Major League Soccer roster rules are an enigma, highly un-credible, mostly confusing, and above all antiquated. In the world of normal soccer transfers there are transfer fees, loans, trades, and buyouts but in the world of MLS there is TAM, GAM, Discovery rights, and U-22 initiatives.
Almost every player in MLS is not a player but a player with an asterisk in regard to their status: DP, home grown, International, etc. Fans have been overwhelmed by the amount of labeling on MLS rosters and underwhelmed to see the end result.
Last season all of four teams had a payroll under $20 million, a very small sample of what teams in Brazil and Liga MX are spending on their rosters, Lionel Messi’s contract alone could be worth the budget of two MLS sides just on salary alone.
Proposed new rules in MLS
Never simple the new rules starting in the summer transfer window are the following:
- Option of 3 DPs/3 U22s or 2 DPs/4 U22s/$2M GAM
- 2 buyouts per season
- Max $3M in GAM on transfer revenue per year
see also
What do Messi, Inter Miami need vs Monterrey to advance in the Concacaf Champions Cup?
An increase in GAM in theory could help teams spend more on roster players and increase the quality of players coming off the bench.
Orlando City forward Facundo Torres (10) passes the ball during the MLS, Fussball Herren, USA soccer match between the Orlando City SC and Cavalry FC on February 27th, 2024 at Inter & Co in Orlando, FL. (Photo by Andrew Bershaw/Icon Sportswire)
The change in the DP rule seems a bit confusing as it seems to be a money shuffle of some kind.
The 2 buyouts are a necessity for MLS teams today as some flops are tied to massive contracts that under the current rules’ teams have difficulty getting out of.
see also
MLS 2023 salaries: Top 25 highest paid players
All of these pending rule changes are subject to final approval by the MLSPU and the board of governors has reportedly green lighted the new rules for the summer.
