Editing Major League Soccer (section)

===Youth development===
{{See also|MLS Next Pro|Homegrown Player Rule (Major League Soccer)}}
MLS has introduced various initiatives and rules intended to develop young players. Rules concerning Generation Adidas players and home grown players provide incentives for clubs to develop and retain young players.<ref name="monstersandcritics.com" />

MLS has required all of its teams to operate youth development programs since 2008.<ref>{{Cite web |title=MLS launches youth development initiative |url=http://espnfc.com/news/story?id=391065&cc=5901 |date=November 10, 2006 |publisher=ESPN FC |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131231220008/http://espnfc.com/news/story?id=391065&cc=5901 |archive-date=December 31, 2013}}</ref> MLS roster rules allow teams to sign an unlimited number of players straight from their academies and bypassing the draft process.<ref name="pressbox2015" /> There is also supplementary salary budget made by MLS only for homegrown players that are registered using senior roster slots called homegrown player funds.<ref>{{Cite web |title=MLS announces $37 million investment in Targeted Allocation Money, Homegrown Player funds for 2016–17 |url=http://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2015/12/09/mls-announces-37-million-investment-targeted-allocation-money-homegrown-player-funds |date=December 9, 2015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160131040701/http://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2015/12/09/mls-announces-37-million-investment-targeted-allocation-money-homegrown-player-funds |archive-date=January 31, 2016}}</ref> One of the most prominent and lucrative examples of success in "home-grown" development was [[Jozy Altidore]], who rose to prominence as a teenager in MLS before his record transfer fee $10&nbsp;million move to Villarreal in Spain in 2008.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bell |first=Jack |date=June 5, 2008 |title=Spanish Soccer Team Strikes Deal for Altidore |work=The New York Times |location=United States |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/05/sports/soccer/05altidore.html?ref=sports |url-status=live |access-date=October 11, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130517174541/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/05/sports/soccer/05altidore.html?ref=sports |archive-date=May 17, 2013}}</ref> The various MLS teams' development academies play matches in a [[U.S. Soccer Development Academy|U.S. Soccer developmental league]] against youth academies from other leagues such as the [[North American Soccer League (2011–2017)|North American Soccer League]] (NASL), which had been a Division II league prior to 2018, and USL Pro, originally a Division III league but now the Division II [[USL Championship]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=U.S. Soccer Development Academy 2014–2015 |url=http://ussda.demosphere.com/Profiles/index_E.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140921020705/http://ussda.demosphere.com/Profiles/index_E.html |archive-date=September 21, 2014 |access-date=September 20, 2014}}</ref>

The league operates a [[Generation Adidas]] program, which is a joint venture between MLS and U.S. Soccer that encourages young American players to enter MLS.<ref>{{Cite web |title=US U-20 players headline 2006 class |url=http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=354854&cc=5901 |date=January 11, 2006 |publisher=ESPN FC |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120214081859/http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=354854&cc=5901 |archive-date=February 14, 2012 |access-date=September 15, 2013}}</ref> The Generation Adidas program has been in place since 1997, and has introduced players such as [[Landon Donovan]], [[Clint Dempsey]], [[Tim Howard]] and [[Michael Bradley (soccer)|Michael Bradley]] into MLS. Players under the Home Grown Player rule are signed to Generation Adidas contracts,<ref name="pressbox2015" /> all players on Generation Adidas contracts are "off budget players" and their salaries do not count against the cap.

MLS has operated reserve leagues, which give playing time to players who were not starters for their MLS teams, during two different periods. The [[MLS Reserve League]] was formed in 2005, and operated through 2014 (with the exception of the 2009 & 2010 seasons).<ref>MLSsoccer.com, [http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/commissioner-reveals-details-reserve-division "Commissioner reveals details of Reserve Division"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101120213608/http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/commissioner-reveals-details-reserve-division |date=November 20, 2010 }}, November 16, 2010.</ref> MLS began integrating its Reserve League with the league then known as USL Pro in 2013,<ref name="MLS_USL_Deal">{{Cite news |date=January 23, 2013 |title=MLS, USL Pro reach deal on restructured Reserve League |work=MLSsoccer.com |url=http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2013/01/23/mls-usl-pro-reach-deal-restructured-reserve-league |url-status=live |access-date=January 27, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130126060258/http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2013/01/23/mls-usl-pro-reach-deal-restructured-reserve-league |archive-date=January 26, 2013}}</ref> and after the 2014 season folded the Reserve League, with MLS then requiring all teams to either affiliate with a USL team or field their own reserve side in that league. However, this requirement was never strictly enforced, and MLS eventually relaunched its reserve league in 2022 under the banner of [[MLS Next Pro]]. In the inaugural 2022 season, 19 of the league's then-current clubs, plus future club [[St. Louis City SC]], fielded reserve sides in Next Pro. In the 2023 season, the only MLS teams that will not field Next Pro sides are [[CF Montréal]] and [[D.C. United]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Bonagura |first1=Kyle |title=Major League Soccer to launch development league in 2022 |url=https://www.espn.com/soccer/major-league-soccer/story/4415507/major-league-soccer-to-launch-development-league-in-2022 |access-date=June 21, 2021 |work=[[ESPN]] |date=June 21, 2021 |archive-date=December 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211216144436/https://www.espn.com/soccer/major-league-soccer/story/4415507/major-league-soccer-to-launch-development-league-in-2022 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite press release |url=https://www.mlsnextpro.com/news/seven-mls-affiliated-clubs-to-join-mls-next-pro-in-2023 |title=Seven MLS-Affiliated Clubs to Join MLS Next Pro in 2023 |publisher=MLS Next Pro |date=August 4, 2022 |access-date=January 30, 2023 |archive-date=February 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230209024649/https://www.mlsnextpro.com/news/seven-mls-affiliated-clubs-to-join-mls-next-pro-in-2023 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Following the folding of the [[U.S. Soccer Development Academy|Development Academy]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.topdrawersoccer.com/club-soccer-articles/us-soccer-ends-development-academy_aid47937|title=U.S. Soccer ends Development Academy &#124; Club Soccer &#124; Youth Soccer|website=TopDrawerSoccer.com|access-date=May 15, 2020|archive-date=August 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200804003325/https://www.topdrawersoccer.com/club-soccer-articles/us-soccer-ends-development-academy_aid47937|url-status=live}}</ref> MLS announced its own development league in 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=April 16, 2020 |title=Major League Soccer launches new elite competition for youth academies {{!}} MLSSoccer.com |url=https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/major-league-soccer-launches-new-elite-competition-youth-academies |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231204013928/https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/major-league-soccer-launches-new-elite-competition-youth-academies |archive-date=2023-12-04 |access-date=2023-12-04 |website=mlssoccer |language=en}}</ref> It includes all of the MLS team academies as well as 95 clubs across the country; many of which were a part of the Development Academy.<ref>{{cite news |title=MLS Unveils New Youth Development Program Details |url=https://www.si.com/soccer/2020/05/14/mls-youth-academy-development-program-us-soccer |via=[[Sports Illustrated]] |agency=[[Associated Press]] |date=May 14, 2020 |language=en-us}}</ref>