Credit Reuters
MIAMI,(Reuters) – The NFL’s request for a temporary stay on the injunction that lifted the league’s lockout of players was granted Friday, bringing the lockout back into effect — for now, at least.
The decision by the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals puts the lockout back into force while the court decides on the NFL’s main request for a stay pending appeal of the injunction which forced the league to restart work.
The decision came as the NFL was carrying out the second and third rounds of its annual draft and it was not immediately clear what effect, if any, the ruling would have on Saturday’s draft proceedings.
NFL players had succeeded, on Monday, in winning a district court injunction to halt the lockout — a move which the league immediately appealed.
“The purpose of this administrative stay is to give the court sufficient opportunity to consider the merits of the motion for a stay pending appeal. The district court’s order of April 25, 2011, is temporarily stayed.” said the court order.
One of the three members of the court panel dissented from the decision.
The lockout was imposed after talks between the league and players over a new collective bargaining agreement broke down on March 11.