USL Introduces New Young Player Initiative
USL Introduces New Young Player Initiative
Home clubs will be able to supplement their match day roster with two additional players to allow for the development of young talent in the USL.
On top of the USL Academy contract, which allows players to sign and train for USL Championship clubs while maintaining their NCAA eligibility, the league announced a new young player initiative this week.
The new rule allows the addition of two players to the home club’s matchday roster, with the aim of giving “valuable experience in the development of its young players,” according to a league release. The rule has been in effect since the start of the 2024 season.
The roster initiative pushes the maximum roster number for the home team to 20 players, so long as the additional two players fall under one of the two following requirements (per uslsoccer.com):
“For a player(s) signed to a Standard Player Agreement (SPA), the home Club is allowed up to two (2) players who were 17 or under at the time of signing their SPA.”
“For a player(s) signed to an Academy Agreement, the home Club is allowed up to two (2) players regardless of the age of the player at the time of signing their Academy Agreement.”
The restriction of the rule to only apply to home clubs was a decision made in the name of player safety, according to Wyss, in order to allow for a slower and smoother integration of youth talent into a professional setting.
“These two roster spots will allow for further development of youth players by providing the uncompromised opportunity to play them in a competitive match and ultimately increase their value,” said Oliver Wyss, USL Head of Global Football Development & Sporting Director, in the release.
18-year-old Dren Dobruna and 19-year-old Ali Taleb both featured for Hartford Athletic on Academy contracts last season, as part of the youth development initiative first introduced in 2013. Drobruna collected his first professional assist in Green and Blue in eight appearances in 2023.
This year, U.S. Youth international and former MLS Next All-Star Ian Shaul was signed on an Academy deal for Hartford, which will will honor his commitment to Notre Dame and allow him to begin his freshman campaign for the Fighting Irish in 2024.
The new initiative was introduced following the success of the Academy contract, which has given exposure to young talents like Taleb and Dobruna throughout the USL for more than a decade.