The MLS Next Pro, the third tier of the United States, will implement a new rule from next season to prevent players from wasting time when they are substituted, the MLS announced through the official channels. To reduce game delay, players must be off the field within ten seconds, otherwise the team they are playing for must play with ten men for one minute.
America’s third league will test the new rule next season. The rule will be called the ‘timed substitution rule’ and should ensure that players move to the side more quickly when their number is shown on the fourth official’s board. If the substituted player is not off the field within ten seconds, the substitute must wait sixty seconds and the team will play with one man less during that minute.
It’s just a trial and if it has no effect, the rule will be trashed. Last season, the MLS Next Pro also tested new rules. These were the so-called ‘Off-field Treatment Rule’ and the ‘Red Card Suspension Rule’. The first rule is that players who are suspected of being injured and who are on the ground for more than fifteen seconds will be treated off the field by the medical staff. The player may then only return to the field after three minutes.
The Red Card Suspension Rule is the rule that the suspension of a player who has been shown a red card will be served against the same team against which the player received the red card. Each team in the MLS Next Pro plays a regular 24-game season, competing against the same opponents two or three times a year. This helps explain why the rule works in this league and probably doesn’t apply in other leagues.
