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Canadian Premier League Announces Updates to Roster Rules & Regulations, Competitions Guidelines Ahead of 2025 Season

April 1, 2025 - Canadian Premier League (CPL) News Release

Toronto, ON - The Canadian Premier League (CPL) today announced updates to its Roster Rules and Regulations and Competitions Guidelines, including its total Player Compensation Budget.

Starting in 2025, CPL Clubs are able to reach a maximum Player Compensation Budget of $1,282,000.

The CPL's 2025 Roster Rules and Regulations include an updated domestic player designation to reward select international players who have shown a significant commitment to the League. The League's rules and regulations around incoming loans also better align with the FIFA Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players (RSTP).

The League's Competitions Guidelines include an update to Canada Soccer's Good Behaviour Incentive, which, for the first time, can be applied to a club official's yellow card accumulation total in 2025.

Increase to Total Player Compensation Budget

The maximum Player Compensation Budget available to all CPL Clubs increased in 2025 to $1,282,000 CAD. It can be achieved if a Club chooses to implement the League's Under-21 Player Incentive, which sees Under-21 Players hit the Player Compensation Budget at 50 per cent of their total compensation up to a maximum benefit of $100,000 CAD per Club.

Only players signed to a Club's primary roster count toward a CPL Club's Player Compensation Budget. Critical initiatives focused on developing Canadian talent, such as the CPL's innovative Exceptional Young Talent designation, continue to largely exist outside of the total Player Compensation Budget, as do Development Contracts and CPL-U SPORTS Contracts. Such designations allow CPL Clubs to support the League's mandate to grow domestic talent by making considerable investments above and beyond the confines of the Players Compensation Budget.

Domestic Player Designation

As of 2025, the CPL's Domestic Player designation has expanded to include any player who has been signed to an active Standard Player Contract (SPC) with a CPL Club during any three league seasons, or any player who has resided in Canada for at least three (3) years.

A CPL Club will continue to be limited to seven international players on its master roster and will be required to start each league match with a minimum of six Domestic Players in its starting lineup.

The following players currently under contract with CPL Clubs will now be considered Domestic Players:

- Alexander Achinioti-Jonsson, Forge FC

- Roberto Alarcón, Valour FC

- Elimane Cissé, Forge FC

- Alejandro Díaz, Vancouver FC

- Tom Field, Cavalry FC

- Kevin dos Santos, Atlético Ottawa

- Abdulmalik Owolabi-Belewu, Forge FC

- Andre Rampersad, Halifax Wanderers FC

- Tobias Warschewski, Cavalry FC

Changes to Incoming Loan Rules

The CPL made the following changes to its incoming player loan rules to better align with the FIFA RSTP. During the 2025 League Season, a CPL Club may:

- Utilize a maximum of six incoming loans during a league season, up by one from 2024.

- Utilize a maximum of three incoming player loans from any one club, up by one from 2024.

CPL clubs will once again be able to utilize a maximum of six outgoing loans during the 2025 League Season, not including any temporary loans through the league's Downward Player Movement initiative, and may send a maximum of three players on outgoing loans to any one team.

Good Behaviour Incentive

Starting in 2025, Canada Soccer will apply a Good Behaviour Incentive to a club official's yellow card accumulation total. The Good Behaviour Incentive will reduce a club official's yellow card accumulation total by one such caution after they go seven matches without receiving any disciplinary sanctions. The Good Behaviour Incentive can be applied to a club official's yellow card accumulation total a maximum of three times in a season.

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