It’s a simple question, but the answer that follows is endlessly complicated.

How much experience is enough to take over the role of an MLS team’s personnel czar? And does the position require MLS playing experience?

Every team has its own answer. Some reword the question entirely. Of the league’s 20 current teams, 12 employ what they call a “technical director.” Five more list their front office personnel gurus as general managers, while the Dynamo’s Matt Jordan (GM/Vice President) and Garth Lagerwey (GM/President) have their own unique handles. The Vancouver Whitecaps, meanwhile, don’t have a GM or a TD. Greg Anderson’s “VP of Soccer Operations” handle is as close as it gets, but the ‘Caps also employ a president and a “Head of Analysis & Scouting.”

For most of these clubs, the distinction between GM and TD is academic. Almost like choosing to call it a field or a pitch. One has traditionally American undertones, the other does not (and in fact, NYCFC and Orlando City both refer to “sporting directors” instead of “technical directors,” but we’ve given them the benefit of the doubt).

But the business of being an overall manager of personnel in MLS is arguably the most difficult of its kind anywhere in the world. MLS has neither a long-established acquisition rule mechanism like traditional American sports (or a clear one), nor does it have the unfettered spending and limitless scouting potential of most every world soccer league. So technical directors are forced to navigate a virtual Marianna’s Trench of information regarding what’s permissible while dealing with a stifling cap that rules out all but three big DP signings. And even those, as men like Fernando Clavijo at FCD and Craig Waibel at RSL know (or will know in the latter case), aren’t givens.

Perhaps as a result of this, MLS technical directors largely mirror the league in which they serve: young and unproven. Further, nearly all of them played in MLS before beginning their tenures behind the desk. Of the 19 named general managers or technical directors in MLS, 14 played in MLS. A total of 73 percent. Portland’s Gavin Wilkinson had an extended playing career with the Timbers, but his playing experience came in USL, not MLS, so he’s been excluded.

Further, technical directors in MLS have an average experience level of 3.2 seasons in that specific position. Entering the 2015 season, eight technical directors have either one or zero years experience in that role. While Atlanta doesn’t join MLS until 2017, recently announced technical director Carlos Bocanegra makes nine.

To be clear, lack of direct experience does not preclude a technical director from being successful. In fact, MLS gets credit in one back-alley way for giving chances to up-and-comers. In lieu of big bucks to splash on internationally renowned directors, MLS clubs have to be shrewd. In equal measure, they also have to reach for candidates who understand the league.

But on a back room level, MLS clubs are more comfortable handing off the reins to inexperienced managers, many of whom have never performed the exact duties of the offices they assume. On one level, you understand. MLS is a young league. You identify talent and push it along, whether the direct experience is there or not. On another, the duties of a GM are comically difficult, and they require a good amount of operational know-how.

By the same token, MLS clubs looking within MLS inner circles for GMs makes sense on one hand while being loaded with pitfalls on the other. One of the challenges of a league without much of an outsize revenue stream. There’s no question that having MLS experience is a benefit, but to the tune of 73 percent? That’s a hefty total. At the risk of quoting Arrigo Sacchi here, “I never realized that to be a jockey you had to be a horse first.”

Here’s a glimpse at a list of the league’s technical directors, GMs and personnel chiefs and some notes on the standouts. It’s important to note that this position is a general notion in MLS. Teams are under no obligation to hire inside a role specifically labeled “technical director” or “general manager.” Some clubs rely on strong-arm GMs like Garth Lagerwey to a fault. Others, like Vancouver, spread the burden. In most cases TD and GM titles are interchangeable, but different teams use the title differently. Confusing? Welcome to MLS.

Chicago Fire: Brian Bliss (7 seasons)

Colorado Rapids: Paul Bravo (2 seasons)

Columbus Crew: Gregg Berhalter (1 season)

D.C. United: Dave Kasper (12 seasons) – GM title

I haven’t listed Kasper’s exact time in his role (it’s “12 years”) because D.C.’s leadership structure is opaque at best. Kasper was the franchise’s technical director for five years before being reassigned as the GM in 2007. That’s where he’s been ever since, which included overseeing a short Chad Ashton stint as the actual TD, a role that apparently doesn’t exist at DCU right now. Still, Kasper’s been involved with player acquisition in some capacity at D.C. since 2002. That’d be the longest tenure for any technical director in the league, but Kasper’s nebulous role isn’t so easy to define.

