Why does MLS have two drafts?

Agreed. It's somewhat confusing, and in the end, it doesn't make much sense.

 

...because SuperDraft picks are guaranteed roster spots for a year and supplementary picks are not. Breaking it into two drafts underlines that distinction.

Think of it this way: The SuperDraft is like an open transfer window with teams adding players from the NCAA. The supplementary draft is a process where teams invite players into camp for a trial.

 

It is also easier to hold a 3 hour event at the annual conference instead of holding an all day event or possible two day event. It saves expenses being able to do the second via conference call. There is no point in making an event of the supplemental draft being that most of those selections will not make any rosters.

 

Because the CBA stipulates that there needs to be an entry draft and a reserve team draft and they each can only last a specified number of rounds.

 

https://www.bigsoccer.com/community/...ll-other-league-structure-talk.1976025/page-2

I asked something similar about all the MLS drafts.

 

Chris Estridge, Lucky Mkosana, Diogo de Almeida, Aubrey Perry, and Chris Blais. would like to hear more about this.

 

If people want to read some details on all the various drafts in MLS, the wiki pages do a decent job explaining the differences. Here is the highest level page to start at and then just push down into what ever interests you

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_MLS_drafts

 

This is incorrect.

I believe that draftees who sign contracts prior to the draft might have that guarantee, but not all Superdraftees do.

 

Ok, sorry. I know MLS rules well, but man do they make it difficult sometimes.

 

Does anyone have a link to the current CBA agreement? The players union web page still links to the old one (pre 2010).

http://www.mlsplayers.org/cba.html

 

AFAIK it has never been released or made available.

My understanding is that Donovan is on a break with the primary legal work purpose of crossing all the T's and dotting all the I's in that document that's solely been a handshake agreement for the last 3 seasons.

 

Actually, none of the guys picked in either round have guaranteed contracts (GA aside) but may have signing bonuses due. They do not qualify for guarantees under the information we have on the current CBA. I also do not believe there is a requirement to make an offer; as seen by many second round picks that are currently unsigned and listed as "on trial."

I think the real reason for two rounds is simply a combination of legal requirement and marketing. It is easier to sell a short event to ESPN as opposed to ESPN having to explain why they only cover two of 5 (or whatever) rounds of a draft. Also, in the past (not recently) teams have actually passed on picks in the later rounds which is not a great marketing message for your draft. Finally, as someone pointed out, there is a clause in the CBA which dictates the draft rounds in order to ensure the reserve teams are filled.

It seems weird, but it is probably a good idea considering the hit rate of the later rounds. If MLS ends up with larger roster sizes, maybe you change the approach but so few of the last three draft picks are going to be on teams by 2014 it likely isn't a phenomenal image to market via your TV partners. Separating them allows for that distinction. Not too mention, if the academy programs and HG talent continues to improve, you will see fewer and fewer draft picks after round two actually make rosters as spots dwindle quickly.

 

I think everything you stated is true outside of the TV angle. The MLS draft, to my memory, has never had much exposure outside of the first round on TV. And this year there was no TV coverage (outside of the first pick itself), and was only available via online stream.

I think the separation of the two drafts is dictated by terms in the CBA (which is why the supplemental draft came back right after the new CBA was signed), but with out being able to read the actual verbiage of the CBA, we can only guess why.

 

The TV angle is indeed a part of it--just because it's not on TV now doesn't mean that MLS doesn't want it on TV.

The new CBA was the reason that the supplemental was returned, but it came back in 2011 with a 3/3 Super/Supp split. The shift to 2/4 in 2012 was purely a cosmetic change to try to make the SuperDraft a more compact and marketable event.

 

i think the 2 drafts works. the first draft of 2 rounds, 38 players, is the top prospects and from the past few years most of them sign and make a roster (for at least one year). then you get a breather as a team and FO, a chance to regroup and rethink what you still need and then you get into the 2nd draft of guys 39-114 who are a crapshot at best, most of whom will never sign.

the NFL sort of does this since the first 2-3 rounds are on one day and the 4-7 rounds are the next day. but instead of one day between there is a week.

 

Fair enough and that makes sense.

It is interesting that while they continue to try and make it more marketable, it is receiving less and less tv time as the years go on.

 

I asked Brian Straus this on Twitter last year, and this was basically his answer. Drafts are sort of boring, no one wants to sit through one if possible so they just have the rest a few days later by conference call.

The CBA answers make sense, but the first draft after the new CBA was a 3/3 split (after having previously had four SuperDraft rounds) but the last two have been 2/4 splits.

 

Here's the funny thing: The term "Superdraft" originated in 2000 because they combined the college draft and the supplemental draft from 1999 into one "super" draft. Since the supplemental draft has been separated back out of it, it's really not that "super" any more.

(Actually, I'm pretty sure the supplemental draft in 1999 and before was more specialized than just "three more rounds". Still, I think it's funny how it worked out.)

------RM

 

It is the way the CBA is written. So, the last CBA (and I doubt this was a point in the new one that changed) called for no more than four rounds of Superdraft. It also provided an option of a reserve draft if MLS has a reserve team. If the reserve draft occurs, the rounds will be equal to reserve spots over 24.

So, for example MLS currently holds the Super-draft as a two round affair but could expand that if they want. However, if they decide to hold a reserve or supplemental draft, it must be four rounds based on current roster rules (four spots above 24, because the last two spots are optional). In theory, MLS could hold four rounds of a primary draft and NOT have a supplemental draft at all. That would cut 38 guys out of the draft. I think the reason they do not have four rounds is for marketing and TV purposes right now. Shorter is easier to convince ESPN to provide some coverage.