By Franco Panizo | MLSsoccer.com Contributor
You can expect to see more Homegrown Players on MLS rosters in the near future.
MLS announced on Tuesday morning updates to the Roster Rules for the 2017 season, including the addition of two off-budget roster spots to every club for the purpose of signing Homegrown Players. Another rule that was introduced was that teams can now use up to $200,000 of their existing Targeted Allocation Money (TAM) to sign Homegrowns to their first pro deals.
“Youth development continues to be a key strategic priority for MLS,” said Todd Durbin, the MLS executive vice president of competition and player relations. “These two changes allow greater flexibility for our clubs, as the two additional roster spots give our clubs the ability to sign a greater number of promising young players, while the use of Targeted Allocation Money on new Homegrown Players gives them more financial resources to help retain that top talent.”
One other change made to the Roster Rules is that clubs can now use TAM to sign Special Discovery Players. Teams can also now recall players on intraleague loans during the Secondary Transfer Window if the initial deal was made during the Primary Transfer Window.
A full rundown of all the 2017 MLS Roster Rules can be found here.
The 2017 Major League Soccer and Crew SC regular season opens on March 4 against the Chicago Fire at MAPFRE Stadium, presented by MAPFRE Insurance. The full Crew SC preseason and regular schedule can be downloaded and synced on iOS and Android devices.
MAPFRE Stadium's gates will open at 12:30 p.m. ET for Saturday's 2 p.m. ET kickoff. The first 10,000 supporters in the gates will receive a free MAPFRE Insurance Crew SC key chain, and Saturday will be the general public's first chance to purchase the club's new 2017 Primary Jersey (while limited supplies last).
