MLS Announces 2008 Competition Guidelines and Calendar

Published on December 18, 2007 under Major League Soccer (MLS) News Release

NEW YORK (Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2007) - Major League Soccer today announced several amendments to the 2008 competition guidelines voted on and approved by the MLS Board of Governors during its most recent meeting, held in Washington, D.C. prior to MLS Cup 2007. The most notable amendments include the addition of one international player slot per team, the treatment of three high-salaried players whose contracts pre-existed the introduction of the Designated Player rule and an amendment by which teams no longer hold a player's right of first refusal once that player has been waived.

During the 2007 season, teams were allotted seven international spots per team, four Senior International and three Youth International slots, with the exception of Toronto FC who were awarded seven Senior International slots (three of which could be used only on domestic US players) and five Youth slots. Each team has been awarded one additional international player slot, the distinction between Youth International and Senior International has been removed and all international player slots will be tradable. Toronto FC has been awarded two additional international player slots, which they may use only on domestic U.S. players.

After a review of the competitive impact of the introduction of Designated Player rule in 2007, the MLS Board of Governors decided that it will not require the teams affected to give up value or use a Designated Player slot to retain the high-salaried players who were on their roster at the time the Designated Player rule was adopted. Those players - Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy), Eddie Johnson (Kansas City Wizards) and Carlos Ruiz (FC Dallas) - will not occupy a Designated Player slot for the 2008 and 2009 seasons. The salaries of these players will, however, become the financial responsibility of their club to the extent their salary exceeds the team's maximum salary budget charge.

Additionally, prior to the 2007 season when a team waived a player, the team retained a right of first refusal for the player for 12-months. Going forward, teams will no longer have a right of first refusal for players that they waive.

Below are competition guidelines as approved by the MLS Board of Governors and the MLS Competition Committee. Following the competition guidelines is the 2008 Competition Calendar. The schedule is subject to change.

2008 Competition Guidelines

Pre-Existing High-Salaried Players

The MLS Board of Governors ruled that Landon Donovan, Eddie Johnson and Carlos Ruiz, who had high-salaried contracts with the League prior to the adoption of the Designated Player rule, will not occupy a Designated Player roster position for the 2008 and 2009 seasons. These players will, however, become their individual team's financial responsibility to the extent their actual salaries exceed their budget charge.

Allocations

Rankings. The allocations will be ranked in reverse order of finish for the 2007 season, taking playoff performance into account. The rankings will be separate and distinct from the allocation amounts and will only be relevant in the event two or more teams file a request for the same player on the same day, in the case of returning U.S. National Team players, and/or any other player the League, in its discretion, believes should be allocated using the rankings, in which case priority will be granted to the team with the higher allocation ranking. Once the team uses its allocation ranking to acquire a player it will drop to the bottom of the list. The ranking itself can be traded provided part of the compensation it receives is another team's ranking. A team may move up or down in the rankings, provided that at all times each team is assigned a ranking (no team can have more than one ranking and no team can be without a ranking). The rankings will reset at the end of each MLS League Season.

The 2008 allocation rankings are as follow 1. San Jose Earthquakes

2. Toronto FC

3. Real Salt Lake

4. Los Angeles Galaxy

5. Colorado Rapids

6. Columbus Crew

7. New York Red Bulls

8. FC Dallas

9. Chivas USA

10. D.C. United

11. Kansas City Wizards

12. Chicago Fire

13. New England Revolution

14. Houston Dynamo

Rosters

Senior/Youth International Distinction is Removed. There will no longer be a distinction between Senior and Youth International players. In addition, all international slots will be tradable.

Increase in International Players. Each team will receive one (1) additional international player slot, for a total of eight per team.

Toronto FC Roster. In addition to the additional international player slot noted above, Toronto FC shall receive two (2) additional international slots that may only be used on domestic U.S. players. These slots shall be in effect for two (2) seasons and will be reviewed at the end of the 2009 MLS League Season.

Calendar Update

Discovery/Allocation/Designated Player/Waived MLS Players Commencement Date. Teams may begin submitting player request forms beginning Monday, December 10, 2007. The following is the 2008 MLS Competition Calendar. Schedule subject to change.

Monday, December 10, 2007 Discovery (International and Domestic)/Allocation Period Begins

Tuesday, January 1, 2008 Senior Developmental players can be signed

Fri, Jan. 11 - Tue, Jan. 15, 2008 adidas MLS Combine, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

Tuesday, January 15, 2008 Primary Transfer Window Opens

Friday, January 18, 2008 2008 MLS SuperDraft, Baltimore, Md.

Thursday, January 24, 2008 2008 Supplemental Draft

Saturday, January 26, 2008 Pre-Season Training Camps may begin

Monday, March 3, 2008 Roster and Salary Budget Compliance

Monday, March 3, 2008 Developmental players can be signed

Tuesday, March 4, 2008 Waiver Draft via Conference Call

Saturday, March 29, 2008 Regular Season Commences

Tuesday, April 15, 2008 Primary Transfer Window Closes

Tuesday, July 15, 2008 Secondary Transfer Window Opens

Friday, August 15, 2008 Secondary Transfer Window Closes

Monday, September 15, 2008 Roster Freeze Date

Trade and Discovery Deadline

Note: For the purposes of MLS deadlines, the time of day at which the deadline expires shall be

5:00 p.m. ET for deadlines falling on a business day and Midnight for deadlines falling on a weekend or Public Holiday.

Major League Soccer Stories from December 18, 2007

• Houston Dynamo to face off against Guatemala's CSD Municipal in the 2008 CONCACAF Champions Cup - Houston Dynamo FC
• Sounders extend discounted season ticket deadline - Seattle Sounders FC
• D.C. United to face Harbour View of Jamaica in CONCACAF Champions' Cup - D.C. United
• MLS Announces 2008 Competition Guidelines and Calendar - MLS
• Red Bulls Name Juan Carlos Osorio Head Coach - Red Bull New York

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