The 2022 MLS roster rules and regulations included a salary budget of $4,900,000 per team, which was the maximum amount teams could spend on player salaries during the regular season. This budget was managed through various mechanisms including General Allocation Money (GAM) and Targeted Allocation Money (TAM) to help teams acquire and retain key players.
Teams could roster a maximum of 30 players during the regular season, with specific restrictions on how many could be designated players, international players, and homegrown players. The salary budget also included provisions for Generation Adidas players from MLS SuperDraft, who had reduced budget charges to encourage development of young American talent.
Additionally, the 2022 rules allowed teams to use allocation money to buy down designated player salaries below the maximum budget charge threshold, providing flexibility in roster construction. Teams could also trade allocation money and international roster spots to optimize their squad building within the salary budget constraints.