A one-year optional extension agreed when a player makes a fixed-term contract with a club, which may be taken up by the club when the original term is at an end.
Origin
1950s; earliest use found in The Washington Post.
Definition of option year in US English:
option year
noun
North American Sport
A one-year optional extension agreed when a player makes a fixed-term contract with a club, which may be taken up by the club when the original term is at an end.