USYS National League
ABOUT THE NATIONAL LEAGUE
The US Youth Soccer National League operates as the highest level of competition in the US Youth Soccer Leagues Program and is for the nation's top teams in the 14U, 15U, 16U, 17U, 18U and 19U boys and girls age groups. The 14U through 18U divisions consist of up to 32 teams per gender age group, while the 19U age group features up to 16 teams for each gender. The National League offers additional exposure to collegiate, professional and U.S. National Team coaches and offers the highest level of competition in the country as each team must earn their place in the league.
The top teams from each division advance to the US Youth Soccer National Championships, the oldest and most prestigious youth soccer national championship in the country. The four National League representatives will join the four Regional Champions in the 14U through 19U age groups to play for the National Championship. The top teams in each 14U through 18U division also secure a spot to return to National League play the following season.
The National League’s alumni have gone on to prove themselves at the collegiate and professional levels, with former players competing in NCAA Division I, II and III, Major League Soccer, National Women’s Soccer League, the UEFA Champions League and the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
There are three means to earning automatic qualification into the National League:
- Regional Championship winners (or representatives to Nationals) from the previous season
- Returning National League division top finishers from the previous season
- Conference qualifiers from the previous season
Any unfilled slots become open and are filled through an application process.
