Major League Soccer Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada ...

, in addition to the senior roster, each team can carry a developmental roster of a certain number of young players whose contracts do not count against the

salary cap In professional sports, a salary cap (or wage cap) is an agreement or rule that places a limit on the amount of money that a team can spend on players' salaries. It exists as a per-player limit or a total limit for the team's roster, or both. Sever ...

. The allowable size of developmental rosters has varied throughout its existence: in the 2005 season, it grew to ten from a former limit of six, but for the 2009 season, it was reduced to a limit of four players. The developmental roster includes

Generation adidas Generation Adidas is a joint venture between Major League Soccer and U.S. Soccer aimed at raising the level of young professional soccer talent in the United States. The program, sponsored by Adidas, offers professional-ready players in the U.S. ...

(known as ''Project-40'' before 2005) signees, Home-Grown Players, and other players (usually recent college graduates) 25 or younger, called developmental players. Except for the Generation adidas players, whose salaries have no limit and are negotiated individually with the league, developmental players are paid a salary well below the MLS minimum, currently pegged at around $32,504 per year. A player is graduated from the developmental roster to the senior roster at the team's discretion, a decision which usually results from a player passing the age limit or becoming an important member of the squad. Notable former developmental players include:

Davy Arnaud Davy Arnaud (; born June 22, 1980) is an American soccer coach and former player. During his professional career, he played for Sporting Kansas City, Montreal Impact, and D.C. United, and served on the coaching staff of D.C. United and Houst ...

Nat Borchers Nat Borchers (born April 13, 1981) is an American former soccer player who played as a defender. He won the MLS Cup in 2009 with Real Salt Lake and in 2015 with the Portland Timbers. Youth and college career Born in Tucson, Arizona, Borchers ...

Alejandro Moreno Alejandro Enrique Moreno Riera (born July 8, 1979) is a Venezuelan former footballer who played as a forward, and who is currently a television commentator for ESPN FC, ESPN Deportes and ESPN Latin America. Moreno won three MLS Cups during his ...

Jack Jewsbury Jack Jewsbury (born April 13, 1981) is a retired American soccer player who played primarily as a midfielder. Upon his retirement in 2016, Jewsbury was one of ten players to have appeared in more than 350 matches in Major League Soccer. Career Y ...

Chris Wondolowski Christopher Elliott "Chris" Wondolowski (born January 28, 1983) is an American former professional soccer player who played as a forward. Nicknamed Wondo, he scored 171 career goals, the most in Major League Soccer history, and he was MLS's t ...

and

Troy Perkins Troy Perkins (born July 29, 1981) is an American former soccer player. During his career, he played for clubs in the United States, Canada, and Norway. The 2006 Major League Soccer Goalkeeper of the Year award winner earned seven caps with the ...

Sources

2009 MLS Player Rules and Regulations Summary

References

{{Reflist Major League Soccer rules and regulations