MLS has announced the dates for roster cut-downs and the format for roster relief for teams losing players to World Cup ’98. Teams are required to cut their rosters down to 22 players by March 1, with World Cup relief taking effect immediately. The relief formula is as follows:
| |
| Players Lost to France ’98 | Additional MLS Roster Spots |
| 0-1 | 0 |
| 2 | 1 |
| 3-4 | 2 |
| more than 4 | 3 |
It should be noted that Project-40 players do not count against a team’s active roster limit. The MLS teams will then have to cut their rosters to 20 players by April 1. Players reporting to national team training camps for World Cup preparation are expected to leave their MLS clubs in mid-May and return upon their national team’s completion of competition in France. Roster relief is to be set on a team-by-team basis when World Cup rosters are confirmed in late April or early May. Relief granted to a team expires on June 30, at which time all 12 MLS teams will be expected to observe the 20-player roster limit. Players waived by the March 1 deadline will be available to the other 11 MLS teams on Monday, March 2, through a waiver draft conducted via conference call. The names of the waived players and any results of the waiver draft will be available on March 2.
