Poll
Which team do you most expect to bounce back in 2009?
  • LA Galaxy
  • D.C. United
  • Toronto FC
  • FC Dallas
  • San Jose Earthquakes

Updated: November 14, 2008

 Suspensions/Fine

Aaron Pitchkolan
FC Dallas
Suspension/Fine: First 2009 Regular Season game, $250
Reason: Red Card: 10/26 vs. Los Angeles Galaxy

Alvaro Pires
Los Angeles Galaxy
Suspension/Fine: First 2009 Regular Season game, $250
Reason: Red Card: 10/26 vs. FC Dallas

Chris Albright
New England Revolution
Suspension/Fine: First 2009 Regular Season game, $250
Reason: Red Card: 11/6/08 vs. Chicago Fire

Khano Smith
New England Revolution
Suspension/Fine: First 2009 Regular Season game, $250
Reason: Disciplinary Committee Decision

Kevin Goldthwaite
New York Red Bulls
Suspension/Fine: no suspension, $500
Reason: Playoffs Caution Accumulation

Jon Conway
New York Red Bulls
Suspension/Fine: 10 Games (Regular Season and Playoffs); beginning 10/18/08 vs. CLB
Reason: Commissioner Garber Disciplinary Decision

Jeff Parke
New York Red Bulls
Suspension/Fine: 10 Games (Regular Season and Playoffs); beginning 10/18/08 vs. CLB
Reason: Commissioner Garber Disciplinary Decision

 Card Suspensions

Red card and caution point accumulation suspensions collected in Regular Season Games shall be served in a Player's next Regular Season Game. Any suspensions for yellow card points earned in a Player's last Regular Season Game will not carry over into the Playoffs, or into the next League Season.

However, the applicable fine will be collected in the current Season. Any Players who receives a red card in his last Game of the Season (Regular Season or Playoffs), will serve the one Game suspension during their next Game (whether it's during the Playoffs, Championship Game, or in the next Regular Season Game of the following season). All red card and caution point suspensions will, if necessary, follow a Player to a new Team. All fines associated with cautions or send-offs will be collected in the current season (before the calendar year expires).

 Suspension Carry-Overs

Any suspensions for yellow cards earned in a player's last Regular Season Game shall not carry over into the Playoffs or into the next League Season. However, the applicable fine will be collected in the current Season. Players who receive a red card in their last Game of the Season (Regular Season, Playoff or Cup) shall serve the one-game suspension during their next Game (whether it is during the Playoffs, Championship Game, or the next League Regular Season Game). All red card suspensions will, if necessary, follow a Player to a new team for the next League Season.

 Caution Warnings

A caution awarded to the following players in the MLS Cup will result in a $500 fine:
Danny O'Rourke -- Columbus Crew
William Hesmer -- Columbus Crew
Kevin Goldthwaite -- New York Red Bulls
Jorge Rojas -- New York Red Bulls
Chris Leitch -- New York Red Bulls

Regular Season Caution Accumulation
A player who accumulates five (5) yellow cards over the course of the MLS Regular Season shall be suspended from the next Regular Season game in which he is eligible to appear and fined $250. After imposition of the first fine and one-game suspension for accumulating five (5) yellow cards over the course of an MLS Regular Season, a player who accumulates an additional three (3) yellow cards shall be suspended from the next regular season game in which he is eligible to appear and fined $500. After the imposition of the second fine and one-game suspension by virtue of accumulating eight (8) yellow cards over the course of a regular season, that player shall be suspended for one MLS Regular Season game and fined $750 for each accumulation of three (3) yellow cards awarded to him in any remaining MLS Regular Season games.

Good Behavior Incentive
If a player receives a caution during the Regular Season that brings him within one caution of any of the suspension thresholds (e.g., 4 cautions, 7 cautions), he shall be placed on "Warning." If a player is placed on "Warning" and appears in THREE (3) consecutive games without receiving a caution, being sent off or sanctioned by the MLS Disciplinary Committee for an infraction that occurs during one of the THREE (3) consecutive games, that player's personal caution total shall be reduced by ONE (1) caution. A player may only benefit from the Good Behavior Incentive one time per season.

 Notice of Fine

The following players received a fine for accumulating five (5) cautions in their last MLS Regular Season game: Brian Carroll, Devon McTavish, Amado Guevara

 Cautions for dissent

None

 Cautions for lack of respect for the game

None

*MLS teams are assessed a matching team fine for their players' cumulative individual fines for yellow cards issued for either "dissent" or "showing a lack of respect for the game."

League Fair Play Table

rankteamgpyellowredfoulsclean gppts gptotal pts
1New England Revolution304453587 10.0 300.0
2Kansas City Wizards304923214 10.6 316.5
3Colorado Rapids304753466 10.7 321.0
4Columbus Crew305243264 11.7 351.0
5Toronto FC305053434 12.1 361.5
6Houston Dynamo305333754 12.3 369.5
7Chicago Fire305523331 13.1 391.5
8Los Angeles Galaxy305233812 13.3 398.5
9FC Dallas305573714 13.9 415.5
10Real Salt Lake305233881 13.9 417.0
11San Jose Earthquakes305843822 14.4 433.0
12New York Red Bulls305654133 14.5 435.5
13D.C. United306663793 15.6 468.5
14Chivas USA306564950 18.9 567.5

MLS Teams are assessed fair play points and ranked in the fair play table as follows:

  • 4 points for each caution point received (e.g. 5 cautions = 20 points)
  • 10 points for each red card earned (e.g. 5 red cards in a year = 50 points)
  • .5 points for each foul committed (e.g. 400 fouls = 200 points)
  • A reduction of 15 points for every game played by a team without their receiving either a yellow or red card, or a member of their team being a recipient of MLS Disciplinary Committee action in conjunction with that game (e.g. 3 "clean" games = -45 points).

The team with the least amount of points at the end of the regular season will be awarded the Kraft Team Fair Play Award.