Hours after the conclusion of the Chivas USA Dispersal Draft, MLS posted the rules for the 2014 Expansion Draft in which NYCFC and Orlando City will select a portion of their first roster. In an effort to build these squads, both teams will be given ten picks to select players from around the league.

Orlando City will have the first pick and the teams will alternate picks from that point on. To keep it fair across the league, the other teams in MLS will be able to protect 11 players from their final roster in the 2014 season and can only have a total of two players taken, one by each expansion team.

As with all things MLS, the Expansion Draft is no exception to the complicated rules designed to increase parity and build the brand. Hopefully this will help clear up the major questions that arise during this process.

The first big item to note is that Designated Players are not automatically protected. Teams will need to protect a DP if they do not want to risk having him taken. However there are two groups that do receive immunity in the draft. Generation Adidas players that have not graduated, that is chosen to become full members of the senior roster, and Homegrown players that are still part of the supplemental roster are automatically protected.

MLS has also laid down rules on which players must be protected. Any player that has a no-trade clause in his contract is required to be protected to prevent a breach of contract. In order to keep the system fair, teams protect these players to avoid going beyond the 11 protected players mark. Each team must also protect a minimum of three international players on their roster in order to meet league roster requirements. If a team has less than four international players, they may only leave one player unprotected and must protect the rest.

Out of contract players by the end of the 2014 season will still be considered part of the last contracted team's roster. If that team wants to retain the Right of First Refusal in future dealings, they will need to protect the player. These players being selected in the expansion draft will avoid the Re-Entry Draft and negotiate a contract with their new club.

Retiring players are not considered a part of the previous team's roster for draft purposes and no protection status is needed.

Finally, once this process is complete, both NYCFC and Orlando City will be able to negotiate new contracts with these players. All previous contractual obligations, including Designated Player status, can be negotiated. By drafting these players, the clubs also bypass several league rules pertaining to negotiation of contracts which involve placing a player on waivers or giving the previous club the right of first refusal.

All teams that lose one or two players will be given Allocation Money by the league as compensation.

This year's expansion draft will take place on December 10th.