Updated: June 29, 2009

 Suspensions/Fine

Emmanuel Osei
New England Revolution
Suspension/Fine: 7/4/09 vs. LA, $250
Reason: Red Card, 6/13/09 vs. Kansas City Wizards

 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

NONE

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.

 The following players are one caution from suspension

Player -- Team -- Number of Cautions -- Good Behavior Incentive
Bakary Soumare -- Chicago Fire -- 4 -- 3 more games
John Thorrington -- Chicago Fire -- 4 -- 3 more games
Eduardo Lillingston -- Chivas USA -- 4 -- 1 more game
Jesse Marsch -- Chivas USA -- 4 -- 1 more game
Paulo Nagamura -- Chivas USA -- 4 -- 3 more games
Carey Talley -- Chivas USA -- 4 -- 3 more games
Corey Gibbs -- Colorado Rapids -- 4 -- 1 more game
Ugo Ihemelu -- Colorado Rapids -- 4 -- 3 more games
Dejan Jakovic -- DC United -- 4 -- 2 more games
Rodney Wallace -- DC United -- 4 -- 3 more games
Andre Rocha -- FC Dallas -- 4 -- 1 more game
Bobby Boswell -- Houston Dynamo -- 4 -- 3 more games
Geoff Cameron -- Houston Dynamo -- 4 -- 3 more games
Davy Arnaud -- Kansas City Wizards -- 4 -- 2 more games
Wells Thompson -- New England Revolution -- 4 -- 1 more game
Robbie Russell -- Real Salt Lake -- 4 -- 1 more game
Aaron Pitchkolan -- San Jose Earthquakes -- 4 -- 3 more games
Brad Evans -- Seattle Sounders FC -- 4 -- 3 more games
Freddie Ljungberg -- Seattle Sounders FC -- 4 -- 3 more games
Jim Brennan -- Toronto FC -- 4 -- N/A

 The following players are two cautions from suspension

Player -- Team -- Number of Cautions
Chris Rolfe -- Chicago Fire -- 3
Tim Ward -- Chicago Fire -- 3
Atiba Harris -- Chivas USA -- 3
Conor Casey -- Colorado Rapids -- 3
Scott Palguta -- Colorado Rapids -- 3
Emmanuel Ekpo -- Columbus Crew -- 3
Danny O’Rourke -- Columbus Crew -- 3
Christian Gomez -- DC United -- 3
Clyde Simms -- DC United -- 3
Marcelo Saragosa -- FC Dallas -- 3
Ricardo Clark -- Houston Dynamo -- 3
Brad Davis -- Houston Dynamo -- 3
Matt Besler -- Kansas City Wizards -- 3
Roger Espinoza -- Kansas City Wizards -- 3
Herculez Gomez -- Kansas City Wizards -- 3
Jack Jewsbury -- Kansas City Wizards -- 3
Claudio Lopez -- Kansas City Wizards -- 3
Lance Watson -- Kansas City Wizards -- 3
Omar Gonzalez -- Los Angeles Galaxy -- 3
Alan Gordon -- Los Angeles Galaxy -- 3
Eddie Lewis -- Los Angeles Galaxy -- 3
Stefani Miglioranzi -- Los Angeles Galaxy -- 3
Jay Heaps -- New England Revolution -- 3
Kenny Mansally -- New England Revolution -- 3
Mike Petke -- New York Red Bulls -- 3
Dane Richards -- New York Red Bulls -- 3
Will Johnson -- Real Salt Lake -- 3
Clint Mathis -- Real Salt Lake -- 3
Javier Morales -- Real Salt Lake -- 6
Jamison Olave -- Real Salt Lake -- 3
Quincy Amarikwa -- San Jose Earthquakes -- 3
Ramiro Corrales -- San Jose Earthquakes -- 6
Ryan Johnson -- San Jose Earthquakes -- 3
Osvaldo Alonso -- Seattle Sounders FC -- 3
Nate Jaqua -- Seattle Sounders FC -- 3
Tyrone Marshall -- Seattle Sounders FC -- 3
James Riley -- Seattle Sounders FC -- 3
Chad Barrett -- Toronto FC -- 3
Adrian Serioux -- Toronto FC -- 3

 Notice of Fine

The following players received a fine for accumulating five (5) cautions:

NONE

 Cautions for dissent

Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Columbus Crew ($100)

 Cautions for lack of respect for the game

Edson Buddle, Los Angeles Galaxy ($100); Bobby Boswell, Houston Dynamo ($200)

*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 Revolution122111221 11.7 140.0
2Colorado Rapids142601562 10.9 152.0
3Toronto FC162501692 9.7 154.5
4Chicago Fire142621222 11.1 155.0
5FC Dallas152421462 10.6 159.0
6Houston Dynamo152511841 12.5 187.0
7Los Angeles Galaxy152451743 12.5 188.0
8Columbus Crew152441772 13.0 194.5
9Kansas City Wizards143021550 15.5 217.5
10San Jose Earthquakes143211911 15.6 218.5
11Real Salt Lake153231651 15.0 225.5
12New York Red Bulls182552132 12.6 226.5
13D.C. United163221921 14.3 229.0
14Seattle Sounders FC163551861 16.8 268.0
15Chivas USA153732080 18.8 282.0

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.