Editing MLS SuperDraft

{{Short description|Annual player selection event of Major League Soccer}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2017}}
{{Use American English|date=June 2017}}
{{More citations needed|date=August 2009}}

The '''MLS SuperDraft''' is an annual [[Draft (sports)|college draft]] for teams of [[Major League Soccer]] in the United States and Canada.The MLS SuperDraft is an annual draft allowing MLS clubs to take turns selecting from a pool of eligible amateur players. These drafted players usually come from university teams competing in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). It takes place in January and is used by teams to select players who have graduated from college or otherwise been signed by the league. <ref>{{Cite web |title=Figure 3: Critical appraisal about the study quality of the included randomized controlled trials (Yadav et al., 2014; Kia et al., 2015; Hazarey, Sakrikar &amp; Ganvir, 2015; Saran et al., 2018; Kuriakose et al., 2016; Thomas et al., 2017; Nosratzehi et al., 2018; Ara et al., 2018; Rai et al., 2019; Piyush et al., 2019; Kia et al., 2020; Nerkar Rajbhoj et al., 2021; Srivastava et al., 2021; Adhikari et al., 2022; Upadhyay et al., 2023; Namratha et al., 2023). |url=https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.18492/fig-3 |access-date=2025-04-30 |website=doi.org}}</ref>The SuperDraft was first instituted in 2000, as a combination of the [[MLS College Draft]], in which players having graduated from college were selected, and the [[MLS Supplemental Draft]], in which all other players were chosen.The draft is divided into three rounds in which each club has a selection, the order of which is determined by a combination of the teams' playoff and regular season positions, with the last placed team (or expansion teams) getting the first pick.

==History==
From 1996 to 1999, all American players graduating college were entered into the '''MLS College Draft''', and were eligible to be selected by all [[Major League Soccer]] teams.  Players who had already graduated from college were entered into a separate [[MLS Supplemental Draft]].{{citation needed|date=March 2019}}  The division between the two was eliminated in 2000, when they were combined into a single MLS SuperDraft. Originally created to ensure strict parity in the league, the draft was designed to allow weaker clubs to develop their rosters. The first SuperDraft was held in 2000, and since then has become the primary draft of the league. Recently, the draft has been considered to be secondary to youth academies.<ref>{{cite news|last=Walter|first=Tyler|title=MLS SuperDraft: Why the Rise of Youth Academies Causes the Draft To Be Obsolete|url=http://bleacherreport.com/articles/566827-mls-superdraft-why-the-rise-of-youth-academies-causing-the-draft-to-be-obsolete|access-date=July 17, 2011|newspaper=[[Bleacher Report]]|date=January 8, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=McCarthy|first=Kyle|title=Monday MLS Breakdown: Academy Programs Increasingly Influence SuperDraft Pool|url=http://www.goal.com/en-us/news/1110/major-league-soccer/2010/12/13/2259080/monday-mls-breakdown-academy-programs-increasingly-influence|access-date=July 17, 2011|newspaper=Goal.com USA|date=December 13, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Let's abandon the MLS draft|url=https://www.espn.com/sports/soccer/blog/_/name/bradley_jeff/id/6021544|work=ESPN.com|access-date=July 17, 2011|date=January 14, 2011}}</ref>

The importance of the SuperDraft waned in the 2010s as MLS teams established their own [[youth academy]] systems and acquired young players from other leagues. The [[2020 MLS SuperDraft]] was conducted exclusively by conference calls and online streaming for the first time.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Creditor |first=Avi |date=January 9, 2020 |title=The Highs and Lows of a Dwindling MLS SuperDraft |url=https://www.si.com/soccer/2020/01/09/mls-superdraft-robinson-maher-skype-beckham-miami-nashville |magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]] |access-date=January 9, 2020}}</ref>

