MLS is making changes. Messi and Swiderski will play longer

Major League Soccer has received a second football life after one of the greatest players in history, Leo Messi, moved to Inter Miami. However, Major League Soccer is attracting the attention of fans and experts around the world not only in terms of marketing, but also by introducing new regulations aimed at improving and accelerating the game and encouraging the very conservative FIFA to make bolder changes. .

Effective playing time within 90 minutes of a match is a topic that has been discussed for many years by players and coaches, but also by fans and activists. Football matches often lack substance, and interruptions to play are affected by several factors. MLS decided to fight some of them. The new solutions were tested during junior competitions in the USA, and the solutions that worked well will be presented to the highest level of competition from February.

The most important changes include the “temporary change” principle. A player who has been removed from the field by the coach must leave the field within 10 seconds. If he prolongs this moment, his replacement will not enter the field for another minute and the team will play short. In this case, goalkeeper changes and player injuries are treated differently.

Major League Soccer’s Board of Governors approves new sports initiatives ahead of the 2024 seasonhttps://t.co/BToZ02HRzi

– MLS Communications (@MLS_PR) December 14, 2023

The Americans are also trying to solve the issue of simulating injuries. If a suspected injured player remains on the field for more than 15 seconds, the referee will stop the match and allow the medical team to enter the field. If health conditions permit, the player returns to the field after at least two minutes. There are exceptions here too. If the injury is serious or the violation results in a yellow or red card, this rule will not apply. The principle of “fair return” also applies to injuries. If players of the opposing team suffer head injuries in the same match, they will only be able to return to the field together.

In Major League Soccer, following in the footsteps of other professional American leagues such as the NBA and NFL, referees will translate live decisions made by VAR. The referee’s statement will be heard by broadcast viewers and fans in the stadium. This solution was already introduced at the recent U-17 World Championship in Indonesia.

The new American League season is scheduled to begin next February. The 2023 competition was won by the Columbus Crew, who defeated Los Angeles FC in the final with Mateusz Bogusz. In the semi-finals, the Houston Dynamo was eliminated along with another Pole, Sebastian Kowalczyk. The MLS often serves as a training ground for young Polish players before playing at a good European club and in the Polish national team, as evidenced by the examples of, among others, Przemyslaw Frankowski or Adam Buksa. Currently, one of the most prominent players from our country in MLS is full-time Polish representative Karol Swiderski, who is the star of Charlotte.

More about Major League Soccer:

foot. Newspeaks