United States soccer league system#Men's Division III

{{Short description|Series of professional and amateur soccer leagues}}

{{Infobox league system

| image = File:2024 US Division 1 professional soccer teams.png

| image_size = 250px

| caption = USSF Division I soccer clubs of the United States and Canada (2024).

| country2 = United States

| sport2 = Soccer

| pr = No

| federation = United States Soccer Federation

| confederation = CONCACAF

| top = {{Unbulleted list|

}}

| second = USL Championship (men)

| cup = {{Unbulleted list|

U.S. Open Cup (men)
Challenge Cup (women)

}}

The United States soccer league system is a series of professional and amateur soccer leagues based, in whole or in part, in the United States. Although sometimes called the American soccer pyramid, teams and leagues are not linked by a system of promotion and relegation as is common in other countries. Instead, the United States Soccer Federation (USSF or U.S. Soccer) defines professional leagues in three levels, called divisions, with all other leagues sanctioned by the USSF not having an official designated level or division.

For practical and historical reasons, some teams from Bermuda, Canada, and Puerto Rico (considered a separate country by FIFA) can also compete in these leagues. However, these teams are not eligible for the U.S. Open Cup and cannot represent the United States in the CONCACAF Champions Cup because they are not affiliated with U.S. Soccer.

Structure

No professional league in any of the major pro sports leagues in the U.S. or Canada uses a system of promotion and relegation.{{cite news |url=http://www.sportingnews.com/soccer/story/2014-10-09/us-soccer-mls-nasl-promotion-relegation-jurgen-klinsmann |title=Jurgen Klinsmann backs promotion-relegation system for American soccer |publisher=Sporting News |date=October 9, 2014 |first=Ives |last=Galarcep |access-date=January 27, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180814144630/http://www.sportingnews.com/us/soccer/news/us-soccer-mls-nasl-promotion-relegation-jurgen-klinsmann/10zjsxuf6dpoq12u1yjvkxwuid |archive-date=2018-08-14}} The country's governing body for the sport, the United States Soccer Federation (also known as the USSF or U.S. Soccer), oversees the league system and is responsible for sanctioning professional leagues. The leagues themselves are responsible for admitting and administering individual teams. Amateur soccer in the United States is regulated by the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA), the only amateur soccer organization sanctioned by the USSF. Automatic promotion and relegation between its leagues, as exists in many other national league systems, was considered by United Soccer League, but was never implemented; although voluntary promotion and relegation has occurred.{{cite news |title = Q&A with USL Vice President Tim Holt |url = http://www.uslsoccer.com/home/129515.html |publisher = United Soccer Leagues |date = April 21, 2006 |access-date = July 15, 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060423173009/http://www.uslsoccer.com/home/129515.html |archive-date = April 23, 2006 |url-status = dead

}} Some amateur leagues sanctioned by the USASA also use promotion and relegation systems within multiple levels of their leagues. However, there has never been a merit-based promotion system offered to the USASA's "national" leagues, the NPSL and League Two.

College soccer in the United States is sanctioned by bodies outside the direct control of the USSF, the most important of which is the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). See NCAA Division I women's soccer programs, NCAA Division I men's soccer programs, and NCAA Division II men's soccer programs for a list of college soccer programs in the United States.

= General professional standards =

The standards for Division I, II and III leagues are set by the USSF.{{cite web |title=Pro League Standards |url=https://www.ussoccer.com/organization-members-directory/pro-league-standards |website=www.ussoccer.com |access-date=December 15, 2023 |language=en}}

== Market requirements ==

At least 75% of a league's teams must be based in the United States
At least a certain percentage of a league's teams must be based in markets with a certain population

== Field and stadium requirements ==

All stadiums must have controllable ingress/egress
All outdoor leagues must be playing on FIFA-approved surfaces at least {{convert|70|yd}} by {{convert|110|yd}} in dimension
Minimum required stadium fan capacity, dependent on league level
Each team must have a lease to use its stadium for at least one full season no later than a certain date before each season begins

== Financial viability ==

Minimum annual bond each team must pay to the league (or Federation), dependent on league level
Each ownership group must display the ability to fund their team for a certain number of years
At least a certain net worth for each team's principal owner

== Standards summary table ==

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align: center;" \|+Overview of USSF standards !scope="col" rowspan="2" \|Division !scope="colgroup" colspan="3" \|Men !scope="colgroup" colspan="3" \|Women !scope="col" rowspan="2" \|Indoor
scope="col"\|{{Abbr\|DI\|Division I}} !scope="col"\|{{Abbr\|DII\|Division II}} !scope="col"\|{{Abbr\|DIII\|Division III}} !scope="col"\|{{Abbr\|DI\|Division I}} !scope="col"\|{{Abbr\|DII\|Division II}} !scope="col"\|{{Abbr\|DIII\|Division III}}
scope="row" rowspan=2\|Number of teams \|12 \| colspan="2" \|8 \|8 \| colspan="2" \|6 \|6
Year 3: 14 \|Year 3: 10 Year 6: 12 \| \|Year 4: 10 \| colspan="2" \|Year 3: 8 \|Year 3: 8
scope="row" \|Req. participation \| colspan="2" \|All eligible CONCACAF competitions \|Open Cup \| colspan="2" \|All eligible CONCACAF competitions \|Open Cup \|
scope="row" rowspan=2\|Geographic coverage \|rowspan=2\|Eastern, Central, and Pacific time zones \|Two time zones \| rowspan="2" \| \|Two time zones \| rowspan="2" \| \| rowspan="2" \| \| rowspan="2" \|
Year 6: Eastern, Central, and Pacific time zones \|Year 6: Eastern, Central, and Pacific time zones
scope="row" \|Market population \|>75% with >1mil \|>75% with >750k \| \|>75% with >750k \|>50% with >500k \| \|
scope="row" \|Stadium capacity \|15,000 \|5,000 \|1,000 \|5,000 \|2,000 \|1,000 \|1,000
scope="row" \|Lease lead \|180 days \|120 days \| \| colspan="2" \|120 days \| \|
scope="row" \|Bond \|$1 mil \|$750 k \|$250 k \|$100 k \|$50 k \|$20 k \|$20 k
scope="row" \|Time guarantee \|5 years \| colspan="2" \|3 years \| colspan="3" \|3 years \|3 years
scope="row" \|Primary owner worth \|$40 mil \|$20 mil \|$10 mil \|$15 mil \|$7.5 mil \|$5 mil \|$3 mil

