MLS 101: MLS Expansion Draft
By Phil Naegely
The MLS Expansion Draft for Orlando City SC and New York City FC will take place on Wednesday. What exactly is an Expansion Draft and how does it work?
MLS 101 is a new Playing for 90 column looking at the ins and outs of the league. It will try to explain some of the events special to the league and break it down into simple terms. If you have a suggestion for a topic, comment below.
Every time an expansion team joins Major League Soccer, the league holds an Expansion Draft. This time around two teams, Orlando City SC and New York City FC, are selecting players. The existing 18 MLS teams decided which 11 players to protect from Orlando and NYCFC.
There are some rules to go over. MLS isn’t always clear with their rules, but the league made a nice list of the Expansion Draft Rules. They are listed word for word from MLSSoccer.com.
"“MLS clubs may protect 11 players between their Senior Roster and their Supplemental Roster. If the player’s contract expires at the end of 2014, he will still be considered part of the club’s roster.• If a club protects a player, it is not obligated to exercise the player’s option. It may renegotiate subject to terms of the CBA.• If a player retires, he will not be a part of the club’s roster, but his club will lose its right of first refusal to him should he ultimately decide to play.• Players on a club’s Supplemental Roster, other than Generation adidas players who have not been graduated at the end of the 2014 MLS season or Homegrown Players on a club’s Supplemental Roster, will be part of the expansion draft.• Generation adidas players who have not been graduated at the end of the 2014 MLS season and Homegrown Players on a club’s Supplemental Roster at the end of the 2014 MLS season are automatically protected (clubs do not have to use a protected slot on them).• If NYCFC or Orlando City SC selects a Supplemental Roster Player, it must offer him a Senior Roster position and he must remain on the Senior Roster as of Roster Compliance Date.• Clubs are restricted in the number of International Player(s) that they may make available. Clubs may make available a number of International Players equal to their total number of International Players minus three, provided that if a club has three or fewer International Players it may make available not more than one.• For purposes of this expansion process, any non-domestic U.S. players will count as an International.• Designated Players are NOT automatically protected (i.e., clubs must choose whether to protect such players and if such player is not protected, he will be available for selection in the Expansion Draft). However, if the Designated Player has a no-trade clause in his contract, then his MLS club must protect him and he will count as one of the 11 players who may be protected.• Once two players have been claimed from a team’s non-protected roster, that team is eliminated from the expansion draft and may not lose any further players. In addition, once a player has been claimed from a club’s non-protected roster, that club may move a player from its non-protected roster to its protected roster.• Rounds: The expansion draft will consist of 10 rounds.”"
That’s a lot to take in above, but important to read in order to fully grasp what rules are enforced. Some of the highlights are that clubs will not lose more than two players. When they lose one player, then the team gets to protect an additional player. Orlando City SC will be selecting first on Wednesday. Then New York City will select and they will alternate back and forth for 10 rounds.
The Expansion Draft’s purpose allows new MLS teams to select current MLS players to build their core. Some players work out better than others, but it at least gives expansion sides a chance to be competitive in their first season. This year’s draft will take place on Wednesday, Dec. 10 at 2:00 p.m. EST and will be streamed live on MLSSoccer.com.
Stay tune to Playing for 90 for continued coverage of the MLS Expansion Draft. Do you have further questions about the Expansion Draft? Ask below in the comments section.
MLS 101 is a new Playing for 90 column looking at the ins and outs of the league. It will try to explain some of the events special to the league and break it down into simple terms. If you have a suggestion for a topic, comment below.