A release clause in football is a clause in a players contract that sets out a pre-determined transfer fee and states that a club is automatically required to accept an initial offer for a player if the buying club makes an offer of that exact value. The fee is set while the contract is signed, which can be revised at a later date upon the consent of both club and player/coach. A release clause is also known as a buy-out clause. It is not compulsory to have a release clause in a player/coachs contract, but it is common for both the club and the player/coach to agree to have one inserted so that it benefits both parties if the option is triggered. If a player has a release clause, any other team can choose to pay that clause and immediately negotiate with the player directly, bypassing the selling clubs ability to negotiate or decline the transfer altogether.