MLS NEXT Pro announced roster guidelines for the league’s inaugural season, set to start next month. New York City FC is one of the 21 founding members of MLS NEXT Pro, which will serve as a farm league for MLS clubs.
The rules are significantly more straightforward than the Byzantine regulations that govern MLS clubs. For example, there is no salary cap for the squad, there is no minimum or maximum salary for individual players, and all player contracts will be held by the club rather than the league.
MLS NEXT Pro roster guidelines:
- No salary cap
- No limits on player compensation, with no minimum or maximum salary
- Contracts will be executed with individual MLS NEXT Pro clubs
- No age limits for players
- Active roster comprised of up to 35 players
- Roster slots 1-24 are for professional players
- Roster slots 25-35 are for amateur players
- A maximum of five MLS NEXT youth academy players per team may be on the field at any time during an official match
- Up to seven international players per roster
- International spots may be traded, expire at end of season
- Primary transfer window is February 10, 2022 to May 4, 2022
- Secondary transfer window is July 7, 2022 to August 4, 2022
NYCFC II, the team that NYCFC will field in MLS NEXT Pro, is set to open the season in late March.