NEW YORK – Fans can now follow every transaction made by their club in 2011 afer the league released of the full set of MLS playerand roster rules on Friday.
SEE THE FULL SET OF 2011 LEAGUE RULES HERE
The document outlines the current MLS roster structure andthe mechanisms by which players can be acquired and released.
When it comes to incoming players, the newest feature of theplayer rules is the Re-Entry Draft, which was held for the first time in leaguehistory in December.
“One fundamental change from 2010 was the Re-Entry process,”MLS executive vice president of player relations and competition Todd Durbin told MLSsoccer.com. “Itgave players increased rights, it gave teams new ways to build their rostersand it helped make the offseason significantly more interesting.”
Of the dozen methods that can be used to acquire a player,the new Home Grown player rules have left the biggest impact.
“It’s gone incredibly well and we are ahead of schedule interms of the numbers of players that we are signing,” Durbin said. “Our teamscontinue to demonstrate a significant commitment to this initiative and Ibelieve 10 to 15 years from now that the face of the league in terms of qualitywill forever be impacted by this initiative.”
The rules allow MLS teams to sign an unlimited number ofhome grown players to their rosters.
“You can build an entire roster of home grown players,”Durbin said. “Teams can sign an unlimited number of these players to theirsenior roster or the off-budget roster. That is up to the team.”
Other highlights of the rules include: a total of 144 internationalslots available to clubs league wide, a roster freeze date of Sept. 15 and the twointernational transfer windows (Jan. 21 through April 15 and July 15 throughAugust 14).
