MLS International Roster Slots are an important piece of roster composition in Major League Soccer. MLS employs a variety of mechanisms to promote parity and domestic player development which include player entry drafts, expansion drafts, allocation drafts, weighted lotteries, and a limit on the number of international roster slots available for each club. The limit on the number of international roster slots makes each slot a valuable commodity for clubs to utilize through player signings or trades with other clubs.
The MLS roster rules for 2017 state:
A total of 176 international roster spots are divided among the 22 clubs. These spots are tradable, such that some clubs may have more than eight and some clubs may have fewer than eight. There is no limit on the number of international roster spots on each club's roster. The remaining roster spots must be filled by Domestic Players.
For clubs based in the United States, a domestic player is either a U.S. citizen, a permanent resident (green card holder), the holder of other special status (e.g., has been granted refugee or asylum status), or a player who qualifies under the Homegrown International Rule.
For clubs based in Canada, a domestic player is either a Canadian citizen or the holder of certain other special status (e.g., has been granted refugee or asylum status) ("Canadian Domestic Player"), a player who qualifies under the Homegrown International Rule, or a U.S. Domestic Player. MLS clubs based in Canada are required to have a minimum of three Canadian domestic players on their rosters.
Regardless of nationality, any player who meets the requirements to qualify as a Homegrown Player as a member of an MLS club academy, either in the U.S. or Canada, or has met similar requirements as a member of a Canadian Approved Youth Club, will count as a domestic player on both U.S. and Canadian club rosters provided that 1) the player became a member of an MLS club academy, either in the U.S. or Canada, or a Canadian Approved Youth Club in the year prior to the year in which he turns 16 and 2) the player signs his first professional contract with MLS or an MLS club's USL affiliate.
Source:
As of March 7, 2017
+ For chart purposes, U.S.-born players with Canadian clubs are not considered foreign-born.
Key
DL - Player is on the disabled list (DL) and does not count as an international while on the DL
L - Player is away on loan and does not count as an international while out on loan
SS - Player is holder of "special status" granted to refugees or DACA protected residents and counts as a domestic, rather than international player
1 Franchise was based in San Jose at the time of the trade.
