Liga MX: Clubs try to adapt to new minors rule

Will the new Liga MX Minors Rule make a major impact or be a major problem? Some clubs are skeptical of the new rule changes.

Will the new LIga MX Minors Rule make a Major Impact or Be a Major Problem? Some clubs are skeptical of the new rule changes.With the opening of the 2018 Apertura, Liga MX instituted a rule mandating each club give players born in 1997 or after at least 765 minutes of playing time during this part of the season and rising to 1000 minutes for the 2019 Clausura.

The hope from the league is that Mexican prospects will get more opportunity, rather than clubs continue to bring in foreign players. Teams that fail to comply will be given a 3 point penalty.

Will the rule will accomplish what it intends or is mandating minutes for young players a good way to water down the competition and actually lose players and coaches?

The rule is similar to the 20/11 rule that was in place from 2005 to 2011. While the intent is to produce more players like Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez, not everyone is so sure that the 20/11 rule is the reason players like him came along.

For example, Tuca Ferretti has already criticized the rule, telling ESPN’s Tom Marshall:

"“Youngsters have to play because they are ready and because they have talent and are adequately trained,” he said. “For example, the boy Jonathan [Gonzalez from Monterrey] has talent and is well-trained, so he had to play, he played and then [won] rookie of the year and everything.“Those are the players that we should produce and they won’t come out because [the league] imposes [a rule]. That’s what I think. There will be a lot of debuts, but a lot of firings as well because if [the youngsters] aren’t talented and trained maybe they will be there for a year and later we’ll never hear of them again.”"

Ferretti has essentially said he doesn’t currently plan to be altering his ways because of the rule, despite the announced three-point penalty.

His Tigres may be better off not worrying about the rule. The average age on the squad is about 26-years-old, and that is after pulling up 5 from Tigres UANL U20. Playing some of these U20s at the expense of players like another new signing, Guido Pizarro, is not necessarily a recipe for success.

Teams may benefit off the pitch, however, as there is some exciting talent in the league that could garner a lot more attention. There may be some diamonds coaches have been hesitant to play that now get their shot to show the world what they can do. The infusion of younger players could add to the speed and excitement of the game, though it could make things a bit more sloppy because of the youth.

One week into the Apertura hasn’t produced much in the way of analysis of the rule’s effectiveness and impact. It is a story to watch as the season progresses, however. How much effect will it have on the final table?