The first step is to make sure your team must be registered with your local State Association to participate in the National League. Next, you will want to reach out to your State Association or the conference’s league manager regarding qualifying criteria in your area.
Visit the About Conferences webpage and click on your state to see which conference operates in your geographic area.
Each conference has its own webpage with information, schedules and manager contacts. To view your conference’s webpage, select it from the Conferences navigation menu at the top of the screen or visit this page.
The schedule for each conference is available in the Schedules & Results section on the conference’s webpage. To view your conference’s webpage, select it from the Conferences navigation menu at the top of the screen or visit this page.
You can also visit the Schedules & Results webpage, where you can access the current schedule for each conference and the national competitions.
The two terms refer to the different competition formats in the National League Conferences — particularly the ways in which teams qualify and/or are placed into age groups/divisions.
The Team vs. Team format allows individual teams to qualify or earn acceptance into a single age group/division of competition. Teams can earn their place in the competition, regardless of their club affiliation or the performance of other teams within their club. The Team vs. Team format is offered in every conference.
The Club vs. Club format allows clubs to earn acceptance for their teams across multiple age groups/divisions of a club-centric competition, with each of the applicable age groups/divisions featuring teams from the same group of clubs. The overall performance of each of the clubs’ teams in the applicable age groups is evaluated for entry into the Club vs. Club format. Clubs that participate in the Club vs. Club competition must meet clubs standards for coaching, performance and club management. The Club vs. Club format is offered in select conferences.
USYS National League Elite 64 is a national platform that operates club-based league play for the top clubs in the country. For more details on Elite 64, click here.
A Forfeit is recorded as a 1-0 loss for the team that forfeits (and a 1-0 win for the opponent). A No Contest game is does not record a result.
The National League’s national events are formatted in a way that guarantees each team will play meaningful games each time it travels. The national events are broken into two types, with advancement earned from the first to the second. The first type of national events are the Playoffs (Elite 64 or Conference), and the second type of national events are National League P.R.O.
All Elite 64 teams are eligible to compete in the Elite 64 Playoffs.
The Conference Playoffs feature automatic qualifiers based on teams’ finishing position in their respective conference from the previous season. The automatic qualifying criteria can vary from year to year and is posted on the National League website during each season. Teams that do not automatically qualify for the Conference Playoffs can apply for potential open slots through an application process that typically takes place May-June.
As the second stage of the National League’s national events, National League P.R.O. features teams that advance from their respective Playoffs (Elite 64 or Conference). Advancement information can be found on the Elite 64 Playoffs and Conference Playoffs webpages, and the exact advancement criteria within each age group is subject to change.
Yes. All teams competing in the Conference Playoffs must play in their respective National League Conference during the same seasonal year.
This is not a requirement. Your team has the ability to forego your spot at Regionals, should you qualify. You must notify your Conference League Manager and State Association as soon as possible, should you choose not to participate in the Regional Championships.