Ivan Gazidis

You might have read Ivan Gazidis' recent explanation on how allocations work on mlsnet.com. However, his message did not reveal everything, and MetroFanatic contacted the MLS Deputy Commissioner for a clarification on why the MetroStars will not receive an allocation for Tab Ramos and a possible future departure of Marcelo Balboa, while Colorado will receive one for Carlos Valderrama. Mr. Gazidis' response follows:

Each year the MLS Competition Committee makes decisions on new allocations. Allocations fall into two main categories. Allocations due to failure to qualify for the playoffs, and replacement allocations.

The general principle with respect to replacement allocations is that teams will not receive them for players departing or retiring except in limited circumstances. Those circumstances are where the League has received a significant fee or other benefit for the release of the departing player, where the League was unable to retain the services of a player of exceptional importance upon his free agency, or where the player is retiring at the end of his career.

In order to incentivize teams to plan for the long-term, there is a presumption against allocations for retiring players except in exceptional circumstances. Those are circumstances where the player in question has been a consistent All-Star and All-League Best Eleven player in recent times. The player's record over the preceding three or four years prior to his retirement is referenced, and while not necessarily decisive in and of itself, these All-Star and All-Pro awards are a significant guideline used by the Committee in coming to its determinations. The original source of the player (draft, allocation, discovery) is not relevant in making this determination.

It is generally true that the League does not grant replacement allocations to a team that does not want a player's return. However, the dynamics of this type of decision are complicated toward a player's retirement. The inner workings of decisions toward the end of player's careers are never as simple as saying, "The player wanted to return but the League and team didn't want him," nor, sometimes, are they easy to publicize in a way that maintains appropriate respect for the player in question. There comes a time at which the League recognises that, although a player may be prepared to continue, it is not reasonable to demand that the team continue to do so, and that the team should not lose a replacement allocation as a result.

Using these criteria, the Competition Committee decided this year that only one replacement allocation for a retiring player would be awarded - that for Carlos Valderrama, who has of course been elected to the League Best Eleven in recent times (2000), is a perennial All-Star and ex-League MVP.

As time goes by, the League is moving towards more understandable and better enumerated guidelines in its methods of allocating players. Although I think we need to do a better job explaining our rationale at times, there are increasingly consistent principles behind decisions such as these.

MetroFanatic.com thanks Mr. Gazidis for his prompt and detailed response.