Major League Soccer Announces Player Development Guidelines
February 21, 2024 - Major League Soccer (MLS) News Release
NEW YORK - Major League Soccer today announced the MLS Player Development Guidelines, which set out the provisions governing the league's player development programs and MLS Homegrown players.
Included in the 2024 MLS Player Development Guidelines are the following:
Homegrown Territories
The Homegrown Territory, defined as an assigned geographic area from which an MLS club has exclusive rights to develop and/or protect youth soccer talent, for each of Major League Soccer's 29 clubs and 2025 expansion club San Diego FC are detailed.
Homegrown Players and Homegrown Priority
The rules governing prospective MLS Homegrown Players aim to incentivize MLS clubs to develop top domestic talent within MLS Academies, while accounting for variations across the geographies of the MLS ecosystem.
Homegrown Exclusivity
With the intention of establishing Homegrown Priority, an MLS club holds the exclusive right to develop players who meet the qualifications listed below. A player over whom an MLS club maintains Homegrown Exclusivity by including him on its Homegrown Player List is ineligible to be recruited by other MLS clubs.
An MLS club may establish Homegrown Exclusivity over up to 45 academy players between the U-15, U-17, and U-19 age groups. In addition to the 45 registered academy players, an MLS club may establish Homegrown Exclusivity over up to nine players who are not registered academy players, who have a permanent address or currently reside in the MLS club's Homegrown Territory, and are in one of the U-15, U-17, or U-19 age groups.
Homegrown Player List
An MLS club must submit to the league its Homegrown Player List. The Homegrown Player List consists of players over whom an MLS club retains Homegrown Exclusivity, specifically, the 45 registered academy players and up to nine non-registered Academy players.
Major League Soccer Stories from February 21, 2024
- Inter Miami CF Earns 2-0 Win Over Real Salt Lake in 2024 MLS Home Opener - Inter Miami CF
- Revolution Earn 1-0 Victory vs. CA Independiente in First Match of Concacaf Champions Cup - New England Revolution
- LA Galaxy Place Defender Chris Mavinga on Waivers - LA Galaxy
- Nashville SC Makes Concacaf Champions Cup Debut - Nashville SC
- LA Galaxy Acquire Ghanaian International Forward Joseph Paintsil as Designated Player from Belgian Pro League Side K.R.C. Genk - LA Galaxy
- GEODIS Preview: Nashville SC Opens 2024 Campaign against Moca FC in Concacaf Champions Cup - Nashville SC
- Revolution Acquire $350,000 in General Allocation Money from LA Galaxy - New England Revolution
- FC Dallas Announces Exclusive Higher Education Partnership with Baylor University - FC Dallas
- JAG Physical Therapy Named Official Physical Therapy and Athletic Training Partner of New York City FC - New York City FC
- Earthquakes Sign First-Round SuperDraft Selection Jamar Ricketts - San Jose Earthquakes
- Penn Medicine Partners with the Philadelphia Union to Become Official Health Care Provider of the Team - Philadelphia Union
- Toronto FC Acquire 2024 International Roster Slot from CF Montréal - Toronto FC
- Portland Timbers Partner with Bold Reuse to Promote Sustainability in Providence Park - Portland Timbers
- Major League Soccer Announces Player Development Guidelines - MLS
- FC Cincinnati Announce Long-Term Extensions for Coaching Staff - FC Cincinnati
- 2024 Columbus Crew Matches to Air on Alt 105.7, La Grande 102.5 - Columbus Crew SC
- Charlotte FC Signs Midfielder Júnior Urso - Charlotte FC
- Columbus Crew Sign Mohamed Farsi to Multi-Year Contract Extension - Columbus Crew SC
- Orlando City SC Acquires $50,000 in 2025 General Allocation Money from Charlotte FC - Orlando City SC
- Air Transat Becomes an Official Partner of CF Montréal - Club de Foot Montreal
- Carranza Registers First CCC Hat Trick - Philadelphia Union
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