CPL Introduces “Exceptional Youth Talent” Rule

[Borjans Sweatpants]

The CPL link wasn’t working, so here’s a summary one from Northern Tribune:

https://northerntribune.ca/canadian-premier-league-exceptional-young-talent/

“The Canadian Premier League is increasing the roster size for all of its clubs in a brand new move focused on the next generation of young talent.

The new roster subcategory is called ‘Exceptional Young Talent’, and it allows for CPL clubs to assign two U-18 domestic athletes who are on standard player contracts to the new category.”

Absolutely love this. Anything for more youth development. 

[dyslexic nam]

Doesn’t count towards the cap so seems like a pretty solid incentive to add young quality.  Love this move.  

[gigi riva]

GREAT Idea

[Ansem]

Will immediately make the league more attractive to potential great U18 with an opportunity to play pro instead of being sent to MLS Next or reserve team

[gigi riva]

31 minutes ago, Ansem said:

Will immediately make the league more attractive to potential great U18 with an opportunity to play pro instead of being sent to MLS Next or reserve team

Maybe that is the idea 

[Unnamed Trialist]

I am confused. We have over half the teams dropping the bucket on U-21 minutes, we have plenty of fans apparently who disagree with the youth provisions, but now we are insisting on it even more?

I personally don't think that u-18 needs any different provision than u-21, unless there is something I don't understand about this new status. Someone help me.

[Big_M]

7 minutes ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

I am confused. We have over half the teams dropping the bucket on U-21 minutes, we have plenty of fans apparently who disagree with the youth provisions, but now we are insisting on it even more?

I personally don't think that u-18 needs any different provision than u-21, unless there is something I don't understand about this new status. Someone help me.

They are basically allowing teams to have a larger full-time roster from 23 to 25 except slots #24 and 25 have to be for U18s who can then stay in those slots until the age of 21

Rosters currently are clearly too short and they are saying we will allow a bigger roster but instead of bringing just anyone, bring young domestics and on full-time pro contracts, not some amateur development contract where he maybe plays a few games and then is gone

[Unnamed Trialist]

19 minutes ago, Big_M said:

They are basically allowing teams to have a larger full-time roster from 23 to 25 except slots #24 and 25 have to be for U18s who can then stay in those slots until the age of 21

Rosters currently are clearly too short and they are saying we will allow a bigger roster but instead of bringing just anyone, bring young domestics and on full-time pro contracts, not some amateur development contract where he maybe plays a few games and then is gone

Very clearly explained, much appreciated. 

[Dominic94]

My biggest takeaway on this is:

The CPL has recognized a market for u-18 players exists in the USL championship, and that many top youth players are choosing that path Vs MLS academies where they will not play. USL teams are commanding big fees which keep getting bigger, and it’s lucrative and game changing for them. It is also getting the league more attention and exposure.

Canadian MLS teams have held a monopoly on youth academies and top young prospects but have minimal results. The top young prospects are not playing and not being developed. They also can’t all be identified. 
 

This initiative will allow all teams, and encourage to identify, develop, play and recruit top young players so that they may be sold on to higher levels. These transfer fees are nothing to big clubs but huge for us.

Finally, this will allow up to 16 U-18 players to develop and get pro minutes which will push our youth program to the next level and eventually our national team because we will eventually find Kone caliber players with this initiative and in time the next David and Davies. 
 

U-18 players finally have options and good ones now, and it’s really the only way to go up with this age group. 
 

The Can PL is one of the most aggressive leagues with the U-21 requirements and if they do end up putting a U-18 minutes requirement (likely coming) it will really drive us forward. It will take time but I would expect that we will start to see more MLS depth to regular level roster players emerging, as of even this year. In 5 years from now this will really pay off.

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

This rule change is not necessarily a bad thing and could turn out to be majorly beneficial to the careers of a few players in the years ahead but it appears to be a sudden kneejerk response to roster issues currently facing some of the clubs rather than a carefully thought through strategy. Why would they announce it midseason otherwise and apparently with a retroactive start date?

The potential drawback for players signed this way is what happens in development terms if they are not starting regularly when CanPL has no MLS Next and Next Pro equivalent. NCAA eligibility is a risky thing to forego at that age given the number of 16 and 17 year old prospects that don't ultimately make it, and for those that do ultimately make the grade not having a shot at achieving homegrown player domestic status across MLS is a potential future source of regret.

Beyond those angles if this is being handled outside the league salary cap does that mean that the previously reported minimum salary number is still applicable in this context or can some teams Valour cough splutter potentially really cheap out when it comes to these two roster spots while others for the sake of argument let's call them the Forge do the exact opposite?