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align: center;"

|+Overview of USSF standards

!scope="col" rowspan="2" |Division

!scope="colgroup" colspan="3" |Men

!scope="colgroup" colspan="3" |Women

!scope="col" rowspan="2" |Indoor

scope="col"|{{Abbr|DI|Division I}}

!scope="col"|{{Abbr|DII|Division II}}

!scope="col"|{{Abbr|DIII|Division III}}

!scope="col"|{{Abbr|DI|Division I}}

!scope="col"|{{Abbr|DII|Division II}}

!scope="col"|{{Abbr|DIII|Division III}}

scope="row" rowspan=2|Number of teams

|12

| colspan="2" |8

| colspan="2" |6

Year 3: 14

|Year 3: 10
Year 6: 12

|Year 4: 10

| colspan="2" |Year 3: 8

|Year 3: 8

scope="row" |Req. participation

| colspan="2" |All eligible CONCACAF competitions

|Open Cup

| colspan="2" |All eligible CONCACAF competitions

|Open Cup

scope="row" rowspan=2|Geographic coverage

|rowspan=2|Eastern, Central,
and Pacific time zones

|Two time zones

| rowspan="2" |

|Two time zones

| rowspan="2" |

Year 6: Eastern, Central,
and Pacific time zones

|Year 6: Eastern, Central,
and Pacific time zones

scope="row" |Market population

|>75% with >1mil

|>75% with >750k

|>50% with >500k

scope="row" |Stadium capacity

|15,000

|5,000

|1,000

|5,000

|2,000

|1,000

scope="row" |Lease lead

|180 days

|120 days

| colspan="2" |120 days

scope="row" |Bond

|$1 mil

|$750 k

|$250 k

|$100 k

|$50 k

|$20 k

scope="row" |Time guarantee

|5 years

| colspan="2" |3 years

| colspan="3" |3 years

|3 years

scope="row" |Primary owner worth

|$40 mil

|$20 mil

|$10 mil

|$15 mil

|$7.5 mil

|$5 mil

|$3 mil

== League specifics ==

=== Men's Division I ===

Ownership requirements

League must have a minimum of 12 teams to apply. By year three, the league must have a minimum of 14 teams
US-based teams must participate in all representative U.S. Soccer and CONCACAF competitions for which they are eligible (ex. U.S. Open Cup, CONCACAF Champions Cup.)
The majority owner must have a net worth of US$40 million, and the total ownership group must have a net worth of US$70 million. Both of these net worth requirements must be independent of both the club and the individuals' primary residence.{{Cite web |url=http://www.kenn.com/soccer/ussf_standards2014.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=September 23, 2019 |archive-date=November 11, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111200854/http://www.kenn.com/soccer/ussf_standards2014.pdf |url-status=dead }}

Market requirements

Teams located in at least the Eastern, Central and Pacific time zones in the continental United States. These three time zones are required because the majority of the large population centers are located in these time zones
At least 75% of the league's teams must be based in markets with one million population
All stadiums must be enclosed
All league stadiums must have a minimum seating capacity of 15,000
Not later than 180 days prior to the start of each season, each team shall have a lease for at least one full season with its home stadium

Financial viability

The league must demonstrate adequate financial viability to ensure continued operation on a season-by-season basis either in the form of a performance bond or similar instrument for each team in the amount of US$1 million or readily available league funds representing US$1 million
The maximum amount of readily available league funds for covering teams operations is US$20 million
Any team whose performance bond is used during the season will be required to replenish it at least 120 days prior to the next season
Each team ownership group must demonstrate the financial capacity to operate the team for five years. As part of the process of demonstrating financial capacity, each ownership group must provide detailed financial history (if applicable) and projections (including a detailed budget) for the team to the Federation in a form satisfactory to the Federation. In addition, each team must have and its governing legal documents must designate one principal owner with a controlling interest who owns at least 35% of the team and has authority to bind the team. Such principal owner must have an individual net worth of at least forty million US dollars (US$40,000,000) exclusive of the value of his/her ownership in the league or team and his/her primary personal residence. The principal owner, together with all other owners, must have a combined individual net worth of at least seventy million US dollars (US$70,000,000) exclusive of the value of ownership interests in the league or team and primary personal residences. Federation shall have the right to require an independent audit to establish that the team meets these net worth requirements; the cost of such audit shall be the responsibility of the team or league. The Federation will take reasonable steps to protect from disclosure and limit access to financial information provided under this section

Media

The league must have broadcast or cable television contracts that provide for the telecasting of all regular season games as well as the championship game/series. High-quality internet streaming of regular season games satisfies this requirement

Team organization

All required positions must be filled by full-time staff year-round
Each US-based team must demonstrate a commitment to a player development program. This requirement may be satisfied by supporting either an amateur or professional reserve team competing in a USSF-sanctioned league or by the league itself
Each US-based team must maintain teams and a program to develop players at the youth level. This requirement may be satisfied by fielding teams in a Federation academy program

League operations

In addition to the required positions filled by full-time staff, the league office must have full-time staff performing the functions of a chief operations officer, a chief financial officer and a director of marketing/public relations on a year-round basis

=== Men's Division II ===

Ownership requirements

Principal owner with at least US$20,000,000 net worth, 35% ownership stake.

Markets and stadia

Year 1: Eight teams in at least 2 time zones
Year 3: At least 10 teams
Year 6: at least 12 teams in Eastern, Central, and Pacific time zones
75% of teams must be in metro areas of at least 750,000 population
Stadiums must have 5,000 capacity

=== Men's Division III ===

Ownership requirements

Principal owner with at least US$10,000,000 net worth, 35% ownership stake.

