With the announcement of the MLS is Back Tournament in Orlando, Florida, you might have some questions about the format. Below are some of the frequently asked questions that Major League Soccer has answered.
Why isn’t the league playing in MLS home markets now that multiple governors have publicly stated that they welcome closed-door games in their states?
Orlando and Disney offer certainty. The Tournament allows us to get back on the field as soon as possible while ensuring the health and safety of players, coaches and staff. We have many markets where we do not know when clubs will be able to conduct full team training or play matches.
Why not wait until it is possible to play in MLS home markets or even select MLS markets?
With 26 different clubs under different city and state regulations, together with the regulations in the different states in Canada, the tournament allows for all MLS clubs to restart play at once. The tournament set up allows for us to get MLS regular season matches played as soon as health, safety and medical protocols permit. The opportunity to have all 26 clubs centralized in one controllable environment provides us with the ability to ensure the health and safety of our players, coaches and staff as we return to play.
If a player tests positive, will he and his teammates be quarantined? Will matches be canceled? What kind of contact tracing and quarantining will the league do?
Our protocol, irrespective of positive tests, is based on ongoing testing and monitoring for symptoms. Every day, all individuals are required to complete a daily Screening Questionnaire and daily temperature check. If any issues arise from the questionnaire or temperature check, the individual must isolate themselves and will contact their medical staff.
Any individual who is symptomatic, presumed COVID-19 positive or tests COVID-19 positive, will be immediately isolated, tested, monitored and retested. Players who receive positive tests will be isolated and follow a rigorous process for returning to activity which includes mandatory cardiac screening for players. Contact tracing is mandatory for all positive results.
Individuals who are determined to be close contacts (within 6 feet for at least 10 mins) will be tested and can continue to train/work as long as they are asymptomatic and continue to test negative. These close contacts will wear facemasks at all times outside of training, and will be monitored closely.
All players and staff will continue to pay attention to all other health & hygiene protocols such as social distancing, washing hands, and cleaning and disinfecting surfaces.
MLS has partnered with Orlando Health and Advent Health to care for players and staff during the tournament.
Does MLS still plan to have a full 34-game season, including playoffs following the tournament? When will that begin?
Our goal is to continue playing our regular season in local markets later this summer. Due to the compact timeframe given the Covid-19 pandemic and the addition of the MLS is Back Tournament, each team will have a revised regular season schedule for the rest of 2020.
It’s too early to tell you how many games we’ll be able to play, but our goal is to play as many games as possible. More information will be made available as it becomes available.
Can players choose not to participate, particularly those who have underlying health issues? What if player refuses to attend?
MLS has worked closely with the MLS Players Association on this return to play strategy. Through the collaborative process, MLS received questions and feedback from the players and addressed that feedback in the final return to play plan.
The plan provides the players and staff with the safest possible return to play structure while minimizing time away from a team’s home market. Unless there are extraordinary circumstances, we expect all players to participate.
We have seen a number of leagues around the world get creative with closed-door games to create an atmosphere for the players and broadcasts. What is MLS looking to include inside the venue or on-air? Are you piping in fan/sound into the game matches?
There is a full plan in the works for enhancements on the broadcast to integrate our supporters. We want to make sure supporters and all soccer fans watching from home are put into the heart of the action.
The League is evaluating a variety of technologies that will both enhance the broadcast experience for fans and provide fans a creative way to express their support. We are looking forward to bringing these games to life and look forward to other announcements regarding ways we are engaging with fans in the lead up to the tournament.
Why a tournament and not just more regular season games in Orlando?
The tournament setup allows for us to not only get MLS regular season matches played, but in a fast-paced competitive format for the fans. The matches will count double: for regular season as well as for the tournament. The tournament also features $1.1 million in prize money for players.
Why Orlando?
The opportunity to have all 26 clubs centralized in one controllable environment provides us with the ability to ensure the health and safety of our players, coaches and staff as we return to play. Disney’s operational excellence, inclusive modern resort, and world-class soccer complex provide a comprehensive solution to re-launch our season.
Why are there games at 9am and so late at night?
The games will be played in the morning (eight games) and in the evening (46 games), when temperatures are cooler.
The League did a thorough analysis on heat and humidity and found that the highest avg. temperatures occur between 1pm and 4pm during June-August. Additionally, the time frame most likely for rainfall is between 2pm and 9pm with the highest chance at 6pm.
Additionally, MLS consulted with Chief Soccer Officers, head coaches, medical staff and performance experts during the schedule creation.
Will teams be allowed to make five substitutions per match?
Each team will be allowed five substitutions per match and clubs are allowed to name up to 23 players on their official match rosters.
Each Club will have a maximum of three opportunities to make substitutions during the match. In addition to those three opportunities, substitutions may also be made at halftime and will not count toward one of the team’s three opportunities. If both teams make a substitution during a stoppage in play, that will count as one of the substitution opportunities for each team.
With the five substitutions rule, will game day rosters be expanded?
Match rosters will be expanded to allow a maximum of 23 eligible players to be named on the official match roster.
: If the games count for regular season standings, will stats from the tournament count for MLS 2020 Regular Season statistics?
All statistics and discipline for Group Stage games, including points, goals, assists and discipline will count toward MLS regular season totals.
Knockout stage statistics and discipline will not be applied to 2020 MLS regular season totals. except for red cards (including second yellow cards) and/or disciplinary committee actions.
In addition, discipline received during the first two regular season matches of the 2020 MLS regular season (played in March 2020) will carry into the MLS is Back Tournament.
