Player Ballot
Eligibility Criteria
In order to be eligible in the Player category an individual must have met Number 1 and either Number 2 or Number 3 of the following criteria:
- Retired as a player for at least three full calendar years but no more than 10 years.
- Played at least 20 full international games for the United States. This requirement is reduced to 10 games if the games were prior to 1990.
- Played at least 5 seasons in an American first-division professional league and was selected as a league all-star at least once.
Players who have met either Number 2 or Number 3 of the above criteria but who retired more than 10 years ago are automatically placed on the Veterans eligibility list.
Any player named on less than 5 percent of the ballots is dropped from the eligibility list and placed on the Veterans list when he/she meets the Veterans' eligibility criteria. (effective with the 2007 ballot results)
Selection Committee
The Committee consists of all present and former coaches of the Men's and Women's full National Team; all active MLS coaches with a minimum of 4 years as Head Coach; MLS management representatives; MLS Commissioner; U.S. Soccer Secretary General; designated members of the media; all Hall of Famers.
Procedure
Committee members may vote for up to 10 candidates from the ballot. No write-in votes will be counted.
Election Criteria
Any player named on at least 66.7% of the ballots cast is elected.
If no player meets the new election threshold, a second round ballot will be conducted among those voters who participated in the initial round of balloting. The five players who received the most votes in the first round will be placed on the second ballot. Voters will be asked to rank the players on a 5-4-3-2-1 basis with 5 being the most deserving player. The player who receives the most points will be elected to the Hall of Fame. If there is a tie for most points, all those tied will be elected to the Hall of Fame.
Approved by the Board of Directors May, 2008
Effective with the 2009 elections
Veteran Player Ballot
Eligibility Criteria
In order to be eligible in the Veteran category a player must have met Number 1 and either Number 2 or 3 of the following criteria.
Players whose eligibility in the Player category has expired are automatically placed on the Veterans eligibility list.
- Retired as a player for more than 10 years.
- Played at least 20 full international games for the United States. This requirement is reduced to 10 games if the games were prior to 1990.
- Played at least 5 seasons in an American first-division professional league and was selected as a league all-star at least once.
Screening Committee
The committee consists of approximately 16 Hall of Famers
Procedure
Each member may cast up to 10 ranked votes to create the Final Ballot. The Final Ballot can contain up to 15 candidates.
Selection Committee
The committee consists of all Hall of Famers
Procedure
Each member may cast up to 5 votes from the Final Ballot. No write-in votes will be counted.
Election Criteria
The veteran who is named on the most ballots is elected, with a minimum of 50% required for election.
More than one may be elected in the event of a tie.
Approved by the Board of Directors May, 2008.
Effective with the 2009 elections.
Builder Ballot
Eligibility Criteria
In order to be eligible in this category, an individual must have made his/her mark in soccer in a non-playing capacity and had a major, sustained and positive impact on US soccer on a national or first division professional level. Examples are owners, administrators, coaches and referees. Candidates must be at least 50 years of age (posthumous candidates may be considered as an exception) and deemed to have contributed at the requisite level for a minimum of 10 years. In the case of referees a minimum of 7 years on the FIFA list is required.
An exception may be made in the case of those who are deemed to have made exceptional contributions beyond their active refereeing career, or who have particularly distinguished themselves without attaining the required 7 years. Referees on the eligibility list as of 2007 are grandfathered.
Due to the broad general nature of the criteria, nominations for this category may be considered. Nominations are screened by the Hall Historian and Hall Researcher who submit their recommendations to the Hall as to the appropriateness of the nominee's inclusion on the eligibility list.
Review Committee
The committee shall consist of 5-7 members reasonably representative of the various categories of candidates on the Eligibility List. It is responsible for reviewing the Eligibility List and ensuring that no obvious candidate has been overlooked.
Screening Committee
The committee shall consist of approximately 16 Hall of Famers.
Procedure
Each member may cast up to 10 ranked votes to create the Final Ballot. The Final Ballot can contain up to 10 candidates.
Selection Committee
The committee consists of: U.S. Soccer Director of Officials; MLS management representatives; MLS Commissioner; U.S. Soccer Secretary General; all Hall of Famers.
Procedure
Each committee member may cast up to 5 votes from the Final Ballot. No write-in votes will be counted.
Election Criteria
The candidate who is named on the most ballots cast is elected, with a minimum of 50% required for election.
One Builder may be elected annually. More than one may be elected in the event of a tie.
Approved by the Board of Directors on April 28, 2007.
Effective with the 2008 elections, except where noted.