Markets and stadia

Year 1: Eight teams
Stadiums must have 1,000 capacity

Men's leagues

= Professional leagues =

scope="row"\|USL League One \|USL1\|\|14\|\|2019
class="wikitable plainrowheaders" \|+Professional soccer leagues in the United States !scope="col"\|Division !scope="col"\|League !scope="col"\|Abbreviation !scope="col"\|Teams !scope="col"\|First season
align=center\| I !scope="row"\|Major League Soccer \|MLS	30	1996
align=center\| II !scope="row"\|USL Championship \|USLC	24	2011
align=center rowspan="3"\| III !scope="row"\|MLS Next Pro \|MLSNP	29	2022

Since 1996, Major League Soccer (MLS) has been the only sanctioned USSF Division I men's outdoor soccer league in the United States. MLS has grown from 10 teams in 1996 to 30 teams in 2025.

The USL Championship (USLC) is the only sanctioned Division II men's outdoor soccer league as of 2025. Formed in 2010 as a result of the merger of the former USL First Division and USL Second Division, the USL Championship was sanctioned as Division III league from 2011 to 2016 before becoming provisionally sanctioned as a Division II league for 2017,{{cite magazine |url=https://www.si.com/planet-futbol/2017/01/06/us-soccer-division-two-sanctioning-usl-nasl |title=U.S. Soccer grants provisional division two sanctioning to both NASL, USL |last=Straus |first=Brian |date=January 6, 2017 |magazine=Sports Illustrated }} and receiving full Division II sanctioning in 2018.{{cite web |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/90minutes/mls/ct-90mins-us-soccer-grants-usl-2nd-division-status-20180117-story.html |title=US Soccer grants USL 2nd-division status |work=Chicago Tribune |date=January 17, 2018}}

The USL Championship expanded almost three-fold since its first season in 2011 to include 35 teams in the 2020 season, with the league divided into two conferences, Eastern and Western. After that season, held amid the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, five teams left the league.

The previously Division II North American Soccer League (NASL) was formed in 2009, but did not debut until 2011 following the controversial 2010 season that saw neither the USL First Division nor the NASL receive Division II sanctioning from the USSF, resulting in the temporary USSF Division 2 Pro League.

The NASL was sanctioned as a Division II league from 2011 to 2016; when it fielded 8 teams for the 2017 season, U.S. Soccer only granted the league provisional sanctioning as it fell under the 12-team requirement.{{cite web |url=http://www.nasl.com/news/2017/01/06/nasl-releases-statement-on-provisional-division-ii-status |title=Eight clubs will take the field in April |publisher=NASL |date=January 6, 2017}} The USSF rejected the NASL's application to maintain provisional Division II status for the 2018 season as the NASL did not present a plan{{cite news |url=https://www.socceramerica.com/publications/article/75342/nasl-vs-ussf-court-filings-show-settlement-discu.html |title=NASL vs. USSF: Court filings show settlement discussions were ongoing |last=Kennedy |first=Paul |date=October 17, 2017 |work=SoccerAmericaDaily}} on how it would meet the Division II criteria.{{cite news |url=http://fiftyfive.one/2017/09/us-soccer-federation-rejects-nasls-division-ii-application/ |title=US Soccer Federation Rejects NASL's Division II application |work=fiftyfive.one |date=September 5, 2017}} In response, the NASL filed "a federal antitrust suit against the U.S. Soccer Federation"{{Cite news|url=https://www.si.com/soccer/2017/09/19/nasl-us-soccer-antitrust-lawsuit-division-sanctioning|title=NASL files lawsuit vs. USSF over division sanction|last=Straus|first=Brian|work=SI.com|access-date=October 3, 2017}} in an attempt to force USSF to drop all Division designations. Due to the litigation against U.S. Soccer, the NASL wound up canceling the 2018 season and ceased operations entirely. In February 2025, a federal jury dismissed the suit.{{Cite news |last=Press |first=Associated |date=2025-02-04 |title=Federal jury dismisses NASL’s antitrust case against MLS, US Soccer |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/feb/04/mls-us-soccer-lawsuit-nasl-antitrust |access-date=2025-02-16 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}

In March 2017, the United Soccer League announced following the sanctioning of the USL Championship as a Division II league it would start a new tier in its professional structure.{{cite magazine |last1=Straus |first1=Brian |title=USL to launch new Division 3 competition in 2019 |url=https://www.si.com/soccer/2017/03/30/usl-division-three-us-soccer-league-2019 |magazine=Sports Illustrated |access-date=May 3, 2021 |date=March 30, 2017}}{{cite news|title=USL to Launch Third-Division League in 2019 |url=http://www.uslsoccer.com/news_article/show/775757-usl-to-launch-third-division-league-in-2019 |date=April 2, 2013|work=United Soccer Leagues}} USL League One received sanctioning in December 2018 and conducted its first season in 2019 with 10 teams. Ahead of its 2025 season, the league is slated to have 14 teams.{{Cite web |last=Staff |first=USLSoccer com |date=2024-12-19 |title=USL League One reveals the 2025 season schedule |url=https://www.uslleagueone.com/news_article/show/1326679 |access-date=2025-02-16 |website=USL League One |language=en-us}}

A second Division III league, the National Independent Soccer Association (NISA) also debuted in 2019 with eight teams. The league initially played a fall-to-spring season spanning two calendar years but switched to the standard U.S. schedule in 2022. NISA was not given professional sanctioning for the 2025 season.{{cite web |title=Death of a league? NISA no longer sanctioned |url=https://www.hudsonriverblue.com/death-of-a-league-nisa-no-longer-sanctioned/ |last=Battista |first=Michael |website=HudsonRiverBlue.com |publisher=Hudson River Blue |date=December 19, 2024 |access-date=February 6, 2025}}

In 2018, the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), a nationwide amateur league announced the intention to set up a professional division, NPSL Pro. As part of the announcement, NPSL initiated a single season competition, the NPSL Founders Cup, involving 11 teams that were to form the new league. As of 2025 this has not materialized and NPSL remains an amateur competition.{{Cite web|url=https://www.epluribusloonum.com/local-soccer/2018/11/15/18097136/npsl-pro-league-and-founders-cup|title=NPSL Announces Pro League and Founders Cup|date=November 15, 2018|website=E Pluribus Loonum}}

Soon after the NASL's antitrust case against USSF concluded, the USL announced plans to launch a new Division I league by 2028.{{Cite web |last=Staff |first=USLsoccer com |date=2025-02-13 |title=United Soccer League Takes Bold Step Forward with Launch of Division One Professional Men’s League |url=https://www.uslsoccer.com/news_article/show/1331372 |access-date=2025-02-16 |website=United Soccer League |language=en-us}} Outside reporting revealed that the new league may have between 12–14 teams and focus on mid-size cities not currently serviced by Major League Soccer.{{Cite news |last=Tenorio |first=Paul |title=Move over, Major League Soccer. A rival top flight men’s league is coming to the U.S. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6129972/2025/02/13/usl-launch-division-1-league-us-soccer-mls/ |access-date=2025-02-16 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}

== Number of teams in each league ==

Below is a list of the number of teamsSee [http://www.kenn.com/the_blog/?page_id=5842 All-Time Division II Standings] for Division II list of teams and records. and [http://www.kenn.com/the_blog/?page_id=5469 All-Time Division III Standings] for Division III teams sanctioned by the USSF under the current division sanctioning scheme described above.

rowspan=2 \| Year ! rowspan=2 \| Total pro teams{{efn\|Only includes those sanctioned by USSF as Professional}} ! 1 ! 2 ! 3 ! Non-sanctioned{{efn\|Teams with players receiving salary (professional teams) that played in leagues not sanctioned as Division I, II, or III by USSF.}}
class="wikitable" style="width=250px; margin:0 1em 1em; font-size:90%; text-align:center;" \|+ Pro soccer teams (includes teams outside United States)
MLS ! APSL ! USISL PL ! –
1994	7	–	7{{efn\|American Professional Soccer League changed their name to A-League and gained official Division II sanctioning this year.}} \| -{{efn\|The USISL Professional League included 70 teams of which 36 were Amateur teams. Not included as the league did not yet have Division III sanctioning.}}
1995	61	–	6	55
colspan=2 \| ! MLS ! APSL/USISL SL ! USISL PL ! –
1996	65	10	28{{efn\|USISL divided into 2 Division. USISL Select League had 21 teams and was shared status of Division II sanctioning together the A-League. The USISL Pro League had 27 teams and was status of Division III.}}	27
colspan=2\| ! MLS ! A-League ! USISL D3PL ! –
1997	73	10	24{{efn\|A-League merged with USISL and teams from USISL Select League became part of the A-League. The merger avoided competing Division II leagues.}} \| 39{{efn\|USISL renamed Division III league to USISL D3 Pro.}}
1998	79	12	28	39
1999	68	12	30	26{{efn\|USISL D3 Pro was renamed USL D3 Pro as part of the re-branding of USISL to United Soccer Leagues.}}
2000	59	12	25	22
2001	50	12	21	17
2002	46	10	18	18
Colspan=2 \| ! MLS ! A-League ! Pro League ! –
2003	42	10	19	13{{efn\|Started season called the USL Pro Select League but was changed to Pro Soccer League for legal reasons.}}
2004	38	10	16	12
Colspan=2 \| ! MLS ! USL-1{{efn\|The A-League was renamed USL First Division commonly called USL-1.}} ! USL-2 ! MLS Reserve
2005	33	12	12	9	12{{efn\|MLS sponsored a Reserve League with players from MLS teams that are not on the active roster from 2005–2008 & 2011–2013.}}
2006	33	12	12	9	12
2007	35	13	12	10	13
2008	35	14	11	10	14
2009	35	15	11	9
Colspan=2 \| ! MLS ! USSF D2 Pro{{efn\|Due to the conflict resulting from the sale of United Soccer Leagues by Nike, USSF organized this league which had teams from the First Division of United Soccer Leagues and the newly formed North American Soccer League.}} ! USL-2 ! –
2010	34	16	12	6
Colspan=2 \| ! MLS ! NASL{{efn\|NASL gained provisional Division II sanctioning this year.}} ! USL{{efn\|Was branded as USL Pro until 2015.}} ! MLS Reserve
2011	38	18	8	12	18
2012	38	19	8	11	19
2013	40	19	8	13	15
2014	43	19	10	14	8{{efn\|Last year of MLS Reserve League – teams now expected to have a USL affiliate instead.}}
2015	55	20	11	24
2016	61	20	12	29
Colspan=2 \| ! MLS ! NASL/USL ! – ! –
2017	60	22	38{{efn\|USL had 30 teams and gained provisional Division II sanctioning in 2017. NASL and its 8 teams continued their provisional Division II sanctioning in 2017.}} \| none{{efn\|name=noD3\|No league played at the Division III level in 2017 or 2018.}}
colspan="2" \| !MLS !USL !– !–
2018 \|56 \|23 \|33 \|none{{efn\|name=noD3}} \|
colspan="2" \| !MLS !USLC !USL1/NISA !–
2019 \|77 \|24 \|36 \|17{{efn\|Includes 10 USL1 clubs and 7 NISA clubs.}} \|
2020 \|81 \|26 \|35 \|20{{efn\|Includes 12 USL1 clubs and 8 NISA clubs.}} \|
2021 \|79 \|27 \|31 \|21{{efn\|Includes 12 USL1 clubs and the 9 clubs participating in the second half of the 2020–21 NISA season.}} \|
colspan="2" \| !MLS !USLC !USL1/MLSNP/NISA !–
2022 \|95 \|28 \|27 \|40{{efn\|Includes 11 USL1 clubs, 21 MLSNP clubs and 8 NISA clubs.}} \|
2023 \|101 \|29 \|24 \|48{{efn\|Includes 12 USL1 clubs, 27 MLSNP clubs and 9 NISA clubs.}} \|
2024 \|103 \|29 \|24 \|50{{efn\|Includes 12 USL1 clubs, 29 MLSNP clubs, and 9 NISA clubs.}} \|
colspan="2" \| ! MLS ! USLC ! USL1/MLSNP ! –
2025 \| 97 \| 30 \| 24 \| 43{{efn\|Includes 14 USL1 clubs and 29 MLSNP clubs.}} \|

