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Tournaments Feb 17, 2015

US Youth Soccer sets qualification standards for 2015-16 National League

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FRISCO, Texas (Via US Youth Soccer) — The US Youth Soccer National League has announced its qualification parameters for the 2015-16 season, as teams will once again qualify for the league through success in the previous year’s US Youth Soccer National League, US Youth Soccer Regional Leagues and US Youth Soccer Regional Championships — integrating the organization’s most competitive club team programs.

The National League is designed to reward teams for developing elite talent that can earn success in US Youth Soccer Regional Leagues and Regional Championships, as the top finishing teams in these competitions directly qualify for the National League.

The league’s qualification format provides teams with an opportunity to test themselves against some of the toughest competition in the country, as each team has to earn its place in the National League based on league or cup success.

“The current qualification system helps to ensure the US Youth Soccer National League is the best and most competitive league for male and female athletes in the United States,” US Youth Soccer National League Commissioner Paul Luchowski said. “As the National League and US Youth Soccer Regional Leagues continue to evolve, we look forward to our ninth season of play commencing this coming December.”

With the US Youth Soccer Southern Regional Premier League joining the Region I Champions League, Midwest Regional League (MRL) and Far West Regional League (FWRL) in featuring the Under-13 age group, the National League Under-14 Boys and Girls age groups will each feature eight Regional League qualification spots in 2015-16 — two more than the previous season.

In addition to the eight teams who advanced to the National Championships via the National League and Regional Championships, the allocation of National League slots to Regional League finishers will be as follows.

In the Boys and Girls Under-16, Under-17 and Under-18 age groups, the 16 available slots in each gender age group shall be filled as follows*:

Team’s Origin Category Competition Result from 2014-15 (As U15-17 Teams)
1 National League NL 2014-15 First Place Team–Blue Division
2 National League NL 2014-15 Second Place Team–Blue Division
3 National League NL 2014-15 First Place Team–Red Division
4 National League NL 2014-15 Second Place Team–Red Division
5 Region I RL 2015 Champions League Division I Champion
6 Region I RL 2015 Champions League Division I Playoff Runner-up
7 Region II RL 2015 MRL Premier I Division Red (Boys) or 2014 Fall Champion (Girls)
8 Region II RL 2015 MRL Premier I Division Blue (Boys) or 2015 Spring Champion (Girls)
9 Region III RL Fall 2014 SRPL First Place
10 Region III RL Fall 2014 SRPL Second Place
11 Region IV RL 2014-15 FWRL Representative
12 Region IV RL 2014-15 FWRL Representative
13 Region I CUP Regional Cup Representative to 2015 Nationals
14 Region II CUP Regional Cup Representative to 2015 Nationals
15 Region III CUP Regional Cup Representative to 2015 Nationals
16 Region IV CUP Regional Cup Representative to 2015 Nationals

In the Boys and Girls Under-15 age group, the 16 available slots shall be filled as follows*:

Team’s Origin Category Competition Result from 2014-15 (As U-14 Team)
1 National League NL 2014-15 First Place Team–Blue Division
2 National League NL 2014-15 Second Place Team–Blue Division
3 National League NL 2014-15 First Place Team–Red Division
4 National League NL 2014-15 Second Place Team–Red Division
5 Region I RL 2015 Champions League Division I Champion
6 Region I RL 2015 Champions League Division I Playoff Runner-up
7 Region II RL 2015 Spring MRL Premier I Division Blue Champion
8 Region II RL 2015 Spring MRL Premier I Division Red Champion
9 Region III RL 2014-15 SRPL Representative
10 Region III RL 2014-15 SRPL Representative
11 Region IV RL 2014-15 FWRL Representative
12 Region IV RL 2014-15 FWRL Representative
13 Region I CUP Regional Cup Representative to 2015 Nationals
14 Region II CUP Regional Cup Representative to 2015 Nationals
15 Region III CUP Regional Cup Representative to 2015 Nationals
16 Region IV CUP Regional Cup Representative to 2015 Nationals

In the Boys and Girls Under-14 age group, the 16 available slots shall be filled as follows*:

Team’s Origin Category Competition Result from 2014-15 (As U-13 Team)
1 Region I RL 2015 Champions League Division I Champion
2 Region I RL 2015 Champions League Division I Playoff Runner-up
3 Region II RL 2015 Spring MRL Premier I Division Blue Champion
4 Region II RL 2015 Spring MRL Premier I Division Red Champion
5 Region III RL 2015 SRPL East Champion
6 Region III RL 2015 SRPL West Champion
7 Region IV RL 2014-15 FWRL Representative
8 Region IV RL 2014-15 FWRL Representative
9 Region I CUP Regional Cup Representative to 2015 Nationals
10 Region II CUP Regional Cup Representative to 2015 Nationals
11 Region III CUP Regional Cup Representative to 2015 Nationals
12 Region IV CUP Regional Cup Representative to 2015 Nationals
13 Region I OPEN From Open Applications
14 Region II OPEN From Open Applications
15 Region III OPEN From Open Applications
16 Region IV OPEN From Open Applications

*If a team opts out of the earned slot or if a team earns a second guaranteed slot then the slot becomes an OPEN category slot.

For a list of 2015-16 National League qualifiers, click here.

Should any team opt out of its earned slot, or if a team earns a second guaranteed slot, then the initial slot becomes an ‘open’ slot. Due to no returning National League teams in the Under-14 Boys and Girls age groups, those slots will be open. Teams can apply for any open slots, which will be filled by the National League Committee selection.

The application period for all qualified teams and those teams wishing to apply for open slots will begin around June 9, and the deadline for submitting an application will be July 3. All teams that qualify for the 2015-16 National League are required to submit an application to claim their slot. Information on the 2015-16 National League season, including team fees will be posted soon at USYouthSoccer.org/National_League/.