11月1日，24直播网报道：次日清晨8时，美职联第33轮赛事中，迈阿密国际队即将客场挑战新英格兰革命队。尽管梅西在前一轮比赛中领到了本赛季第五张黄牌，按照常规他将面临一场停赛，然而他实际上将免除停赛处罚。这一结果得益于美职联长期实施的纪律条例，该规定指出，球员在连续五场比赛中未受到黄牌警告时，其累积的黄牌数量将相应减少。
美国职业足球联赛实施了“优秀行为激励”政策。
在连续五场比赛中未遭受黄牌或红牌警告，亦未遭遇额外处罚的情况下，球员的累积黄牌数将自动减去一张。值得注意的是，累积黄牌数不会低于零，"优秀表现奖励"最高可将累积黄牌数归零。在美职联常规赛的整个赛季中，这种奖励机制最多能自动激活三次。
Upon receiving the third yellow card in a single season, a player has the potential to have one deducted from their total if they participate in five consecutive matches without incurring any further disciplinary actions or receiving additional penalties. Currently, the athlete has two more chances to qualify for the "good conduct bonus" in the MLS regular season. Should the player remain uncarded and penalty-free throughout the next five matches, their total yellow card count would decrease by one more, leaving them with just one caution and one remaining opportunity for the good conduct reward.
奖励机制中的“优良表现认可”仅在赛事圆满落幕之后启动实施。
在美职联本赛季的征程中，阿根廷球星梅西在29场比赛中遭遇了5次黄牌警告。然而，他凭借出色的表现，两次成功激活了“优良行为奖励”机制，两次实现了连续五场赛事零黄牌、零红牌，且未受到额外纪律制裁。
通过这两次黄牌减免，他的累积黄牌总数得以削减了两张。尽管在辛辛那提的比赛中他收获了本赛季的第五张黄牌，但按照官方累计的黄牌记录，他目前仅有三张黄牌。这表明他尚未触及五张黄牌累计停赛的界限，从而确保了他能够在次日与新英格兰革命的比赛中继续参赛。
In anticipation of the 2025 season, the United States' National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) has also adopted a comparable rule change. This marks yet another instance in North American soccer where a disciplinary incentive system is being employed to foster sustained exemplary conduct among athletes.