Notes

=Semi-professional and amateur leagues=

The USSF does not officially recognize distinctions beyond the three professional divisions above. Currently, three other national leagues are sanctioned by the US Soccer Federation and one of those, the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), is part of USASA which is a national association member of the USSF and the only{{citation |url=https://www.ussoccer.com/about/affiliates/adult-council |title=Soccer Organizations: Adult Council |archive-url=https://archive.today/20181024205355/https://www.ussoccer.com/about/affiliates/adult-council |archive-date=October 24, 2018 |access-date=October 24, 2018 |url-status=live }} member of the Adult Council. USL League Two (USL 2) is a national league run by the USL. Both are recognized in practical terms as playing at a higher level and both since 2020 are considered national leagues earning automatic berths to the US Open Cup first round based on their previous season's league results rather than going through local qualifying.{{cite web|url=http://www.usopencup.org/doclib/2022%20Open%20Cup%20Open%20Division%20Handbook%20-%20DRAFT%20early%20edition.pdf|title=Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup 2022 Open Division Handbook|access-date=April 11, 2023}} The United Premier Soccer League (UPSL) is also recognized by the USSF as a National Affiliate, but does not gain automatic entry to the Open Cup through the National League track, instead going through local qualifiers. Additionally, clubs in USL2, UPSL and NPSL pay some of their players and are more accurately described as semi-professional leagues.{{citation needed|reason=Couldn't quickly find a reference for this |date=October 2018}}

USL League Two takes place during the summer months, and has age restrictions.PDL rules dictate that a maximum of eight players on each team's 26-man roster can be over 23 years old, while at least three players on each team's roster must be 18 or younger. Thus, the player pool is drawn mainly from NCAA college soccer players seeking to continue playing high level soccer during their summer break, while still maintaining their college eligibility.{{cite web|url=http://www.uslpdl.com/About/index_E.html|title=United Soccer Leagues|work=www.uslpdl.com|access-date=September 22, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150915113530/http://www.uslpdl.com/About/index_E.html|archive-date=September 15, 2015|url-status=dead}} The National Premier Soccer League is similar to USL2 and also attracts top amateur talent from around the United States. However, unlike USL2, the NPSL does not have any age limits or restrictions, thus incorporating both college players and former professional players.{{Citation needed|date=March 2015}}. The United Premier Soccer League takes place year round with two seasons, one in spring and one in fall. Unlike USL2 and NPSL, the UPSL does not rely on college players and is the national league with the most diverse participation.

=Men's league structure=

The table below shows the current structure of the system. For each division, its official name, sponsorship name, number of clubs and conferences/divisions are given. The United States Soccer Federation regulates the standards for a league or division to be recognized as professional, while also determining the level of division for each league.{{cite web|url=https://kennethrusso.com/ussf-professional-standards/|title=USSF Professional Standards|author=Russo, Kenneth|access-date=July 2, 2021}}

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
Division ! colspan="3" \|Professional leagues sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation
I \| Major League Soccer 30 clubs – 2 conferences{{refn\|group=m\|name=cross\|Note: Teams do play cross-conference opponents during the regular season}} \| USL Division One (sanctioning pending) 12 clubs (planned, 2027)
II \| colspan="3" \| USL Championship 24 clubs – 2 conferences{{refn\|group=m\|name=cross}}
III \| MLS Next Pro 29 clubs – 2 conferences{{refn\|group=m\|name=cross}} \| USL League One 14 clubs

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"

Division

! colspan="3" |Professional leagues sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation

Major League Soccer

30 clubs – 2 conferences{{refn|group=m|name=cross|Note: Teams do play cross-conference opponents during the regular season}}

USL Division One (sanctioning pending)

12 clubs (planned, 2027)

| colspan="3" |

USL Championship

24 clubs – 2 conferences{{refn|group=m|name=cross}}

III

MLS Next Pro
29 clubs – 2 conferences{{refn|group=m|name=cross}}

USL League One

14 clubs

The system is only defined as far as Division 3. Some semi-professional leagues refer to themselves as fourth division, however any tier or division numbers are not recognized for these leagues as U.S. Soccer does not designate a division number nor directly sanction anything below Division 3.{{citation|url=https://www.usadultsoccer.com/page/show/1034162-usasa-leagues-and-affiliates|title=USASA Leagues & Affiliates}} What follows is a list of additional notable leagues.

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
colspan="4" \| Amateur leagues{{refn\|group=m\|name=tier\|In the below table the leagues are ordered, from top to bottom, in a general sense based on quality of play -recognized through USSF National Open Cup qualification route and on relationships between some leagues, as well as on national footprint, however there is no official "rankings" between all these leagues. Currently promotion/relegation is only found internally within the two tiers of the UPSL and between some of the USASA leagues, and not among any others of these leagues, nor with leagues at the professional levels – though teams may rarely voluntarily promote or relegate between the USL1 & USL2 or between NISA & NISA-Nation. NISA (Div 3) has the stated goal of creating a pro/rel system with some of the USASA leagues (as a Div 5 and below) via the NISA Nation as an intermediary Div 4 level.}}
Geographic scope ! USASA sanctioned ! Non-USASA sanctioned
rowspan="3" \|National leagues{{Refn\|group=m\|The tiers or levels here are approximate and not specifically so designated by the USSF.}}{{Refn\|group=m\|When compared to other continental-sized countries such as Russia, China and Brazil, these national amateur leagues can be seen as being equivalent to Russia's Russian Second League Division B, China's Chinese Champions League and Brazil's Brazilian Championship Serie D. Note that unlike these countries the United States has more than one league in what can be considered an unofficial fourth division.}} \| National Premier Soccer League 76 clubs – 4 conferences with 11 divisions{{refn\|group=m\|name=limitedcross\|Official cross region/conference/division play only occurs in the playoff stage}} \| USL League Two 144 clubs – 4 conferences with 19 divisions{{refn\|group=m\|name=limitedcross}}
NISA Nation 18 clubs – 3 conferences{{refn\|group=m\|name=limitedcross}} \|rowspan="2"\|United Premier Soccer League Premier Division (Tier 1){{refn\|group=m\|name=UPSL\|between the two tiers, UPSL has 250+ clubs}} – 4 conferences with 25 divisions{{refn\|group=m\|name=limitedcross}}
The League for Clubs 50 clubs – 5 Regions{{refn\|group=m\|name=tlfc\|Planned to begin in Spring 2025}}
Regional and premier states leagues{{Refn\|group=m\|The tiers or levels here are approximate and not specifically so designated by the USSF.}}{{refn\|group=m\|When compared to Russia, a country of continental dimensions like the United States, some regional leagues can be seen as equivalent to the Russian Amateur Football League, which despite the name, is a set of several regional amateur leagues in that country. Some premier states leagues can be also compared to the state championships in Brazil or the leagues of CFA members associations in China.}} \|USASA Regional Elite Amateur and State Premier Leagues{{refn\|group=m\|Some of these leagues are affiliated with NISA Nation. The amount of tiers vary within the individual leagues.}} Various Multi-State and State Premier Leagues – 4 regions''{{Refn\|group=m\|name=nocross\|no official cross conference/region competition}} \|United Premier Soccer League Division 1 (Tier 2){{refn\|group=m\|name=UPSL}} – 4 conferences with 17 divisions{{refn\|group=m\|name=nocross}}
States Leagues{{refn\|group=m\|name=Comparison with continental sized countries\|The tiers or levels here are approximate and not specifically so designated by the USSF.}}{{refn\|group=m\|When compared to other continental-sized nations, it can be compared to the state championships in Brazil, leagues of CFA member associations in China and the championships of federal subjects in Russia.}} \|USASA State Leagues Various, many with multiple tiers – 54 state associations \|None

class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"

colspan="4" |

Amateur leagues{{refn|group=m|name=tier|In the below table the leagues are ordered, from top to bottom, in a general sense based on quality of play -recognized through USSF National Open Cup qualification route and on relationships between some leagues, as well as on national footprint, however there is no official "rankings" between all these leagues. Currently promotion/relegation is only found internally within the two tiers of the UPSL and between some of the USASA leagues, and not among any others of these leagues, nor with leagues at the professional levels – though teams may rarely voluntarily promote or relegate between the USL1 & USL2 or between NISA & NISA-Nation. NISA (Div 3) has the stated goal of creating a pro/rel system with some of the USASA leagues (as a Div 5 and below) via the NISA Nation as an intermediary Div 4 level.}}

Geographic scope

! USASA sanctioned

! Non-USASA sanctioned

rowspan="3" |National leagues{{Refn|group=m|The tiers or levels here are approximate and not specifically so designated by the USSF.}}{{Refn|group=m|When compared to other continental-sized countries such as Russia, China and Brazil, these national amateur leagues can be seen as being equivalent to Russia's Russian Second League Division B, China's Chinese Champions League and Brazil's Brazilian Championship Serie D. Note that unlike these countries the United States has more than one league in what can be considered an unofficial fourth division.}}

National Premier Soccer League
76 clubs – 4 conferences with 11 divisions{{refn|group=m|name=limitedcross|Official cross region/conference/division play only occurs in the playoff stage}}

USL League Two

144 clubs – 4 conferences with 19 divisions{{refn|group=m|name=limitedcross}}

NISA Nation

18 clubs – 3 conferences{{refn|group=m|name=limitedcross}}

|rowspan="2"|United Premier Soccer League
Premier Division (Tier 1){{refn|group=m|name=UPSL|between the two tiers, UPSL has 250+ clubs}} – 4 conferences with 25 divisions{{refn|group=m|name=limitedcross}}

The League for Clubs

50 clubs – 5 Regions{{refn|group=m|name=tlfc|Planned to begin in Spring 2025}}

Regional and
premier states leagues{{Refn|group=m|The tiers or levels here are approximate and not specifically so designated by the USSF.}}{{refn|group=m|When compared to Russia, a country of continental dimensions like the United States, some regional leagues can be seen as equivalent to the Russian Amateur Football League, which despite the name, is a set of several regional amateur leagues in that country. Some premier states leagues can be also compared to the state championships in Brazil or the leagues of CFA members associations in China.}}

|USASA Regional Elite Amateur and State Premier Leagues{{refn|group=m|Some of these leagues are affiliated with NISA Nation. The amount of tiers vary within the individual leagues.}}
Various Multi-State and State Premier Leagues – 4 regions''{{Refn|group=m|name=nocross|no official cross conference/region competition}}

|United Premier Soccer League
Division 1 (Tier 2){{refn|group=m|name=UPSL}} – 4 conferences with 17 divisions{{refn|group=m|name=nocross}}

States Leagues{{refn|group=m|name=Comparison with continental sized countries|The tiers or levels here are approximate and not specifically so designated by the USSF.}}{{refn|group=m|When compared to other continental-sized nations, it can be compared to the state championships in Brazil, leagues of CFA member associations in China and the championships of federal subjects in Russia.}}

|USASA State Leagues

Various, many with multiple tiers –
54 state associations

|None

=Men's national soccer cups=

U.S. Open Cup – open to all US Soccer sanctioned amateur and professional leagues, though professional teams that are owned by, or whose playing staffs are managed by, higher-level outdoor professional teams are barred from entry.
USASA National Amateur Cup – USASA cup tournament open to amateur-only teams from USASA sanctioned leagues. Winner gains entry to the U.S. Open Cup.
Hank Steinbrecher Cup – contested between the defending champion, the league winners of the NPSL and USL League Two, and the defending champion of the USASA Amateur Cup.

