EVENT OVERVIEW:
The 2024 MLS All-Stars take on LIGA MX, competing against each other over the course of 5 fun and entertaining Skills Challenges. There will also be an MLS All-Star Goalie Wars competition, featuring four MLS NEXT Pro goalkeepers, that will not factor towards the overall event winner.
ROSTER COMPOSITION:
The MLS All-Star Skills Challenge will feature 10-player rosters for MLS and LIGA MX comprised of eight field players and two goalkeepers. Players named to the MLS All-Stars Skills Challenge do not have to be from the 2024 MLS All-Star Game roster.
Four of the top goalkeepers playing in MLS NEXT Pro will compete against one another in the MLS All-Star Goalie Wars competition.
CHALLENGE NAMES :
- MLS All-Star Shooting Challenge presented by AT&T
- MLS All-Star Touch Challenge presented by Crest
- MLS All-Star Cross & Volley Challenge presented by AT&T
- MLS All-Star Passing Challenge presented by Old Spice
- MLS All-Star Crossbar Challenge presented by GilletteLabs
- MLS All-Star Goalie Wars featuring MLS NEXT Pro goalkeepers
CHALLENGE RULES:
MLS All-Star Shooting Challenge presented by AT&T
To kick off the show, players will aim to hit as many of the 12 targets as possible in the allocated time to rack up points for their team
Timing: 6 minutes total – 3 rounds of 60 seconds per team
Players: 3 players per team
Rules & Scoring:
- Per round, each player has 60 seconds to score as many points as possible.
- 11 fixed Targets with 10, 5, 2-point values - each target may be hit once.
- During the last 20 seconds, a moving 20-point AT&T logo target begins motion.
- The round ends when time expires, or every target is hit. If player hits the moving target with time left, they can continue shooting at active targets.
- The team that scores the most points wins 1 point towards their overall score.
MLS All-Star Touch Challenge presented by Crest
Utilizing a skeeball scoring apparatus with varying values, players must control crosses and place volleyed balls coming from various angles into the targets, including from a ball launcher behind the apparatus.
Timing: 6 minutes total – 2 rounds of 90 seconds per team
Players: 8 players per team, 4 players per round (2 passers, 2 receivers)
|Rules & Scoring:
- The receivers field 15 balls
- 5 balls at teammates feet on left and ride sides = 10 balls
- 5 orange balls from launcher behind apparatus
- Receivers must control and kick balls from each location (right, left, launcher) and score on apparatus
- Skeeball setup will feature 20, 10, 5, and 2 point values (the orange goalkeeper balls are worth double whatever it lands in)
- The team that scores the most points wins 1 point towards their overall score
MLS All-Star Cross & Volley Challenge presented by AT&T
Creativity and skill will be on display, as players connect with a teammate to score goals in style. The more style, the more points.
Timing: 4 minutes total – 2 rounds of 60 seconds per team
Players: 8 players per team, 4 players per round (2 passers, 1 shooter, 1 opposing goalie)
Rules & Scoring:
- Each goal that goes in is worth:
- 20 points for a bicycle or scissor kick goal
- 15 points for a standard one-time goal
- 10 points for a control touch and goal (can’t hit ground)
- 5 points for Half Volley (hits ground once)
- The team that scores the most points wins 1 point towards their overall score.
MLS All-Star Passing Challenge presented by Old Spice
With a myriad of targets spread across the field, players must spray their passes with pinpoint accuracy in a race against their opponent to earn big points. One MLS player and one opposing player per team will compete head-to-head in up to three 60-second rounds.
Timing: 3 minutes total – 3 rounds of 60 seconds per team
Players: 3 players per team, 2 players competing head-to-head per round
Rules & Scoring:
- Players race to knock out all 4 targets in their zone and make the Final Pass to earn the point for their team
- Once they hit a target, that target is no longer in play
- First player to break the paper on the 5th target wins the round
- If both players have the same number of targets hit after time, the whistle blows to stop them. The ref will blow the whistle to restart and the first to hit the final target wins the point.
- The team that wins 2/3 rounds wins one point towards their overall score.
MLS All-Star Crossbar Challenge presented by GilletteLabs
The final chance to deliver for your team, this skill will be sure to test players' nerve with everything on the line in the deciding event, with both teams participating simultaneously.
Timing: 2-6 minutes total – one round with both teams competing at the same time
Players: 7 players per team, including all 4 goalkeepers
Rules & Scoring:
- Going into this event, overall score will be 4-0, 3-1, or 2-2
- To win Skills Challenge, you must be the first team to hit The Victory Shot from Zone 2.
- Regardless of score going into this challenge, each team has a chance to win the overall event based on performance at this time
- Teams begin by alternating chips from the 18, with each crossbar hit earning 1 point
- Teams must reach 5 total points to unlock Zone 2 – if entering tied 2-2, each must hit 3 crossbars. If MLS 3-1, MLS must hit 2 crossbars and Arsenal 4, etc.
- When a team reaches 5 points from the 18, they move off their mark (back to the holding area in midfield, prep for potential winning moment) and now Zone 2 starts shooting The Victory Shot
- The first team to hit the Victory Shot from Zone 2 will win 2024 MLS All-Star Skills Challenge presented by AT&T.
MLS All-Star Goalie Wars featuring MLS NEXT Pro goalkeepers
|The return of a fan favorite, Goalie Wars pits MLS NEXT Pro goalkeepers against each other as they look to defend their nets while scoring against their opponents in a back-and-forth battle featuring volleys, saves, and fast-paced action.
Timing: 4.5 minutes total – 3 rounds of 90 seconds per round mixed in throughout in-stadium run of show
Players: 4 MLS NEXT Pro goalkeepers, 2 players per round in a single elimination tournament
Rules & Scoring:
- Keepers try to protect their goal while attempting to score on their opponent by throwing, kicking, or drop-kicking the ball over a 90 second timed round.
- The highest seeded keeper will start with the ball in each round
- The No. 1 seeded keeper will play in the second semi-final match
- The keeper with the most goals at the end of the clock wins
- The highest seeded keeper will start with the ball in each round
- A shot must be taken within six seconds of recovering the ball, and within the 15-foot box
- Balls that are deflected over or wide of the goal or that deflect back toward the opposing keeper will be returned to the attacking keeper
- In the case of a tie, the keeper who DID NOT start with the ball in regulation will start with it in OT
- The first keeper to score wins.
- If the first attempt is scored, the keeper who just conceded will get an attempt at goal to tie it and extend the OT
- After both keepers have attempted one shot in OT, the next keeper to score is declared the winner
