2024 CPL Roster Rules & Regulations
The following is a series of summary interpretations from the official roster guidelines that formally govern play within the Canadian Premier League.
as of March 13, 2024
2024 CPL Roster Composition
A Canadian Premier League Club’s Master Roster is comprised of up to 32 players. All 32 players are eligible for selection to their Club’s matchday squad during the League Season, which include the CPL’s regular season and playoffs.
A CPL Club’s Master Roster is divided into the Primary Roster and the Developmental Roster. A CPL Club’s Primary Roster can include up to 23 players, all of which count toward its player compensation budget. A Club’s Developmental Roster, which was created by the CPL to provide opportunities for the next generation of talent in Canada, can include up to nine players. Players on a Club’s Developmental Roster generally do not count towards its Player Compensation Budget, with some exceptions for players signed under the Exceptional Young Talent designation.
|
CPL MASTER ROSTER |
|
| CATEGORY | ROSTER SPOTS |
| Primary Roster | 1 – 23 |
Developmental Roster
|
24-32
Maximum 2 players |
Primary Roster
At all times during the 2024 League Season, a Club’s Primary Roster must include:
- A minimum of 20 players signed to a Standard Professional Contract
- A maximum of 23 players signed to a Standard Professional Contract
- A minimum of three (3) Domestic Under-21 Player born Jan. 1, 2003 or later
- A maximum of seven (7) International Players
Developmental Roster
At all times during the 2024 League Season, a Clubs’ Developmental Roster may include:
- A maximum of two (2) Exceptional Young Talent Players
- A maximum of three (3) U SPORTS Players
- A maximum of four (4) Development Players
The Exceptional Young Talent designation, implemented in 2023, allows a CPL Club to sign up to two additional Under-18 domestic players to Standard Player Contracts outside of its 23-man Primary Roster. A player designated Exceptional Young Talent is eligible to remain in the category up to and including the year he turns 21 years old. For the 2024 League Season, new players signed under this designation must be born Jan. 1, 2006 or later to be eligible to be signed as an Exceptional Young Talent Player.
A player signed to a CPL-U SPORTS Contract can maintain their U SPORTS eligibility while earning professional experience in the CPL. In 2024, CPL-U SPORTS Contracts end on August 15, unless otherwise extended to the end of the 2024 League Season.
A player signed to a Development Contract must be a Domestic Under-18 Player, born Jan 1, 2006 or later, and is eligible to make four (4) appearances for a CPL Club while maintaining his amateur status and ability to train and play with the amateur team that holds his registration. There is no time limit for completion of these games. In any one calendar year, a player may sign a maximum of two Development Contracts in the CPL.
Inactive List
Players may be removed from a CPL Club’s Master Roster and placed on its Inactive List in the event of a season-ending injury or under exceptional circumstances, pending League approval.
A CPL Club is limited to roster and Player Compensation Budget relief for one (1) season-ending injury per League Season. A CPL Club may request roster relief for any other player moved to the Inactive List, pending League approval.
A player moved to a CPL Club’s Inactive List with a season-ending injury may not return to play through the remainder of the 2024 League Season.
Extreme Hardship
The CPL may approve a Club signing a player to a Short-Term Replacement Standard Contract in cases of Extreme Hardship, such as:
- A CPL Club’s Primary Roster falls below 16 available players through short-term injury, suspension, or unique circumstances.
- A CPL Club has fewer than two (2) available goalkeepers through short-term injury, suspension, or unique circumstances.
Loan Agreements
The following rules apply to incoming loan players:
- A CPL Club may utilize a maximum of five (5) incoming loans during a CPL League Season.
- A CPL Club shall have a maximum of two (2) incoming player loans from any one team.
- The League shall have a maximum of five (5) incoming loans from any one team in any CPL League Season.
The following rules apply to outgoing loan players:
- A CPL Club may loan no more than three (3) players to a non-CPL team.
The following rules apply to player loans between CPL Clubs:
- A CPL Club may loan no more than one (1) player to another CPL Club during any CPL League Season.
Key Dates
Transfer Windows
For the 2024 League Season, transfer windows in Canada are as follows:
- Primary window:
- Starts: January 31, 2024
- Ends: April 23, 2024
- Secondary Window
- Starts: July 5, 2024
- Ends: August 2, 2024
Roster Compliance & Roster Freeze Dates
CPL Clubs must be fully roster compliant by April 1, 2024 at 5 p.m. ET.
CPL Club rosters will be frozen as of September 13, 2024 at 4 p.m. ET. No new signings to a Club’s Master Roster will be permitted following the roster freeze date, except for in cases of Extreme Hardship, as approved by the League. CPL Clubs will be permitted to publicly announce signings after the roster freeze date, provided the agreement was executed prior to the above stated deadline.
Compensation Budget Parameters
Player Compensation Budget
The maximum Player Compensation Budget available to all CPL Clubs in 2024 is $1,112,500 CAD. If a CPL Club so chooses, it may implement the League’s Under-21 Player Incentive, which allows CPL Clubs to reach a maximum spend of $1,212,500 CAD. All Under-21 players will hit a CPL CLub’s Player Compensation Budget at 50 per cent of their total compensation, up to a maximum benefit of $100,000 CAD per CPL Club.
All CPL Clubs are required to meet a minimum Player Compensation Budget threshold of $750,000 CAD.
The minimum salary for the 2024 League Season for all players on the Primary Roster is $30,000 CAD.
The costs to be calculated in determining a CPL Club’s Player Compensation Budget include any and all compensation and expenses (e.g. housing) associated with acquiring the services of a player on the CPL Club’s Primary Roster.
All compensation to a player signed to a CPL-U SPORTS Contract is provided in the form of tuition support through an Academic Financial Award from their registering university. Tuition support does not count toward a CPL Club’s Player Compensation Budget.
Players on a Development Contract may receive a stipend up to a maximum of $250 per week, which does not count toward a CPL Club’s Player Compensation Budget.
Players signed by a CPL Club under the Exceptional Young Talent designation will receive no less than the current player minimum salary. The minimum salary paid to a player designated an Exceptional Young Talent, as well as any monetary support for education, will not count toward a CPL Club’s Player Compensation Budget. Portions of Club bonuses as well as housing costs paid to a player designated Exceptional Young Talent will also remain outside of a CPL Club’s Player Compensation Budget.