FC Dallas: Fernando Clavijo (3 seasons)

Houston Dynamo: Matt Jordan (1 season) – GM/VP title

LA Galaxy: Jovan Kirovski (2 seasons)

Montreal Impact: Adam Braz (0 seasons)

The Impact took a flier on Braz after losing Matt Jordan to Houston. Jordan’s signing was interesting, considering he’d only spent one year as the technical directer in Montreal and the season was a catastrophic dumpster fire. At 33, Braz is the youngest TD in MLS, and he has plenty to prove. He’s only been retired since 2011. Age isn’t a determinate of success, but experience can be, and Braz won’t be eased into the water with a 2014 disaster on his hands.

New England Revolution: Mike Burns (2 seasons) – GM title

NYCFC: Claudio Reyna (0 seasons)

Reyna’s position with NYCFC is one of the most intriguing of its kind in MLS. Whether or not it wants to admit its position as a little brother to Manchester City, the English mothership will continue to farm out young players on loan and provide easy DP targets. But Reyna has the burden of money on his side, which means his expectations will balloon from the jump. Considering his lack of experience in this role, it’s unclear how he handles it or even his approach. The Lampard deal was a glory signing from a prior MLS era, but players like Mix can work. Reyna understands the area, which is nice, but it was a risky deal.

New York Red Bulls: Ali Curtis (0 seasons)

Orlando City: Paul McDonough (0 seasons) – GM title

Philadelphia Union: Chris Albright (1 season)

Portland Timbers: Gavin Wilkinson (8 seasons) – GM title

Wilkinson’s history with the GM role goes back to Portland’s USL days, where he served jointly as the coach and GM from 2007-2010. This makes him the second-longest tenured GM/TD in MLS, and he’s firmly in the Old Boys Club as one of the most experienced. Acquisitions like Diego Valeri and Darlington Nagbe earn him stripes, but he has to prove he can find defenders before he’s earned Lagerwey Status.

Real Salt Lake: Craig Waibel (0 seasons)

San Jose Earthquakes: John Doyle (7 seasons) – GM title

Seattle Sounders: Garth Lagerwey (7 seasons) – GM/President title

Lagerwey is the unquestioned gold standard among MLS GMs, and the Sounders are presumably set up for years with him running their technical board room. To watch Lagerwey stampede over the floor of the MLS SuperDraft in 2015 to eventually secure Cristian Roldan at No. 16 overall was to watch a Dutch Master putting the finishing flurries on his next masterwork. That dispelled any notion that he wasn’t still at the top of his craft. With so much inexperience at this position in MLS, Lagerwey is worth his weight in gold.

Sporting KC: Peter Vermes (8 seasons)

Vermes is the longest serving head coach in MLS who also serves at this level of technical capacity. Say what you want about Bruce Arena having Jovan Kirovski on a string (which probably isn’t fair to either man), but no MLS team owns the level of vertical integration that SKC has over the past six seasons. That’s good for Vermes – as long as SKC is winning. While he has plenty of FO help, Vermes has the ultimate say on all personnel matters before they filter to the ownership level. Which means that if things turn sour, Vermes has a lot to answer for. That said, it’s hard to fault his approach. SKC seems to continually find and produce top players. Winning Roger Espinoza back alone should earn Vermes a couple shillings.

Toronto FC: Tim Bezbatchenko (1 season)

Tim Leiweke called Bez a “capologist” when he was brought on board before the 2014 season. That may well be true. Bez’s time in the MLS front office afforded him a bird’s eye view into how the sausage is made. But it certainly didn’t buy him any classes in building team chemistry. To be fair to Bez, Nelsen was already on board by the time he arrived, but the Jermain Defoe disaster falls at least partially at his feet. That said, Bez has done lovely work getting big players to Toronto. MLS needs more nerdy whiz kids running front offices like him.

Vancouver Whitecaps: N/A

The Whitecaps have the most decentralized front office in MLS. Since Tom Soehn left in 2012, Vancouver’s personnel department looks more like an integrated brainstorming session than a single man handing off edicts. Soehn left as the President of Soccer Operations, and according to Vancouver’s website that position still does not exist. Greg Anderson’s role as VP of Soccer Operations is closest, and he’s probably the closest thing Vancouver has to a technical director. But you can’t leave out Daniel Stenz, the team’s head of analysis and scouting. Can’t leave out president Bob Lenarduzzi either, who has GM experience as well.