== Eligible players ==
Only players from the American college sports system (e.g., the [[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]] and the [[National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics|NAIA]]) are eligible to be drafted. Canadian [[U Sports men's soccer]] players are not included, despite numerous proposals and discussions in 2010<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.canadiansoccernews.com/csn-archives/it-s-called-football1402639984/cis-pushing-for-mls-draft-entry-coach-r454/|title=CIS pushing for MLS draft entry: Coach|work=Canadian Soccer News|date=November 24, 2010}}</ref> and 2012<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/sports-content/soccer/opinion/2012/02/route-to-pros-may-ease-for-cis-stars.html|first=Ben|last=Rycroft|title=Road to pros may ease for university stars|date=February 15, 2012|work=CBC Sports|publisher=CBC}}</ref> when U Sports was Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS). In previous SuperDrafts, a few players were drafted directly from clubs outside the U.S. or Canada. While the NFL and NBA rely heavily on the annual event for an infusion of workers, MLS is now 10 years into allowing teams to groom talent in their youth academies and maintain exclusive rights to those players, even if they do end up playing NCAA soccer. They are called homegrown players.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Goff |first=Brian |url=https://doi.org/10.4337/9781788118736 |title=Sports Economics Uncut |date=2018 |publisher=Edward Elgar Publishing |isbn=978-1-78811-873-6}}</ref>

== Rules of draft selection ==

The draft process for the SuperDraft closely resembles the [[NFL draft]]. Below is the process for the [[2023 MLS SuperDraft]]:

#Any [[expansion team|expansion club]] automatically gets the first pick; should there be two expansion teams, a coin toss determines who picks first in the SuperDraft and who picks first in the expansion draft.
#Teams that did not make the playoffs are ordered by their regular-season record.
#Teams that made the [[MLS Cup playoffs]] are then ordered by which round of the playoffs they are eliminated.
#The winners of the [[MLS Cup]] are given the last selection, and the losers the penultimate selection.
#Remaining ties are broken by the goal differential, goals scored, goals conceded, and then the flip of a coin.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Status
! Draft picks
|-
| Expansion clubs
| 1
|-
| Non-playoff clubs
| 2–17
|-
| Eliminated in knockout round
| 18–21
|-
| Eliminated in conference semifinals
| 22–25
|-
| Eliminated in conference championships
| 26–27
|-
| MLS Cup finalist
| 28
|-
| MLS Cup winner
| 29
|}

== List of MLS College Drafts ==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! scope="col" | Year
! scope="col" | Date
! scope="col" | {{Tooltip|Rounds|Number of rounds}}
! scope="col" | {{Tooltip|Picks|Total number of selections}}
! scope="col" | City
! scope="col" | {{Tooltip|First<br/>selection|Player selected with first pick}}
! scope="col" | {{Tooltip|Team|Team with first pick}}
|-
|style="text-align: center;"|[[1996 MLS College Draft|1996]]
|data-sort-value=1936-02-08|March 4, 1996
|style="text-align: right; padding-right: 1em;"|3
|style="text-align: right; padding-right: 1em;"|30
|[[Fort Lauderdale, Florida|Fort Lauderdale, FL]]
|data-sort-value=McKeon, Matt|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Matt McKeon]]
|[[Kansas City Wiz]]
|-
|style="text-align: center;"|[[1997 MLS College Draft|1997]]
|data-sort-value=1936-02-08|February 1, 1997
|style="text-align: right; padding-right: 1em;"|3
|style="text-align: right; padding-right: 1em;"|30
|[[Fort Lauderdale, Florida|Fort Lauderdale, FL]]
|data-sort-value=Jakins, Tahj|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Tahj Jakins]]
|[[Colorado Rapids]]
|-
|style="text-align: center;"|[[1998 MLS College Draft|1998]]
|data-sort-value=1936-02-08|January 31, 1998
|style="text-align: right; padding-right: 1em;"|3
|style="text-align: right; padding-right: 1em;"|36
|[[Fort Lauderdale, Florida|Fort Lauderdale, FL]]
|data-sort-value=Cullen, Leo|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Leo Cullen (soccer)|Leo Cullen]]
|[[Miami Fusion]]
|-
|style="text-align: center;"|[[1999 MLS College Draft|1999]]
|data-sort-value=1936-02-08|February 6, 1999
|style="text-align: right; padding-right: 1em;"|3
|style="text-align: right; padding-right: 1em;"|36
|[[Fort Lauderdale, Florida|Fort Lauderdale, FL]]
|data-sort-value=Moore, Jason|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Jason Moore (soccer)|Jason Moore]]
|[[D.C. United]]
|-
|}

