Due to Major League Soccer being a salary cap league, various unusual roster mechanisms exist compared to the global game of soccer. This includes using General Allocation Money to acquire players and making use of a college draft. These mechanisms are commonplace in American sports, yet MLS’s international reach means many are becoming more aware of them.
One such mechanism that has garnered attention due to the arrival of players like Marco Reus and Lionel Messi is Discovery Rights and the Discovery List.
What are Discovery Rights?
Established when the league formed in 1996, this policy allows teams to list up to five players who aren’t under MLS contracts or associated with any other assignment mechanisms. These players cannot currently be in MLS, have played in MLS before, be draft-eligible, homegrown, or free agents, among other stipulations. Clubs can modify their lists anytime, with no cap on how many players may be acquired through this method.
If multiple teams wish to add the same player to their list, the one that submitted a claim earlier gets priority. If claims are made on the same day, the team with the lower points per game gets the right to sign.
Movement of Rights
Clubs removing a player from their Discovery List allows other teams to pick them up. A notable example is Kevin De Bruyne, who was originally on San Diego FC’s list. After they had to cut their names down from seven to five players, Inter Miami added him to their own list. The Chicago Fire are reportedly interested and are considered favorites to sign him since Inter Miami already has their designated player slots full. Teams may also offer $50,000 in General Allocation Money to acquire a player’s signing rights, leading to negotiations. The highest price ever paid for Discovery Rights was $400,000 when the LA Galaxy signed Marco Reus.
Future Outlook
Concerns arise about potential scenarios where agreements might fail, leading to unintended consequences for the league. “We’re looking at things that will not only streamline it, but significantly reduce conflict among teams, who believe they have entitlement to a player’s Discovery Rights. This is now a priority for the year set by the sporting competition committee,” explained Todd Durbin. Changes considered include standardized compensation among teams to minimize disputes and potentially decreasing the number of players eligible for discovery.
