American soccer pyramid

American soccer pyramid

The American Soccer Pyramid is a term used in soccer to describe the structure of the league system in the United States. For practical and historical reasons, some teams from Bermuda, Canada and Puerto Rico also compete, but they are not eligible for the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

Major League Soccer has a fixed number of teams (currently 14), with no merit-based promotion possible from the USL First Division, which is run by a completely separate entity, the United Soccer Leagues (USL). The USL manages many leagues including the USL First and Second Divisions. There is no system of relegation, as of 2008, between the USL First and USL Second divisions. A promotion system has been established, but has largely been unused. Several franchises have voluntarily dropped from the First Division to the Second, usually to cut costs.

Promotion and relegation does not regularly occur between any two levels. According to Tim Holt, vice president of the USL, relegation between the USL and MLS is difficult to implement because the teams are franchises awarded by the leagues, not autonomous teams. The franchise gives the owner certain rights and obligations that make it difficult to move a team from one league to the other.cite news
title = Q & A with USL Vice President Tim Holt
url = http://www.uslsoccer.com/home/129515.html
publisher = United Soccer Leagues
date = 2006-04-21
accessdate =2007-07-15
] USASA affiliated leagues each have their own system of promotion and relegation, if they have any at all.

The National Premier Soccer League and the Pacific Coast Soccer League are run by completely separate entities from both MLS and USL, and are considered semi-professional leagues.

The USL Premier Development League is the top amateur league in the country. As PDL seasons take place during the summer months, the player pool is drawn mainly from elite NCAA college soccer players seeking to continue playing high level soccer during their summer break, which they can do while still maintaining their college eligibility.

Cup eligibility

There are two national cups in American soccer.

US Open Cup: Levels 1-5
George F. Donnelly Cup: Level 5

Men

The top tier in the United States is Major League Soccer. Under that would be the United Soccer Leagues First and Second divisions. The USL Second Division is the lowest level of professional soccer in the United States. Starting at level 4, the leagues become regional. The USL Premier Development League is made of teams in various regional divisions (grouped into 4 regional conferences) across the contiguous United States, the National Premier Soccer League has five regional conferences of teams from all over the United States, and the Pacific Coast Soccer League includes teams from Washington state (and had previously included teams in Oregon). The United States Adult Soccer Association governs amateur soccer throughout the nation and is made up of the leagues in level 5 and below.

Women

The Women's United Soccer Association suspended operations in 2003, leaving the Women's Premier Soccer League and the USL's W-League as the top flight in American women's soccer. Women's Professional Soccer is set to begin play in spring 2009.

References

External links

* Major League Soccer http://web.mlsnet.com/
* United Soccer Leagues http://www.uslsoccer.com


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Canadian soccer pyramid — The Canadian soccer pyramid is a term used in soccer to describe the structure of the league system in the Canada. Leagues are often based in the United States.The league structure in Canada is radically different from that used in much of the… …   Wikipedia

  • North American Soccer League (2011) — This article is about the present day soccer league. For the league that was active from 1968 to 1984, see North American Soccer League. North American Soccer League Countries …   Wikipedia

  • Cosmopolitan Soccer League — Countries United States Confederation CONCACAF Founded 192 …   Wikipedia

  • Aztec Soccer Club — The Aztec Soccer Club is a full scale developmental soccer organization located on the North Shore of Massachusetts. The Aztec Soccer Club is structured like a pyramid, running programs for all age groups and genders. The club runs Soccer Tots… …   Wikipedia

  • Pacific Coast Soccer League — Countries  Canada Confederation …   Wikipedia

  • American Video Entertainment — Acrónimo AVE Tipo Pública Fundación Calif …   Wikipedia Español

  • Orlando City Soccer Club — Orlando City Full name Orlando City Soccer Club Nickname(s) Lions Founded 2010 …   Wikipedia

  • 2008 Major League Soccer season — Season 2008 MLS Cup Columbus Crew Supporters Shield Columbus Crew Champions League Columbus Crew New York Red Bulls Houston Dynamo D.C. United …   Wikipedia

  • San Francisco Seals (soccer) — Football club infobox clubname = San Francisco Seals fullname = San Francisco Seals nickname = The Seals founded = 1992 ground = Negoesco Stadium capacity = 3,000 chairman = flagicon|USA Tom Simpson flagicon|USA Randy Roser manager = flagicon|USA …   Wikipedia

  • New York Athletic Club men's soccer team — New York Athletic Club Full name New York Athletic Club Nickname(s) NYAC Founded 2008 …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”