Major League Soccer (MLS) unveiled three significant updates to its roster regulations on Thursday, set to take effect during the current secondary transfer window. These modifications aim to enhance the league’s competitiveness and appeal ahead of the upcoming World Cup.
Todd Durbin, MLS Executive Vice President for Player Strategy and Relations, highlighted the potential impact of the changes: “The new roster rules open the door for clubs to sign additional world-class players and more emerging stars, while also providing a great deal of flexibility to invest across the roster.”
Key Changes:
Expanded Roster Structure: MLS rosters will now include six key spots: three Designated Player (DP) slots and three U22 Initiative Player slots. This structure is designed to provide teams with more options to secure top talent.
Flexible Roster Models: Teams will have two roster construction models. The standard Designated Player model maintains the three DP and three U22 slots. Alternatively, teams can choose the U22 Initiative Player model, which allows for the conversion of one DP slot into a fourth U22 slot and provides up to $2 million in additional general allocation money (GAM). Clubs must declare their roster path by August 14 for the 2024 season.
Increased Allocation Money: Teams can now convert up to $3 million in transfer revenues into GAM, lifting previous restrictions that limited conversions to $1.216 million per player transfer.
The league’s Sporting and Competition Committee began reviewing these changes in early 2023, incorporating feedback from over 25,000 soccer fans across the U.S. and Canada. According to Durbin, these adjustments, alongside other potential rule changes for 2025 and beyond, are aimed at elevating the league’s status and boosting global fan engagement.
