MLS Reserve League

Format

2005–2008

• Each MLS franchise fielded a reserve division team and played a 12-game schedule. All teams played a minimum of seven opposing reserve division teams at least once throughout the year. The reserve division standings consisted of a single table with the team that finished in first place at the end of the regular season earning the title of reserve division champions and a $20,000 team bonus.
• A total of 20 eligible players for the home team and 20 players for the visiting team could be placed on a club's game roster for any Reserve Division game with each team permitted to make up to six substitutions.
• Suspensions attributable to yellow and red cards issued in Reserve Division games would only be imposed for future Reserve Division matches and not for games during the MLS regular season. Similarly, suspensions attributable to yellow and red cards issued during MLS regular season games would not apply to Reserve Division matches.
• Any player who received four yellow cards during the Reserve Division season would be suspended from the next Reserve Division game in which he could appear.
• No player could play more than 120 minutes in a Reserve Team match and any preceding match that occur within a 60-hour period. Injury time is not considered a part of a player's maximum number of minutes played.
• A Reserve Division call-up or "Guest Player" with an MLS team could be eligible to appear in an MLS Reserve Division Game provided that he is properly registered with U.S. Soccer.

  2011–2012

• Teams face all but two conference opponents once at home and once away. The two matches with a USL Pro side count towards the 14 match season, therefore removing two games with MLS reserve sides.
• Teams may at their discretion schedule additional exhibition games for their reserve squads against non-MLS opponents.
• At the conclusion of the Reserve League season, the team with the most points out of all three conferences will be determined the Reserve League Champion.
• All players appearing on an MLS club's roster may represent their team in MLS Reserve League play; however, no player may play more than 120 minutes in a reserve team match and any preceding matches that occur within a sixty-hour period. Further, no player may play more than a combined total of 90 minutes in a Reserve Team Match and any preceding matches that occurred within 36 hours prior to such reserve team match.
• Clubs may also use up to five academy players per reserve game.
• A Reserve League call-up or "Trialist Player" with a club may appear in reserve league games provided that he is properly registered with US Soccer. A representative from the MLS Club must also certify that the trialist is a bona fide professional soccer player. Trialists may participate in a maximum of two games per club per season.
• Clubs may play up to a maximum of five non-MLS Roster players per Reserve League Game. Within the five non-MLS roster player limit, only three players may be trialist players.

  2013–2014

Past winners

Winners table

Final standings by year

2005

2006

2007

2008

2011

Eastern

Central/Mountain

Western

2012

Eastern

Central/Mountain

Western