Every check, every formula.

The arithmetic

Guaranteed over the term

salary × months + signing bonus + (stipend + housing value) × months

Guaranteed per month

guaranteed ÷ months

Salary per hour

monthly salary × 12 ÷ (hours a week × 52). Compared with the US federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour as a comparison only: many players are contractors, who are not covered by it.

Your share of team winnings

expected team winnings a year × your share % × months ÷ 12. Upside: never guaranteed.

Streaming you keep

your monthly streaming income × the share you keep % × months (blank share = 100%). The team's cut is the rest.

Paid if the team ends it early

monthly salary × 12 ÷ 365 × notice days + monthly salary × severance months, never more than the salary left in the term plus severance; shown as a share of the guaranteed salary.

Your share of a buyout

buyout amount × your share %

All amounts are US dollars, rounded to the whole dollar at the end; the salary per hour is shown in cents. Figures you leave blank count as zero in the arithmetic and as not stated in the checks.

The 15 clause checks

1. Is every term in one written contract, not only in messages or a call? No = Red flag

   Only what is written down can be pointed to later or shown to someone who can help.

   Ask Can you send the full offer as one written contract before I decide?

2. Are you 18 or older, or will a parent or guardian read it with you? No = Red flag

   Contracts with under-18 players follow state law, which differs: a parent signing too does not always make them binding (California, for one, uses court approval).

   Ask If I am under 18, can my parent or guardian read the full contract with me, and does it need any approval where I live?

3. Does it say how much you are paid and on which dates? No = Red flag

   A written amount and date make late pay easy to point to.

   Ask On which dates is the salary paid, and what happens if a payment is late?

4. Is your share of prize money written as a percentage? No = Weak spot

   "We split winnings fairly" is not a number you can check.

   Ask What percentage of prize money do I receive, and is it worked out before or after team costs?

5. Is any trial or tryout period paid, or is there no trial? No = Weak spot

   An unpaid trial can mean weeks of full-time play for nothing.

   Ask How long is the trial, and is it paid at the contract rate?

6. Does the team's use of your name, image and likeness stop when the contract ends? No = Weak spot

   Without an end date a team may keep using your name and image after you leave.

   Ask Can use of my name and image be limited to the contract term?

7. Are you free to join any team once the contract ends? No = Red flag

   An after-term non-compete can keep you off other rosters for months.

   Ask Is there any limit on where I can play after the contract ends?

8. Can you keep streaming and making content on your own channel? No = Weak spot

   Your own channel is income and a career that outlasts one roster.

   Ask Can I keep streaming on my own channel, and what share of that income does the team take?

9. Does the team need your written consent to transfer or loan you? No = Weak spot

   Without it you can be moved to a roster or a region you never chose.

   Ask Can I be transferred or loaned to another team without my written consent?

10. Does it list the equipment you get and who keeps it at the end? No = Weak spot

    A written list settles who owns the gear when you leave.

    Ask Which equipment is mine to keep, and what do I return when the contract ends?

11. Does the team pay travel, hotel, visa and event costs? No = Weak spot

    Travel to events adds up quickly when it comes out of your salary.

    Ask Who pays for travel, hotels, visas and event entry?

12. Are the reasons the team can end the contract listed, not "at any time for any reason"? No = Red flag

    Listed reasons protect the guaranteed money you are counting on.

    Ask For which reasons can the team end the contract early, and what am I paid if it does?

13. Are the conduct rules written out, not "anything the team considers harmful"? No = Weak spot

    A vague conduct clause can be used to end a contract without pay.

    Ask Which conduct rules apply to me, and what happens before any fine or penalty?

14. Does it say which law applies and how disagreements are settled? No = Weak spot

    A contract under another country's law can be costly to enforce.

    Ask Which law governs the contract, and where would a disagreement be heard?

15. Do you have time to have a lawyer or a trusted adult read it before you sign? No = Weak spot

    Pressure to sign today is a warning sign in itself.

    Ask Can I have a week to get the contract read before I sign?

Checks from the numbers

• Red flag Notice of 0 days and no severance: the team can end it at once with nothing paid.
• Not sure yet Notice left blank: the offer does not say.
• Weak spot Salary paid less often than every 31 days.
• Weak spot A prize share with no payment deadline, or one over 90 days.
• Weak spot You keep less than 50% of your own streaming income.
• Weak spot A term longer than 24 months.
• Weak spot Salary under $7.25 an hour at the hours listed.
• Weak spot A buyout amount with no share for you.

The worked example on the home page shows 3 red flags, 3 weak spots and 3 open questions, from these rules and its clause answers together.