Edited July 21, 2023 by Ozzie_the_parrot

[Aird25]

33 minutes ago, Dominic94 said:

if they do end up putting a U-18 minutes requirement (likely coming)

Please no. It’s exciting when young players compete at this level, but let’s stop making it a requirement. The quality is suffering as is

Edited July 21, 2023 by Aird25

[Bigandy]

2 hours ago, Aird25 said:

Please no. It’s exciting when young players compete at this level, but let’s stop making it a requirement. The quality is suffering as is

I get the concept but couldnt you argue that a u18 player who isnt ready will not actually benefit from being played in an environment thats above his ability.  I would be surprised if they force u-18 minutes but at the same time, not entirely surprised. 

[dyslexic nam]

7 minutes ago, Bigandy said:

I get the concept but couldnt you argue that a u18 player who isnt ready will not actually benefit from being played in an environment thats above his ability.  I would be surprised if they force u-18 minutes but at the same time, not entirely surprised. 

I see it as more of an incentive to hunt around, find players who can contribute at that age, and convince them of the value of signing up for first team minutes in a competitive environment.  

[Bigandy]

Just now, dyslexic nam said:

I see it as more of an incentive to hunt around, find players who can contribute at that age, and convince them of the value of signing up for first team minutes in a competitive environment.  

I get what you're saying and theoretically that works. The 2 roster spaces are ideal for exactly what you said. However, having a minumum minutes for U-18 assumes that every team can find some diamond u-18 players. 

How many U-18's are regularly contributing to teams? Tahid is the main one. Are there many more?

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

The angle you might be missing is that if a player is signed under this mechanism they can be kept off the salary cap in one of these two roster spots "up to and including the year he turns 21 years old".

https://canpl.ca/article/cpl-announces-expansion-of-developmental-roster-exceptional-young-talent-category

Think this is ultimately a way to make it easier for clubs to meet the existing U-21 requirements in other words. As has been pointed out by Big M on the CanPL subforum this was only announced six days after it became effective:

The new roster designation became effective on Friday, July 14.

so it may have been done to help out Vancouver FC in some way because this rule was needed for them to be able to play James Cameron last weekend given he had already maxed out the number of games he could play on a development contract.

Edited July 21, 2023 by Ozzie_the_parrot

[Aird25]

2 hours ago, Aird25 said:

Please no. It’s exciting when young players compete at this level, but let’s stop making it a requirement. The quality is suffering as is

Potentially, but they also might suffer. Gazdov was given the starting keeper position for Pacific, but his confidence seemed to be completely shot after a few matches. He's a very promising talent and I think he'll turn out very well, but I don't think he was ready for the responsibility. Nothing to do with talent. Everyone responds differently. Now that he's being rotated he seems to be playing much more confidently. However, Pacific were relying on him to meet the U21 requirements, and without him as a starter they're playing others. Amedume is a good prospect, but Didic is one of the best CBs in the league. He should go to a bigger league. I just don't see how removing one of the best players in the league benefits anyone. I know fans that are frustrated with mistakes by rotated players at times. 

[Kadenge]

15 minutes ago, Bigandy said:

However, having a minumum minutes for U-18 assumes that every team can find some diamond u-18 players. 

How many U-18's are regularly contributing to teams? Tahid is the main one. Are there many more?

We've been going gaga over 2 young players...Dixon & Chisholm. Perhaps their plan was always to go to Europe, but who knows if they were signed to a decent pro CPL contact ? There are players on the 3 Cdn MLS teams that get few mins with the first team. Perhaps with this new incentive, they don't sign a MLS contract and opt for the CPL?  lots of Cdn players end up at NCAA. Could be to have the security of a College degree but perhaps some opt for a CPL contract now? There are other players like Sigur..enough said. L1O seems to be producing quality. Point is there are very good U18 players in Canada.  

[Aird25]

1 minute ago, Kadenge said:

We've been going gaga over 2 young players...Dixon & Chisholm. Perhaps their plan was always to go to Europe, but who knows if they were signed to a decent pro CPL contact ? There are players on the 3 Cdn MLS teams that get few mins with the first team. Perhaps with this new incentive, they don't sign a MLS contract and opt for the CPL?  lots of Cdn players end up at NCAA. Could be to have the security of a College degree but perhaps some opt for a CPL contract now? There are other players like Sigur..enough said. L1O seems to be producing quality. Point is there are very good U18 players in Canada.  

A year in CPL probably means they're on better money in Europe or elsewhere than after only time in League Ones. I have nothing to substantiate this though

[Kadenge]

1 minute ago, Aird25 said:

A year in CPL probably means they're on better money in Europe or elsewhere than after only time in League Ones. I have nothing to substantiate this though

The only way player quality is going to go up is if there is more money to sign players. While attendance is trending upwards it's going to take time. Corp sponsorship Directly related to the CPL is dependent on  viewership/attendance. Player transfers is another way to boost revenues. A 100K transfer fee is a lot of ticket sales (net of costs). The Belgium and Dutch leagues do quite well with quality while focusing on developing young players. There has to be a balance, but if the CPL is going to be a league that develops CMNT players, that in the future are capable of starting, then it has to happen with younger players. There's generally  diminishing development progression as players get older.

[Bigandy]

37 minutes ago, Kadenge said:

We've been going gaga over 2 young players...Dixon & Chisholm. Perhaps their plan was always to go to Europe, but who knows if they were signed to a decent pro CPL contact ? There are players on the 3 Cdn MLS teams that get few mins with the first team. Perhaps with this new incentive, they don't sign a MLS contract and opt for the CPL?  lots of Cdn players end up at NCAA. Could be to have the security of a College degree but perhaps some opt for a CPL contract now? There are other players like Sigur..enough said. L1O seems to be producing quality. Point is there are very good U18 players in Canada.  

Dixon is 19 and Chisholm is 18. If the u18 rule is under 18 then neither would apply.  Same for Sigur whos 19. 

Its possible that these 3 guys would have been good enough for CPL 2-3 years ago but perhaps not? L10 Seems to be producing quality but those guys are older than 18 when we hear of them. 

Then when I look at TFC youngsters, they are all 18-22. 

Other than TJ, and stefanovic whos getting minutes in MLS, Im struggling to find any examples of u18 players who could actually contribute in CPL. I am sure there are and would love to hear some. 

[Aird25]

37 minutes ago, Kadenge said:

 if the CPL is going to be a league that develops CMNT players, that in the future are capable of starting, then it has to happen with younger players. There's generally  diminishing development progression as players get older.

That's probably right in concept, and hopefully in the near the future, but that's just not what we've seen to date. So far the players to transfer out of CPL and have actual success in other leagues and with the national team have all been quite mature players. As evidenced by recent player posts on this forum, it's also clear the talent in this country still isn't flowing up the domestic pyramid. Players are still choosing other avenues. In the past we've never had enough pro opportunities to really test players and identify all talent. We've relied on other nations to do that and we still do to a certain extent. I think we're trending in the right direction but the perception among agents and youth players is lagging far behind, so we're not getting all the talent available even if they are in our systems like L1O

[Obinna]

11 minutes ago, Bigandy said:

Dixon is 19 and Chisholm is 18. If the u18 rule is under 18 then neither would apply.  Same for Sigur whos 19. 

Its possible that these 3 guys would have been good enough for CPL 2-3 years ago but perhaps not? L10 Seems to be producing quality but those guys are older than 18 when we hear of them. 

Then when I look at TFC youngsters, they are all 18-22. 

Other than TJ, and stefanovic whos getting minutes in MLS, Im struggling to find any examples of u18 players who could actually contribute in CPL. I am sure there are and would love to hear some. 

It's a big country. There are bound to be some, including some names we haven't even heard of yet. 

The CPL has done a good job in terms of level of play, but I watched some of the Foothill lads last month in the League 1 Alberta exhibition series and some of them could slot into a CPL squad. I don't know the ages of the players so ....

*goes to Foothills website*

So the first name that jumps out is 19-year old Max Piepgrass. Captains the Foothills atm and according to his wiki page he played to games for Cavalry in 2021. That's one name who would have been under 18 had this measure been implemented two years ago. 

[Kadenge]

9 minutes ago, Bigandy said:

Other than TJ, and stefanovic whos getting minutes in MLS, Im struggling to find any examples of u18 players who could actually contribute in CPL. I am sure there are and would love to hear some. 

Unless one is directly involved at the youth level, you're not going    to hear about them unless they are given opportunities and end up playing on a team domestically or  in Europe after age 18.  

[Obinna]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skyler_Rogers @Bigandy here's another name who could have been signed under this rule...had it been implemented a year or two ago.

Edited July 21, 2023 by Obinna

[Cheeta]

Have a hard time believing CPL teams are going to spy some as yet undiscovered, unsigned teenager out there in soccerdom.  A real hard time.

Still, if this scheme helps nudge the teams in the league to fill out these additional roster spots then that's a benefit I guess.  

Does bring the benefit of connecting the teams to their community just a bit more doesn't it?

Meh, can live with it.  Why not?  Let's see what happens.