thunder also lost both draft picks, Lockie Ferguson and Sherfane Rutherford, to the rival UAE league but still had their direct signing Sam Billings available for the finals and he was player-of-the-match in the Challenger with a crucial 42 not out to down the Sixers.

After signing for with the Heat for two seasons last year, New Zealander Colin Munro said it was great the league had "stepped in" to keep overseas players in the tournament for longer.

"I know myself and Billings and a couple of the overseas (players) were quite vocal about trying to sign either multi-year deals or getting players outside the draft, to really try and attract some of those big players," he said.

"We've already seen with some of those boys coming back and signing multi-year deals now. If we can attract the best players to come and play in the Big Bash, then it's great for everyone here."

The women's international and global T20 schedules have also become increasingly crowded with India's Women's Premier League, England's Hundred, as well as competitions in Pakistan, Sri Lanka, the Caribbean and Zimbabwe established since 2020.

England stars Heather Knight, Sophie Ecclestone, Amy Jones, Alice Capsey and Linsey Smith all missed the conclusion of last season due to international duties, as did South Africans Laura Wolvaardt, Nadine de Klerk and Chloe Tryon, with the two nations facing off in a bilateral series beginning on the final day of WBBL|10 home-and-away matches.

Despite clear windows for the WBBL, WPL and Hundred being touted as core elements of the latest women's Future Tours Program, India, Bangladesh, South Africa and Ireland all have bilateral series slated for December this year when WBBL|11 finals are expected to take place later than usual due to the ODI World Cup, which runs deep into October.

How do direct signings work?

Clubs can sign overseas players prior to the drafts on one-, two- or three-year deals at one of the existing draft salary bands (Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze) or at a negotiated price above the Platinum rate, which is $420,000 per season for men's players in BBL|15 or $110,000 for women in WBBL|11.

The league has confirmed the salary bands for both drafts remain unchanged from last year:

It allows players to skip the unpredictability of the draft and negotiate directly with the team of their choice, while clubs also have certainty that the players will not be signing up to other T20 competitions. International commitments could still be a factor, as was the case for the Heat's WBBL direct signing Nadine de Klerk last season, who missed their finals campaign due to South Africa's T20 series against England.

How does it impact the draft?

Pre-signed players will not enter the draft pool but clubs must nominate which salary band their pre-signed player fits into. They will not be required to pick in that round of the draft. For example, if an overseas player is signed to a multi-year contract at the Gold level, the club must allocate their second or third round pick on that player.

Regardless of any direct signings, clubs must pick at least twice during the draft. Clubs are allowed to pass during the draft, provided they meet the minimum number of selections. They can also draft the maximum of four players if they wish, salary cap permitting, which would include the pick allocated for any pre-signed, multi-year international player. If four players are drafted, one would become one of the club's overseas replacement players.

Clubs are permitted up to three overseas players on their primary list each season, either pre-signed or drafted. In the men's competition, they can contract an additional four as overseas replacement players, while in the women's competition that figure is three, but only three overseas players are permitted in the playing XI for each match.

Can a club pre-sign more than one overseas player?

Each club is allowed to directly sign only one men's and women's player prior to the draft, and only one to a multi-year contract per season for each competition. After the draft, they are permitted to sign more overseas players directly either as primary listed players (if they only picked twice) as long as that player nominated for the draft, or flesh out their stocks with replacement players.

Replacement players are those that sit outside a club's primary list of 18 for the BBL (15 for WBBL) but can be brought into the squad at any point should injury strike or a player gets called away for international duty or commitments with another T20 league. Overseas players must have nominated for the draft to be eligible as replacement players.

Do retention rules apply?

Not for pre-signed players, as was evident with the first ever direct signings as Sydney Sixers lured star New Zealand allrounder Amelia Kerr after four seasons with Brisbane Heat. This was despite the Heat being keen to retain her having put "a competitive offer" on the table. Sam Billings also left the Heat to sign a three-year deal with Sydney Thunder, the club he previously played for in BBL|10 and BBL|11.

Direct signings don't affect retention picks for the draft, with each club still eligible to retain one player in the BBL|15 and WBBL|11 drafts.