MLS Major League Soccer

MLS Abandons Regular-Season Overtime Periods

Published on March 24, 2004 under Major League Soccer (MLS) News Release


NEW YORK (Wednesday, March 24, 2004) - On the eve of its ninth season, which kicks off with five games on Saturday, April 3, Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber announced today that MLS regular-season contests will no longer feature overtime periods when games are tied after 90 minutes. The decision was reached after soliciting input from the MLS Competition Committee, as well as players, coaches and team executives. Matches deadlocked after 90 minutes will earn each team one standings point, a system adopted by other major domestic leagues around the world.

"This decision reflects our focus on continuing our alignment with the world's game," said Commissioner Garber. "Given the recent developments on the international scene regarding the resolution of matches, now is the right time to abandon the extra OT sessions."

The move by Major League Soccer's Competition Committee to eliminate the overtime period comes in the wake of the International Football Association Board (IFAB) ruling of February 28, 2004, which eliminates "Golden" and "Silver" goals from the FIFA Laws of the Game beginning on July 1 of this year.

The 2004 season will be the first in the League's nine-year history in which ties will stand after the 90 minutes of regulation. From 1996 to 1999, the 35-yard shootout tiebreaker was employed. MLS then introduced the 10-minute sudden-death (golden goal) overtime period, comprised of two five-minute halves, beginning in 2000. A team which scored in sudden-death overtime captured three standings points with the loser earning none. Ties after overtime meant each team was awarded one standings point.

During the four regular-season campaigns featuring overtime, 43 games out of 640 total were decided in the extra sessions (6.7 percent of all matches). The 43 golden-goal winners in MLS history decided 25.1 percent of the 171 overtime matches during that span.

Other MLS Competition-related issues announced today include:

SUBSTITUTIONS

The MLS Competition Committee also eliminated the 3+1 substitution rule used since the League's inception, which enabled teams to substitute three field players and an additional goalkeeper substitution (if necessary) during the course of a match. Beginning with the 2004 regular season, teams will only be permitted three total substitutions, which is also in line with the international standard.

DISCIPLINARY REGULATIONS

1. REMOVAL OF JERSEYS: In accordance with FIFA mandates, cautions will be automatically awarded to individuals who remove their jersey during the course of a game. Cautions for this infraction will now add two (2) penalty points to a player's respective caution point total.

2. ADDITION OF FINE SCHEDULE FOR BRINGING THE GAME INTO DISREPUTE: In addition to the specific fine schedule developed in 2003 to address dissent (which remains in place for 2004), a separate but parallel fine schedule will be initiated this season for issues deemed to be "bringing the game into disrepute." This is intended to discourage acts of "aggressive attitude, inflammatory behavior and taunting."

3. TEAMS TO MATCH SPECIFIC PLAYER FINES: A matching team fine schedule will be implemented for both (a) dissent and (b) "bringing the game into disrepute." Therefore, fines assessed to players either for dissent or bringing the game into disrepute will also be assessed to their respective teams and collected at the end of the season.

4. CAUTION POINT CHANGES: The penalty points assigned to: (a) reckless fouls; (b) fouls from behind; and (c) tactical fouls will be increased by one (1) point to five (5) penalty points. The penalty points assigned to deliberate hand balls that attempt to score will increase by two (2) points to five (5) penalty points, thus equaling the same number of penalty points issued for deliberate hand balls that attempt to prevent a score.

5. TWO-GAME SUSPENSIONS: A player will receive a two (2) game suspension if he receives a straight red card in the same game wherein he received an earlier yellow card that pushed his penalty point total in excess of the suspension threshold.

6. SUSPENSIONS & NATIONAL TEAM CALL-UPS: Players suspended from MLS League matches (regular season or playoffs) who are called in for national team duty shall have their suspensions held in abeyance until they return to their MLS team.

7. SUPPLEMENTAL DISCIPLINE: The Disciplinary Committee will have the latitude to impose supplemental discipline in connection with incidents of dissent, mass confrontation and bringing the game into disrepute when such instances are either (a) not seen or heard by the officiating team or (b) such incidents are egregious.

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