How do MLS financial bonuses work? A look at one player's contract

How do financial bonuses in MLS work? It’s a good question this time of year as we get closer to the MLS Cup final on December 6. SI.com obtained the contract

How do financial bonuses in MLS work?

It’s a good question this time of year as we get closer to the MLS Cup final on December 6. SI.com obtained the contract information of one player whose team is still alive in the conference finals.

The player’s base salary is less than $100,000.

Keep in mind:

• If a player gets a share of the bonus for winning the Supporters' Shield, he does not get an additional bonus for being the conference champion.

• Per the new collective bargaining agreement, MLS has a 401(k) match that operates on a sliding scale. Even if players don’t contribute to their 401(k), they do receive a percentage match.

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• Start bonuses are close to standard for players earning less than a $100,000 base salary.

• Per the new CBA, all players not on the senior roster (occupying roster slots 21-28) have start bonuses as part of their contracts.

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Below are the details in the player's contract. In the top section are the player-specific bonuses for the given player, which vary around the league. The bottom two sections are for team bonuses. On the left is the per-player breakdown, while the center details the team-wide amounts received from the league: