11月1日，24直播网报道，次日早上8时，迈阿密国际队将在美职联第33轮比赛中客场挑战新英格兰革命队。尽管梅西在上轮比赛中领到了本赛季的第5张黄牌，按照常规他应当停赛一场，然而实际情况是，他无需停赛。这得益于美职联长期实施的一项纪律条例，即连续五场比赛未曾受到黄牌警告的球员，其黄牌累积数将相应减少。
在美职联中，实施了针对运动员“良好行为”的奖励机制。
在连续五场比赛中，若球员未遭遇黄牌或红牌警告，亦未遭受额外处罚，其累积黄牌计数将自动减去一张。值得注意的是，球员的累积黄牌计数不会降至零以下，而“优良行为激励”机制至多能够将累积黄牌计数归零。在美职联常规赛的整个赛季中，这一奖励机制最多能够自动激活三次。
Upon accumulating his third yellow card during the season, a player stands to have one deducted from his tally should he participate in five consecutive matches without incurring any further disciplinary actions or yellow cards. Presently, in the MLS regular season, the athlete has two opportunities to earn a "good conduct bonus." Should the player remain card-free and penalty-free across the following five fixtures, his total yellow card count would decrease by one more, resulting in just one caution and one remaining chance to secure the conduct incentive.
奖励机制中的“优良表现认可”仅在赛事落幕之际方始启动。
在当前美职联赛季中，阿根廷球星梅西在29场赛事中遭遇了5次黄牌警告，然而，他凭借出色的表现，两次成功激活了“优秀行为激励”条款，连续五场比赛未曾遭受黄牌、红牌警告或额外的纪律性惩罚。
经过两次黄牌减免，他的累积黄牌总数已降低至两张。尽管在辛辛那提队的比赛中他收获了本赛季的第五张黄牌，但按照官方累积统计，他的黄牌总数仅为三张。这一情况表明，他尚未触及累积五张黄牌将被停赛的界限，因此他仍具备在次日与新英格兰革命队的比赛中出场的资格。
Prior to the commencement of the 2025 season, the United States' National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) also adopted a comparable rule. This marks another instance within North American football where a disciplinary incentive system is being employed to foster ongoing exemplary conduct among players.