US football governing body s approves new rules for 2024 season

By Selcuk Bugra Gokalp

The US football governing body, Major League Soccer (MLS) Board of Governors, announced new rules Friday for the 2024 season.

The Off-Field Treatment rule has been changed. If a player with a suspected injury remains on the ground for more than 15 seconds, the referee will stop play and wave the medical crew onto the field to evaluate the player. When safe, the player will be removed from the field and remain off the field for a minimum of two minutes for further assessment and treatment.

A timed substitution rule will be implemented which requires a substituted player to exit the field within 10 seconds. If the rule is broken, the incoming player has to wait for a 60-second holding period, before entering the match at the next stoppage.

Video Assistant Referee (VAR) decisions given in a match will also be announced by the referee to fans in the stadium and viewers at home, according to the new rules.

Match clocks, including the scoreboard, video boards and stadium clocks, will run until the completion of each half, including additional time at the end of the first or second half.

Opposing players who simultaneously incur head injuries requiring off-field treatment, who are subsequently cleared to return to play, will return to the match at the same time, following the Return To Play Equity rule.

The number of Discovery List slots per club are now reduced from seven to five players.

Clubs may now elect to receive a portion of transfer fees as General Allocations Money (GAM) and a residency must be established, or the player has to have appeared for an immigrant visa interview by the opening of the secondary transfer Window, for a player to be considered a domestic player in the applicable season.

The MLS has had 29 teams -- 26 in the US and three in Canada -- since the 2023 season and is affiliated with the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football, or CONCACAF.