We understand that emergencies happen in life and sometimes there’s just nothing you can do. However, it’s also important for players to understand that it teams have player add-on deadlines and pay high international transfer fees to get foreign players on their team. Breaking a contract after you have already signed and committed can literally destroy a team’s entire season if they are unable to replace you. It also does not reflect well on you as an athlete, BIP as a company, or on American players in general.

It’s also important to understand that if you break your contract, it will be at your own expense. No professional teams will pay your way home if you break your contract and want to leave early for any reason.

If you aren’t sure whether you can handle Europe for an extended period, then we strongly recommend attending one of our Exposure Tours. They are designed to help players determine if they can and want to commit to playing professional volleyball in Europe for the length of a season.

It’s important to note that teams spend between $5000-$10,000 to hire a foreign player, and they must pay this before an athlete plays in an official match. This means that IF an athlete quits, the club could ask the athlete to pay some of this back. More and more clubs are putting clauses in contracts to ensure that players don’t quit without taking on some financial obligation to cover money wasted on transfer fees, visa fees, or expensive airfare.

Note: An athlete recently signed in Peru. The club paid the following prior to her arrival:

  • FIVB Transfer Fee (non-refundable): 2000 CHF = ~$2000
  • USA Volleyball Transfer Fee (non-refundable): $500
  • Residence Permits in Peru (non-refundable): ~$600
  • Round-Trip Airfare (non-refundable): ~$1300
  • Local Health Insurance Annual Premium: ~$900

The player arrived, quit within the week, and the team was out $5300, even though they never had to pay her a penny of salary. In the future, the club wants to have a clause in all contracts to demand this money be returned if a player quits. Something to think about before you sign a contract.