Women's leagues

The Women's United Soccer Association started playing in 2001, but suspended operations in 2003. It was replaced in 2009 with Women's Professional Soccer. WPS closed after the 2011 season due to a dispute with owners, and the WPSL Elite League was the de facto top tier of women's soccer in 2012. In November 2012 the National Women's Soccer League, sponsored by the United States Soccer Federation, the Canadian Soccer Association and the Mexican Football Federation was announced.{{cite web |last=Lauletta |first=Dan |url=http://equalizersoccer.com/2012/11/21/eight-teams-to-start-new-womens-pro-soccer-league-in-2013/ |title=Equalizer Soccer – Eight teams to start new women's pro soccer league in 2013 |website=Equalizersoccer.com |date=November 21, 2012|access-date= October 1, 2013}} The league started play in April 2013. Mexico withdrew from sponsorship of the NWSL once it established its own women's league in 2017.

For many years, there were two leagues that acted as an unofficial lower division. The United Soccer Leagues ran the W-League from 1995 to 2015.{{cite web|url=http://wleaguesoccer.com/home/899334.html|title=W-League Statement|publisher=United Soccer Leagues (USL)|date=November 6, 2015|access-date=November 6, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151119110213/http://wleaguesoccer.com/home/899334.html|archive-date=November 19, 2015|url-status=dead}}{{cite web |url=http://equalizersoccer.com/2015/11/06/usl-w-league-folds-21-seasons/ |last=Kassouf |first=Jeff |title=USL W-League, once top flight, folds after 21 seasons|website=Equalizersoccer.com|date=November 6, 2015|access-date=November 18, 2015}} The Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL) was founded in 1998.{{cite web|url=http://www.wpsl.info/about/index.php|title=WPSL Website|website=wpsl.info |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171105191538/http://www.wpsl.info/about/index.php |archive-date=November 5, 2017 |url-status=dead}} Almost immediately following the demise of the W-League, United Women's Soccer was founded with orphan W-League teams and WPSL breakaways.{{cite web|last1=Conor|first1=Ryan|title=After struggles with former league, New England Mutiny helping form new United Women's Soccer league|url=http://www.masslive.com/sports/2015/12/new_england_mutiny_excited_to.html|publisher=MassLive|access-date=December 15, 2015|date=December 15, 2015}} UWS then formed a U23 reserve league, UWS2, in early 2020.{{cite web |url=https://uwssoccer.com/united-womens-soccer-launches-league-two/ |title = United Women's Soccer Launches League Two – United Women's Soccer| date=February 7, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230922180133/https://uwssoccer.com/united-womens-soccer-launches-league-two/ |archive-date=September 22, 2023 |url-status=dead}}

After the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup, USL began exploring the idea of creating a professional league to directly compete with NWSL.{{cite web | url=https://www.si.com/soccer/2019/11/15/usl-pro-women-soccer-league-rival-nwsl-new-league | title=USL Serious in Launching Women's Professional League to Rival NWSL (Sources) | date=November 15, 2019 }} This effort was scaled back to running an amateur revival of the W-League, which would operate beneath the DII Women's Independent Soccer League (WISL) (operated by NISA) and a planned DIII league run by UWS.{{cite web | url=https://equalizersoccer.com/2021/04/14/womens-independent-soccer-league-wisl-division-2-pro-league-details/ |last=Kassouf |first=Jeff |title=WISL aims to fill the Division 2 women's pro league void in the US |website=Equalizer Soccer | date=April 14, 2021 }} The amateur USL W League was officially revived in June 2021, called by USL as "pre-professional",{{cite web |url=https://www.uslwleague.com/news_article/show/1168117 |title = United Soccer League To Launch W League in 2022 |date=June 8, 2021 |website=USL W League| publisher=United Soccer League}} and three months later, plans for a new USL Super League were announced, initially at Division II status in direct competition to WISL, both of which aimed to launch in 2023.{{cite web | url=https://theathletic.com/2839555/2021/09/21/usl-launching-womens-division-ii-league-with-commitment-to-gender-equity/ | title=USL launching women's Division II league with 'commitment to gender equity' |last=Yang |first=Steph |date=September 21, 2021 |website=The Athletic}}{{Cite web|url=https://equalizersoccer.com/2021/09/23/usl-super-league-womens-division-2-professional-2023-launch-wisl-uws/|title=Lower-division development is the next frontier in U.S. women's pro soccer – Equalizer Soccer|first=Jeff|last=Kassouf|date=September 23, 2021 }} USL later announced it would instead pursue Division I sanctioning for the USL Super League, launching with eight teams in 2024 and an additional five teams in 2025.{{Cite web |last=USL Staff |date=May 16, 2023 |title=USL Super League Announces Initial Markets |url=https://www.uslleaguetwo.com/news_article/show/1273169-usl-super-league-announces-initial-markets |access-date=July 22, 2023 |website=USL Soccer |language=en-us}}

While there was never official distinction between the national amateur leagues, it was commonly assumed that the W-League was a higher quality than WPSL.{{Citation needed|date=May 2019}} Two W-League teams had effectively promoted into the first division – the Buffalo Flash becoming the Western New York Flash in 2011 and D.C. United Women becoming the Washington Spirit in 2013 – while no WPSL teams have ever done so. UWS, as W-League's spiritual successor, has strengthened this image of being the higher-quality amateur league by attracting four teams that had been associated with WPSL Elite.

