Can a U14 Player play in MLS? Rules & Eligibility Explained

The American Soccer League Major League Soccer is becoming increasingly popular with time as several high-profile players have been part of the league. From veterans like Lionel Messi to Olivier Giroud, MLS remains a prominent soccer league and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada.

The soccer league has also helped to popularize the sport of soccer in the United States over the years aspiring young players to pursue soccer as a profession while growing up. Having several partnerships to boost their overall dominance in soccer, MLS aims to become one of the most prolific soccer leagues in the world.

As it stands, MLS has started several development programs for their youth players titled MLS NEXT which gives a better platform for youth players to showcase their skills before making their breakthrough in the Senior Major League Soccer squad. Let’s take a look at can a U14 player play in MLS.

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Understanding MLS Age Requirement for Players

For a player to play in the senior MLS squad, the player has to be 22 years old or younger in the first year. If a player turns 23 in a given year, they are not eligible to play in the MLS that specific year.

To determine the age of a player while checking the eligibility for MLS, a player’s age is determined by their year of birth, not their date of birth. MLS also has a development platform MLS NEXT which provides high-profile training, development, education and opportunities for soccer players between the ages of 13 to 19 across the United States and Canada.

MLS Rules and Regulations

The MLS NEXT program provides several opportunities that focus on overall player development for future professional players. It includes leagues, postseason competitions, and other development initiatives focusing on the overall growth of a player.

To make soccer a prominent sport in the United States, MLS NEXT’s safety and wellbeing policy represents a focused structure to build a healthy soccer community where every participant plays an active role in creating a perfect atmosphere for soccer.

The MLS NEXT is managed by PDev (Player Development L.L.C) and is overall administered by the organization, which includes setting competition schedules, imposing frameworks for issuing discipline, and many more such decisions.

PDev has created a Membership Advisory Committee (MAC) to receive input from its members in several areas including competition, environment, individual growth and other commercial opportunities. For clubs to participate in the MLS NEXT, they need to submit an application before the deadline day determined by PDev. After the submission of the application, the MLS NEXT Program Staff will aim to review and evaluate each application every calendar year.

To take part in the MLS NEXT, clubs must comply with the MLS NEXT Rules and Policies. PDev also has the power to conduct evaluations of the teams at any time, reviewing the technical and administrative criteria of the club. Players aged 10 or younger are prohibited from heading the ball regardless of the age group in which they play. Guidelines also state that players who are 11, 12, and 13, regardless of the age group in which they play, may head the ball during matches. However, these players must limit heading practice to a maximum of 30 minutes per week with no more than 15-20 headers per player, per week.

Clubs cannot permit any primary player to participate in non-MLS NEXT soccer activities during the MLS NEXT season. Primary players must agree to forgo participating simultaneously in both MLS NEXT and high school or middle school soccer. Future players can simultaneously participate in both MLS NEXT and high school or middle school soccer. PDev provides medical accident insurance for each player which covers injuries occurring during MLS NEXT matches, training and tournaments. MLS NEXT serves as a pathway for youngsters to develop and polish their skills, ultimately catapulting them into the professional soccer scene.

Challenges in MLS for U-14 Players

As there are several opportunities for young players in the MLS NEXT program, there are several challenges that are faced by these players during their initial stages. These challenges include cost, competition, and inclusion.

The cost of these programs can be a major challenge for several players who want to become professionals in the field. Heavy competition among other clubs also poses a huge problem for young players as there might be several older or experienced players in the squad, who might be much more polished and refined than youngsters.

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Notable Young Players in MLS

Player	Age	Team
Julian Hall	16	New York Red Bulls
Jonathan Shore	17	New York City FC
Ruben Ramos	18	Los Angeles Galaxy
Jeevan Badwal	18	Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Matthew Corcoran	19	Nashville SC
David Martinez	19	Los Angeles FC
Frankie Westfield	19	Philadelphia Union
Jacob Barlett	19	Sporting Kansas City
Obed Vergas	19	Seattle Sounders FC
Noah Cobb	19	Atlanta United FC

Apart from these, there have been several young debuts in the MLS over the years. These include Freddy Adu, Alphonso Davies, Caden Glover and several other notable players.

Player	Age	Debut	Team
Cavan Sullivan	14	July 18, 2024	Philadelphia Union
Freddy Adu	14	April 3, 2004	DC United
Alphonso Davies	15	July 16, 2016	Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Matai Akinmboni	15	September 10, 2022	DC United
Obed Vargas	15	July 22, 2021	Seattle Sounders FC
Stiven Jimenez	15	June 21, 2023	FC Cincinnati
Danny Leyva	16	June 5, 2019	Seattle Sounders FC
Reed Baker- Whiting	16	May 16, 2021	Seattle Sounders FC
Gianluca Busio	16	July 28, 2018	Sporting Kansas City
Caden Glover	16	May 13, 2023	St. Louis City SC