The article evaluates the prospects for integrating the athlete draft mechanism into the sys-tem of Russian sports. The compatibility of this mechanism with labor law standards is examined. A comparative analysis of the proposed procedure and existing restrictions on athletes' labor rights is also being conducted. A differentiated approach to evaluating the effectiveness of methods to enhance sports competition is suggested. The conclusions are drawn with due regard to recent amendments to labor and sports legislation, as well as to the regulations of all-Russian sports fed-erations and professional sports leagues.