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"

Division

! colspan="6"| Professional leagues sanctioned by U.S. Soccer

| colspan="3"| National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
14 clubs

| colspan="3"| USL Super League (USLS)
8 clubs

| colspan="3"| NWSL Division 2
(sanctioning pending)
8 clubs (planned, 2026){{cite web |last1=Cattry |first1=Pardeep |title=NWSL submits application to U.S. Soccer for launch of Division II league starting in 2026 |url=https://www.cbssports.com/soccer/news/nwsl-submits-application-to-u-s-soccer-for-launch-of-division-ii-league-starting-in-2026/ |website=CBS Sports |access-date=April 25, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250425183838/https://www.cbssports.com/soccer/news/nwsl-submits-application-to-u-s-soccer-for-launch-of-division-ii-league-starting-in-2026/ |archive-date=April 25, 2025 |date=April 25, 2025 |url-status=live}}

| colspan="3"| WPSL PRO
(sanctioning pending)
12 clubs (planned, 2026){{cite web |last1=Silverman |first1=Alex |title=Cleveland eyes WPSL Pro after not getting in NWSL |url=https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/2025/04/16/cleveland-joining-wpsl-pro-after-missing-out-on-nwsl/ |website=Street & Smith's Sports Business Journal |access-date=April 16, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250416132253/https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/2025/04/16/cleveland-joining-wpsl-pro-after-missing-out-on-nwsl/ |archive-date=April 16, 2025 |date=April 16, 2025 |url-status=live}}{{cite web |last1=Griffin |first1=Tamerra |title=After failed NWSL bid, Cleveland Soccer Group looks to new opportunities in lower division |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6282798/2025/04/16/cleveland-soccer-group-backs-second-division-womens-professional-soccer-league/ |website=The Athletic |access-date=April 16, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250416132200/https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6282798/2025/04/16/cleveland-soccer-group-backs-second-division-womens-professional-soccer-league/ |archive-date=April 16, 2025 |date=April 16, 2025 |quote=The league was originally launched as a Division III concept in 2023 and recently increased investment to earn a path to Division II sanctioning — which must be approved by the U.S. Soccer Federation. It is currently set to launch next spring. |url-status=live |url-access=subscription}}

colspan="3"\| Amateur leagues not sanctioned by U.S. Soccer{{Refn\|group=w\|name=tier\|The tiers or levels here are approximate and not specifically so designated by the USSF.}}
class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
colspan="2"\| USASA affiliated{{cite web\|url=http://www.usadultsoccer.com/page/show/949794-premier-leagues\|title=Premier Leagues\|work=www.usadultsoccer.com\|access-date=May 17, 2014}}{{cite web \|title= UWS To Form National Pro-Am Women's Soccer League In 2016 \|url=https://www.uwssoccer.com/news_article/show/598758 \|date=June 16, 2015 \|website=United Women's Soccer}} ! style="text-align:center;"\| No affiliation
United Women's Soccer (UWS) 40 clubs – 3 conferences \| rowspan="2"\| Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL) 150 clubs – 4 regions with 24 conferences \| rowspan="2"\| USL W League (USLW) 93 clubs – 4 conferences with 15 divisions
United Women's Soccer 2 (UWS2) 19 clubs – 2 conferences
colspan="3"\| United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA) 55 state associations in 4 regions See List of USASA affiliated leagues for complete list Region I Region II Region III Region IV

=Women's national soccer cups=

NWSL Challenge Cup – open to NWSL teams
USASA National Women's Open – open to WPSL and UWS teams
USASA National Women's Amateur – open to all USASA-affiliated women's teams

Indoor soccer

Indoor soccer in North America is governed by the Pan-American Minifootball Federation (PAMF), a member of the World Minifootball Federation (WMF).{{cite web |url=http://minifutbolamericas.com/Sitio/sobre_pamf.aspx |title=Sobre PAMF |language=es |website=PAMF |accessdate=December 1, 2024 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190216233108/http://minifutbolamericas.com/Sitio/sobre_pamf.aspx |archivedate=February 16, 2019}}

class="wikitable"
style="background:#efefef;" \| colspan=5 style="text-align:center;" \| Leagues/divisions
style="background:#efefef;" ! Division \| colspan=2 style="text-align:center;" \| Men's \| colspan=2 style="text-align:center;" \| Women's
I \| style="text-align:center;"\| Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) 12 clubs \| style="text-align:center;"\| Major League Indoor Soccer (MLIS) 9 clubs \| style="text-align:center;"\| Major Arena Soccer League Women (MASLW) 21 clubs \| style="text-align:center;"\| Women's Major League Indoor Soccer (WMLIS) 4 clubs
II \| style="text-align:center;" \| Major Arena Soccer League 2 (MASL2) 16 clubs
III \| style="text-align:center;" \| Major Arena Soccer League 3 (MASL3) 27 clubs

class="wikitable"

style="background:#efefef;"

| colspan=5 style="text-align:center;" |

Leagues/divisions

style="background:#efefef;"

! Division

| colspan=2 style="text-align:center;" |

Men's

| colspan=2 style="text-align:center;" |

Women's

| style="text-align:center;"|

Major Arena Soccer League

(MASL)

12 clubs

| style="text-align:center;"|

Major League Indoor Soccer

(MLIS)

9 clubs

| style="text-align:center;"|

Major Arena Soccer League Women

(MASLW)

21 clubs

| style="text-align:center;"|

Women's Major League Indoor Soccer

(WMLIS)

4 clubs

| style="text-align:center;" |

Major Arena Soccer League 2

(MASL2)

16 clubs

III

| style="text-align:center;" |

Major Arena Soccer League 3

(MASL3)

27 clubs

References

External links

[http://www.ussoccer.com United States Soccer Federation]
[http://www.uslsoccer.com United Soccer Leagues]
[http://www.futsal.com United States Futsal Federation]

Category:Football league systems in North America

United States soccer league system#Men's Division III

Structure

= General professional standards =

== Market requirements ==

== Field and stadium requirements ==

== Financial viability ==

== Standards summary table ==

== League specifics ==

=== Men's Division I ===

=== Men's Division II ===

=== Men's Division III ===

Men's leagues

= Professional leagues =

== Number of teams in each league ==

=Semi-professional and amateur leagues=

=Men's league structure=

=Men's national soccer cups=

Women's leagues

=Women's national soccer cups=

Indoor soccer

See also

References

External links