Selection Process

Charged with the vital task of continuing to be sure that new enshrinees are the finest the game has produced is the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Selection Committee (see list below).

FAQ about the Hall's selection process

The Committee consists of one media representative from each pro football city with two from New York, inasmuch as that city has two teams in the National Football League. A 33rd member is a representative of the Pro Football Writers of America and there are up to 17 at-large delegates.

With the exception of the PFWA representative, who is appointed for a two-year term, all appointments are of the open-end variety and can be terminated only by retirement or resignation, as long as the member continues to attend meetings regularly.

The Selection Committee meets annually, shortly before the Super Bowl, to elect new members. There is no set number for any class of enshrinees, but the Committee's current bylaws stipulate that between four and nine new members will be selected each year. The 1973 and 1976 classes of three were the smallest named.

Every candidate is carefully scrutinized and must receive at least 80% approval of the Committee at the annual meeting before he or she can be elected.

When the Selectors meet to name the Class of 2024, they will have before them a roster of up to 19 final candidates, along with detailed biographies on each. To assure that older players will be considered, the Seniors Committee -- made up of 12 members of the overall Selection Committee -- will have chosen up to three nominees who played no more recently than the 1998 season to be included on the final list. 

A bylaws change to the selection process was approved by the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Board of Trustees in early 2022 by which a Contributor – defined as an individual who has “made outstanding contributions to professional football in capacities other than playing or coaching” – will be considered with Coaches in another category. The Coach/Contributor Finalist also will be voted on for election independent of all other Finalists.

Any fan may nominate any qualified person who has been connected with pro football in any capacity simply by writing to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The only restriction is that a player and coach must have last played or coached at least five seasons before he can be considered. For example, a candidate for the 2024 class must have concluded his career not later than the 2018 season.

There is no mandatory retirement period for a Contributor. Every nomination received will be processed and forwarded to the Selection Committee.

It is important to emphasize that the Hall of Fame itself has no say whatsoever as to who is or is not elected to membership. The only function of the staff is to process the nominations as they arrive and to coordinate the annual meeting.

* Member of the Seniors Selection Committee
# Member of the Coach/Contributor Selection Committee