Mls Roster Rules 2016

[sbrylski]

Not out yet, but here's a thread where we can speculate until they are published.

I'm going to guess that if not this year, next year they will up the international spots to 9 per team. With two more teams coming into the league in 2017, we've added 80 roster spots for USA players only since last year, plus 40 more set to be added in 2018.

I also think they should/will expand the yearly TAM amount again in 2017 to fit 3 players per year. So rosters could look something like this:

Interational Players:

1. Designated Player ($1+ million salary)
   
2. Designated Player
3. Designated Player
4. TAM Player (~$500k-$1 million salary)
   
5. TAM Player
6. TAM Player
7. Regular Player (under ~$500k salary)
   
8. Regular Player
9. Regular Player

For every American you have on the team that fills spots 1 thru 6 on this list, you can add more regular international players.

I consider myself to be pretty cautious with the addition of more international spots, but I think there's a need in order to keep growing the league, and just one wouldn't hurt too much - there's more investment in academies today than there has been ever, so I think the stars are aligning for this to happen.

 

[Viewfrom226]

Not out yet, but here's a thread where we can speculate until they are published.

I'm going to guess that if not this year, next year they will up the international spots to 9 per team. With two more teams coming into the league in 2017, we've added 80 roster spots for USA players only since last year, plus 40 more set to be added in 2018.

I also think they should/will expand the yearly TAM amount again in 2017 to fit 3 players per year. So rosters could look something like this:

Interational Players:

1. Designated Player ($1+ million salary)
   
2. Designated Player
3. Designated Player
4. TAM Player (~$500k-$1 million salary)
   
5. TAM Player
6. TAM Player
7. Regular Player (under ~$500k salary)
   
8. Regular Player
9. Regular Player

For every American you have on the team that fills spots 1 thru 6 on this list, you can add more regular international players.

I consider myself to be pretty cautious with the addition of more international spots, but I think there's a need in order to keep growing the league, and just one wouldn't hurt too much - there's more investment in academies today than there has been ever, so I think the stars are aligning for this to happen.

Good thoughts. Personally, I very much support adding international spots, particularly if the rationale for not doing so is to permit the USMNT to grow and avoid the argument one hears in England that the increasing number of non-English players in the EPL are why the English national team underachieves.

Incremental international spots aren't going to squeeze out players who are anywhere close to the USMNT, either in terms of playing time or in terms of even being in the league. In addition, more internationals will elevate the level of play by eliminating an artificial constraint on quality, which is good for the US players who are left in the league and playing. So, if we are trying to protect the USMNT, then I think we are well served by meaningfully increasing the number of internationals.

In reality, I suspect, that the limits on internationals are yet another MLS cost containment measure.