== List of MLS SuperDrafts ==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! scope="col" | Year
! scope="col" | Date
! scope="col" | {{Tooltip|Rounds|Number of rounds}}
! scope="col" | {{Tooltip|Picks|Total number of selections}}
! scope="col" | City
! scope="col" | {{Tooltip|[[List of first overall MLS draft picks|First<br/>selection]]|Player selected with first pick}}
! scope="col" | {{Tooltip|Team|Team with first pick}}
|-
|style="text-align: center;"|[[2000 MLS SuperDraft|2000]]
|data-sort-value=1936-02-08|February 6, 2000
|style="text-align: right; padding-right: 1em;"|6
|style="text-align: right; padding-right: 1em;"|72
|[[Fort Lauderdale, Florida|Fort Lauderdale, FL]]
|data-sort-value=Shak, Steve|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Steve Shak]]
|[[New York Red Bulls|MetroStars]]
|-
|style="text-align: center;"|[[2001 MLS SuperDraft|2001]]
|data-sort-value=1936-02-08|February 5, 2001
|style="text-align: right; padding-right: 1em;"|6
|style="text-align: right; padding-right: 1em;"|72
|[[Davie, Florida|Davie, FL]]
|data-sort-value=Carrieri, Chris|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Chris Carrieri]]
|[[San Jose Earthquakes]]
|-
|style="text-align: center;"|[[2002 MLS SuperDraft|2002]]
|data-sort-value=1936-02-08|February 10, 2002
|style="text-align: right; padding-right: 1em;"|6
|style="text-align: right; padding-right: 1em;"|70
|[[Lake Buena Vista, Florida|Lake Buena Vista, FL]]
|data-sort-value=Gbandi, Chris|{{flagicon|LBR}} [[Chris Gbandi]]
|[[FC Dallas|Dallas Burn]]
|-
|style="text-align: center;"|[[2003 MLS SuperDraft|2003]]
|data-sort-value=1936-02-08|January 17, 2003
|style="text-align: right; padding-right: 1em;"|6
|style="text-align: right; padding-right: 1em;"|60
|[[Kansas City, Missouri|Kansas City, MO]]
|data-sort-value=Eskandarian, Alecko|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Alecko Eskandarian]]
|[[D.C. United]]
|-
|style="text-align: center;"|[[2004 MLS SuperDraft|2004]]
|data-sort-value=1936-02-08|January 16, 2004
|style="text-align: right; padding-right: 1em;"|6
|style="text-align: right; padding-right: 1em;"|60
|[[Charlotte, North Carolina|Charlotte, NC]]
|data-sort-value=Adu, Freddy|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Freddy Adu]]
|[[D.C. United]]
|-
|style="text-align: center;"|[[2005 MLS SuperDraft|2005]]
|data-sort-value=1936-02-08|January 14, 2005
|style="text-align: right; padding-right: 1em;"|4
|style="text-align: right; padding-right: 1em;"|48
|[[Baltimore|Baltimore, MD]]
|data-sort-value=Besagno, Nikolas|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Nikolas Besagno]]
|[[Real Salt Lake]]
|-
|style="text-align: center;"|[[2006 MLS SuperDraft|2006]]
|data-sort-value=1936-02-08|January 20, 2006
|style="text-align: right; padding-right: 1em;"|4
|style="text-align: right; padding-right: 1em;"|48
|[[Philadelphia|Philadelphia, PA]]
|data-sort-value=Wynne, Marvell|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Marvell Wynne (soccer)|Marvell Wynne]]
|[[New York Red Bulls|MetroStars]]
|-
|style="text-align: center;"|[[2007 MLS SuperDraft|2007]]
|data-sort-value=1936-02-08|January 12, 2007
|style="text-align: right; padding-right: 1em;"|4
|style="text-align: right; padding-right: 1em;"|52
|[[Indianapolis|Indianapolis, IN]]
|data-sort-value=Edu, Maurice|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Maurice Edu]]
|[[Toronto FC]]
|-
