Major League Soccer released its 2012 roster rules on Thursday, and while there weren’t any big surprises, the highlights largely have to do with salary figures. None of this was necessarily “news,” but new salary cap figures for Designated Players (DPs) were probably the most notable item.
2012 MLS Roster Rules: New Designated Player Salary Cap Figures Formalized
Designated Players will count a maximum of $350,000 against the salary cap under 2012 MLS Roster Rules.
As expected, the maximum salary cap hit for a DP will now be $350,000. DPs who are 20 years old or younger (who are characterized as “Young DPs”) will hit the cap at $150,000, and DPs who are between the ages of 21 and 23 will count $200,000 against the salary cap. It was also revealed that if a Young DP is the team’s third DP, the team will not have to “buy” that slot by paying the one-time $250,000 fee.
In another expected move, the minimum salary for senior roster players was raised from $42,500 to $45,000 in accordance with the most recent Collective Bargaining Agreement. Players younger than 25 can be paid as low as $33,750, which is also a slight bump from last year.
One more notable item was that the summer transfer window was moved up. It will now be open from June 27 to July 27. In previous years, the window was open from mid-July to mid-August.
See More:
