What are the rules for 2024 WWE Draft?

The Superstar Shake-up will set up the future storylines and rivalries for all brands involved

As the WWE Draft is just around the corner, fans must be thinking about the rules of the draft and what is planned by WWE. With certain wrestlers on the list such as CM Punk, AJ Styles, Roman Reigns and others in the draft, WWE must have planned something big for the audience. Let’s look at what are the rules for the WWE Draft 2024 one by one.

Protected Superstars

Certain superstars on each brand will be protected and cannot be drafted to the opposing brand. This ensures that key talents remain exclusive to their respective shows.

The protected superstars for Raw are Damian Priest, Becky Lynch, Awesome Truth, and Sami Zayn. For SmackDown, the protected superstars are Cody Rhodes, Bayley, A-Town Down Under, and Logan Paul.

Also Read: List of all eligible Superstars in 2024 WWE Draft pool; CM Punk, Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins & more

What about women’s Tag Champions?

While Asuka and Kairi Sane hold the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship, their status as champions does not grant them protection from the draft. Therefore, they are eligible to be drafted to either brand. However, if they were to lose the titles before the draft, they would then be assigned to the brand they belong to at the time of the draft.

Draft Format

The draft will occur over two days, with SmackDown conducting its draft on Friday and Raw on Monday. Each brand will have a set number of rounds to make their picks. SmackDown will have four rounds, with each round consisting of two picks per brand, totalling eight picks for SmackDown.

Raw will have six rounds, also with two picks per round, for a total of twelve picks for Raw. This staggered format allows for each brand to strategically select their talent.

Order

SmackDown has the first pick in the draft, giving them the advantage of selecting the first superstar or tag team to join their roster. Raw will have the first pick on the second day of the draft. This alternating order ensures fairness between the brands and adds excitement to the draft process.

Effective date of the Rosters

The rosters resulting from the draft will go into effect on Monday, May 6. This means that the new lineup of superstars for each brand will be showcased on television two days after the Backlash France event, giving fans a clear understanding of the talent distribution and setting the stage for future storylines and matchups.

While the rules for the Draft are clear, one should start thinking about how everything will play out, it will be important to watch both Raw, Smackdown and NXT and how storylines will progress.

For more updates, follow Khel Now on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Telegram.