It's not the MLS ruling, but NCAA. I know the NCAA rulings well because we

have to be VERY careful with our kids who have college aspirations.

One of the biggest things is that it doesn't matter if you've been paid to play. Not only do they see you as pro if you have been an amateur in a side which pays or expenses ANYONE on your team, but if you've played in a league which has ANY team doing that. It is then seen as a semi-pro league.

Therefore once a player plays for our senior side in the European competition (which we aren't doing this year but have been the last 5) then they are ineligible for NCAA.

In fact 3 of our kids who have done amazingly well and are playing for top 10 college team Boise State, all got suspended for 3 or 4 games at the start of this season because they had accepted what were considered "gifts" (two kids a total of $20, another $200 - basically the loan of a car for a week 3 years previously from their host family) .

BUT the Americans know this very very well and you rarely hear stories such as you are suggesting. On the other hand I read about the guy who was linked with us the other day (one with the odd name) and he, like many other MLS prospects, didn't go through the draft and signed up straight from High School. That mechanism is allowed in MLS but not in American Football (well, you can be a free agent but very very very unlikely to have any chance whatsoever in that route).

SO I guess they have tried to match it a bit. But if they were to come on trial to Man Utd aged 16, then they would indeed forfeit their eligibility for NCAA, and therefore the chance of being drafted.

Posted By: Steve in Holland on December 30th 2011 at 15:21:11

Message Thread

Zamora, Johnson and Duff are all set to miss tomorrows game (n/m) (NCFC) - Klobo04, Dec 30, 14:02:36
- Kick Dempsey early on and it's 3 points (NCFC) - loz, Dec 30, 14:10:52
  - Some players you wonder why they are still there. Dempsey is a beast (NCFC) - pants, Dec 30, 14:29:46
    - For me, Dempsey has grown with age. Thought he was over rated when younger, but (NCFC) - Steve in Holland, Dec 30, 14:33:00
      - the mls needs to sort out it's drafting youth thing. I think if a youth product (NCFC) - pants, Dec 30, 14:43:44
        
        It's not the MLS ruling, but NCAA. I know the NCAA rulings well because we (NCFC) - Steve in Holland, Dec 30, 15:21:11
  - complacent? who do you think we are (n/m) (NCFC) - selwyn, Dec 30, 14:12:34
- they have the scans to prove it (n/m) (NCFC) - selwyn, Dec 30, 14:08:10
- Still laughing at how they fucked that Euro game up with one picosecond to go. (n/m) (NCFC) - tudders, Dec 30, 14:05:09
- Also without long term injuries Davies, Grygera and Schwarzer (n/m) (NCFC) - Klobo04, Dec 30, 14:03:21

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