counts as $335,000 for the salary cap, down from $415,000 under the previous agreement, and only counts as half that amount if the player is signed during the middle of the season. Teams can use allocation money to reduce the salary cap value of a Designated Player. Teams are no longer allowed to trade for additional Designated Player spots, so the New York Red Bulls will receive $70,000 of allocation money in exchange for effectively nullifying their earlier trade with Chivas USA for a second Designated Player spot. Teams who have a Designated Player transfer out of the country during the MLS season will recoup a portion of the money spent on the Designated Player. Landon Donovan is no longer grandfathered into the agreement, and must be counted as a Designated Player. Unlike the previous Designated Player agreement, which was set to expire after three seasons, this agreement has no set expiration date. The new Designated Player rule resulted in an explosion of DP signings in 2010, with the league boasting 13 Designated Players at the conclusion of the regular season (Omar Bravo signed with Kansas City in the summer of 2010 but remained with his previous club Guadalajara for the remainder of the season). Managerial Changes Personnel Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players and Managers may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Collective Bargaining Agreement After two extensions to facilitate additional talks, the collective bargaining agreement between the league and the players' union expired February 25, 2010. The league had said that it would not lockout the players. The union had voted in favor of a strike if a new deal was not reached before the beginning of the season. Players were seeking free-agent rights and more guaranteed contracts from the league. On March 20, 2010, MLS and the Players' Union agreed on a new, 5-year collective bargaining agreement that allowed the season to start on time. Competition format The format for the 2010 season was as follows: The season began on March 25 and ended on November 21 with MLS Cup 2010. The 16 teams were split evenly into two conferences. The Eastern Conference has eight teams with the addition of the Philadelphia Union, and the Western Conference also has eight teams. For the first time in league history, the season had a balanced schedule where each team playing every