|style="text-align: center;"|[[2008 MLS SuperDraft|2008]]
|data-sort-value=1936-02-08|January 18, 2008
|style="text-align: right; padding-right: 1em;"|4
|style="text-align: right; padding-right: 1em;"|56
|[[Baltimore|Baltimore, MD]]
|data-sort-value=Myers, Chance|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Chance Myers]]
|[[Sporting Kansas City|Kansas City Wizards]]
|-
|style="text-align: center;"|[[2009 MLS SuperDraft|2009]]
|data-sort-value=1936-02-08|January 15, 2009
|style="text-align: right; padding-right: 1em;"|4
|style="text-align: right; padding-right: 1em;"|60
|[[St. Louis|St. Louis, MO]]
|data-sort-value=Zakuani, Steve|{{flagicon|DRC}} [[Steve Zakuani]]
|[[Seattle Sounders FC]]
|-
|style="text-align: center;"|[[2010 MLS SuperDraft|2010]]
|data-sort-value=1936-02-08|January 14, 2010
|style="text-align: right; padding-right: 1em;"|4
|style="text-align: right; padding-right: 1em;"|64
|[[Philadelphia|Philadelphia, PA]]
|data-sort-value=Mwanga, Danny|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Danny Mwanga]]
|[[Philadelphia Union]]
|-
|style="text-align: center;"|[[2011 MLS SuperDraft|2011]]
|data-sort-value=1936-02-08|January 13, 2011
|style="text-align: right; padding-right: 1em;"|3
|style="text-align: right; padding-right: 1em;"|54
|[[Baltimore|Baltimore, MD]]
|data-sort-value=Salgado, Omar|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Omar Salgado]]
|[[Vancouver Whitecaps FC]]
|-
|style="text-align: center;"|[[2012 MLS SuperDraft|2012]]
|data-sort-value=1936-02-08|January 12, 2012
|style="text-align: right; padding-right: 1em;"|2
|style="text-align: right; padding-right: 1em;"|38
|[[Kansas City, Missouri|Kansas City, MO]]
|data-sort-value=Wenger, Andrew|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Andrew Wenger]]
|[[Montreal Impact (2012–2020)|Montreal Impact]]
|-
|style="text-align: center;"|[[2013 MLS SuperDraft|2013]]
|data-sort-value=1936-02-08|January 17, 2013
|style="text-align: right; padding-right: 1em;"|2
|style="text-align: right; padding-right: 1em;"|38
|[[Indianapolis|Indianapolis, IN]]
|data-sort-value=Farrell, Andrew|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Andrew Farrell (soccer)|Andrew Farrell]]
|[[New England Revolution]]
|-
|style="text-align: center;"|[[2014 MLS SuperDraft|2014]]
|data-sort-value=1936-02-08|January 16, 2014
|style="text-align: right; padding-right: 1em;"|4
|style="text-align: right; padding-right: 1em;"|77
|[[Philadelphia|Philadelphia, PA]]
|data-sort-value=Blake, Andre|{{flagicon|JAM}} [[Andre Blake]]
|[[Philadelphia Union]]
|-
|style="text-align: center;"|[[2015 MLS SuperDraft|2015]]
|data-sort-value=1936-02-08|January 15, 2015
|style="text-align: right; padding-right: 1em;"|4
|style="text-align: right; padding-right: 1em;"|84
|[[Philadelphia|Philadelphia, PA]]
|data-sort-value=Larin, Cyle|{{flagicon|CAN}} [[Cyle Larin]]
|[[Orlando City SC]]
|-
|style="text-align: center;"|[[2016 MLS SuperDraft|2016]]
|data-sort-value=1936-02-08|January 14, 2016
|style="text-align: right; padding-right: 1em;"|4
|style="text-align: right; padding-right: 1em;"|75
|[[Baltimore|Baltimore, MD]]
|data-sort-value=Harrison, Jack|{{flagicon|ENG}} [[Jack Harrison (footballer, born 1996)|Jack Harrison]]
|[[Chicago Fire Soccer Club|Chicago Fire]]
|-
|style="text-align: center;"|[[2017 MLS SuperDraft|2017]]
|data-sort-value=1936-02-08|January 13, 2017
|style="text-align: right; padding-right: 1em;"|4
|style="text-align: right; padding-right: 1em;"|81
|[[Los Angeles|Los Angeles, CA]]
|data-sort-value=Danladi, Abu|{{flagicon|GHA}} [[Abu Danladi]]
|[[Minnesota United FC]]
|-
|style="text-align: center;"|[[2018 MLS SuperDraft|2018]]
|data-sort-value=1936-02-08|January 19, 2018
|style="text-align: right; padding-right: 1em;"|4
|style="text-align: right; padding-right: 1em;"|81
|[[Philadelphia|Philadelphia, PA]]
|data-sort-value=Moutinho, João|{{flagicon|POR}} [[João Moutinho (footballer, born 1998)|João Moutinho]]
|[[Los Angeles FC]]
|-
|style="text-align: center;"|[[2019 MLS SuperDraft|2019]]
|data-sort-value=1936-02-08|January 11, 2019
|style="text-align: right; padding-right: 1em;"|4
|style="text-align: right; padding-right: 1em;"|75
|[[Chicago|Chicago, IL]]
|data-sort-value=Amaya, Frankie|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Frankie Amaya]]
|[[FC Cincinnati]]
|-
|style="text-align: center;"|[[2020 MLS SuperDraft|2020]]
|data-sort-value=1936-02-08|January 9, 2020
|style="text-align: right; padding-right: 1em;"|4
|style="text-align: right; padding-right: 1em;"|77
| via teleconference
|data-sort-value=Robinson, Robbie|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Robbie Robinson (soccer)|Robbie Robinson]]
|[[Inter Miami CF]]
|-
|style="text-align: center;"|[[2021 MLS SuperDraft|2021]]
|data-sort-value=1936-02-08|January 21, 2021
|style="text-align: right; padding-right: 1em;"|3
|style="text-align: right; padding-right: 1em;"|75
| via teleconference
|data-sort-value=Pereira, Dani |{{flagicon|VEN}} [[Daniel Pereira (footballer, born 2000)|Dani Pereira]]
|[[Austin FC]]
|-
|style="text-align: center;"|[[2022 MLS SuperDraft|2022]]
|data-sort-value=1936-02-08|January 11, 2022
|style="text-align: right; padding-right: 1em;"|3
|style="text-align: right; padding-right: 1em;"|79
| via teleconference
|data-sort-value=Bender, Ben|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Ben Bender]]
|[[Charlotte FC]]
|-
|style="text-align: center;"|[[2023 MLS SuperDraft|2023]]
|December 21, 2022{{efn-ua|Although the draft took place in 2022, the draft retained the 2023 MLS SuperDraft branding}}
|style="text-align: right; padding-right: 1em;"|3
|style="text-align: right; padding-right: 1em;"|83
| via teleconference
|data-sort-value=Diop, Hamady|{{flagicon|SEN}} [[Hamady Diop]]
|[[Charlotte FC]]
|-
|style="text-align: center;"|[[2024 MLS SuperDraft|2024]]
|December 19, 2023{{efn-ua|Although the draft took place in 2023, the draft retained the 2024 MLS SuperDraft branding}}
|style="text-align: right; padding-right: 1em;"|3
|style="text-align: right; padding-right: 1em;"|87
| via teleconference
|data-sort-value=Spicer, Tyrese|{{flagicon|TRI}} [[Tyrese Spicer]]
|[[Toronto FC]]
|-
|style="text-align: center;"|[[2025 MLS SuperDraft|2025]]
|December 20, 2024{{efn-ua|Although the draft took place in 2024, the draft retained the 2025 MLS SuperDraft branding}}
|style="text-align: right; padding-right: 1em;"|3
|style="text-align: right; padding-right: 1em;"|90
| via teleconference
|data-sort-value=|{{flagicon|Ghana}} [[Manu Duah]]
|[[San Diego FC]]
|}

== Notes ==
{{notelist-ua}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Major League Soccer}}
{{MLS drafts}}

[[Category:Major League Soccer drafts|*SuperDraft]]
[[Category:Annual sporting events in the United States]]
[[Category:Recurring sporting events established in 2000]]