The World Game understands the clubs and the PFA have agreed for the salary cap to decline from $3.2 million down to $2.1 million for the 2020-2021 season, but all existing player contracts cannot be altered as part of a new collective bargaining agreement.
Under the agreement, which will end the threat of industrial action, each club will be able to negotiate the size of individual pay cuts with its own players for next season, but the players now have the right to reject those in good faith.
It is believed the minimum A-League salary for players aged 23 and under will also stay at around $64,133. The proposal from the clubs was put to the players on Sunday night and they voted to accept it, according to sources.
One involved party told The World Game: “The players stayed strong and got what they deserved.”
It is understood under the deal the clubs will pay players for the nine months of the new A-League campaign, instead for a full 12-month year.
It is expected that clubs will also reduce their spending of marquee players in 2021 as part of their cost-cutting needed to cope with the financial impact of Covid-19.
A-League clubs were initially clamouring for a salary cap reduction of 30% for next season in what had been a bitter public stand-off with the players union.
The PFA had not responded to requests for comment from The World Game at the time of writing.
