Elite Club National League

REGULAR SEASON LEAGUE PLAY: At all ages and levels, teams participate in regionalized regular-season competition in their conference. This competition provides the majority of games for each team each season, and is the top priority in their total competition schedule for the year. The vast majority of postseason qualifiers are determined through conference standings.

REGULAR SEASON NATIONAL EVENTS: At all ages and levels, teams have the opportunity to participate in National Events throughout the year. At U16 and younger, these events are experiential – designed to inspire, challenge, and prepare players for the future. At U17 and U18/19, these events are recruitable – designed to showcase players for college and professional soccer. The number of events that each team participates in varies based on age and level of performance.

The ECNL Boys and ECNL Girls each have a two-stage post-season, with one ECNL Playoffs event and one ECNL National Finals event.  

ECNL GIRLS

PLAYOFFS in June include more than 300 teams from the U13 to U18/19 age groups, participating in one of three post-season competition tiers. The ECNL Girls Champions League Playoffs include the top teams from all conferences in the country, the ECNL Girls North American Cup includes the next level of postseason qualifiers, and the ECNL Girls Showcase Cups include the third level of postseason qualifiers. Winners of the North American Cup, Showcase Cups , and the U18/19 ECNL Champions League National Champion are crowned at the ECNL Girls Playoffs, while top performing teams in the ECNL Girls Champions League from U13 – U17 advance to the ECNL Girls Finals.  

FINALS in July is where the U13 – U17 ECNL Girls National Champions are crowned every year as the best team in their respective age group in American youth soccer.

ECNL BOYS

PLAYOFFS in June include more than 300 teams from the U13 to U18/19 age groups, participating in one of two post-season competition tiers. The ECNL Boys Champions League Playoffs include the top teams from all conferences in the country, and the U18 ECNL Boys North American Cup includes the next level of postseason qualifiers. The U18/19 ECNL Champions League National Champion and North American Cup Champion are crowned at the ECNL Boys Playoffs, while top performing teams in the ECNL Boys Champions League from U13 – U17 advance to the ECNL Boys Finals.  

FINALS in July is where the U13 – U17 ECNL Boys National Champions are crowned every year as the best team in their respective age group in American youth soccer.

ECNL BOYS SUPER CUP

The ECNL Boys Super Cup is an annual competition recognizing and rewarding the best clubs in the ECNL Boys. Every year the top ECNL Boys clubs in each conference, determined by prior year conference performance across multiple age groups, qualify for the ECNL Boys Super Cup. The ECNL Boys Super Cup features a group stage and a finals stage, and less than 30 clubs qualify each year.

The ECNL Boys Super Cup group stage involves three different events: the ECNL Boys East Super Cup, the ECNL Boys Central Super Cup, and the ECNL Boys West Super Cup. The top teams from each of these events advances to the ECNL Boys Super Cup Finals where the ECNL Boys Super Cup Champion is crowned.

ECNL GIRLS LEAGUE CUP

The ECNL Girls League Cups are cup competitions in selected age groups and conferences that add meaning and excitement to local and regional rivalries. Each League Cup includes group play and a knockout round, and the winner of the League Cup earns automatic qualification to the postseason.

REGULAR SEASON LEAGUE PLAY: At all ages and levels, teams participate in regionalized regular-season competition in their conference. This competition provides the majority of games for each team each season, and is the top priority in their total competition schedule for the year. The vast majority of postseason qualifiers are determined through conference standings.

REGULAR SEASON NATIONAL EVENTS: At all ages and levels, teams have the opportunity to participate in National Events throughout the year. At U16 and younger, these events are experiential – designed to inspire, challenge, and prepare players for the future. At U17 and U18/19, these events are recruitable – designed to showcase players for college and professional soccer. The number of events that each team participates in varies based on age and level of performance.

The ECNL Regional League Boys and ECNL Regional League Girls each have a two-stage postseason, with four ECNL RL Playoff events in the first stage, and one ECNL National Finals event in the second stage.  

ECNL REGIONAL LEAGUE PLAYOFFS events are held in four different regions of the country in June: East, Central, South and West. The U18/19 ECNL Regional League Playoff Champions are crowned in each of these events and conclude their season. The top performing teams in the ECNL Regional League Playoff events from U13 – U17 advance to the ECNL Regional League Finals.

ECNL REGIONAL LEAGUE FINALS in July is where the U13 – U17 ECNL RL Boys and ECNL RL Girls National Champions are crowned every year as the best teams in their respective age groups in the ECNL Regional League.

ECNL RL GIRLS LEAGUE CUP

The ECNL RL Girls League Cups are cup competitions in selected age groups and conferences that add meaning and excitement to local and regional rivalries. Each League Cup includes group play and a knock-out round, and the winner of the League Cup earns automatic qualification to the post-season.

ECNL REGIONAL LEAGUE BOYS INVITE CUP

The ECNL Boys Invite Cup was launched in 2026 and is an invitation only event for the top performing ECNL Regional League Boys clubs in the country. Each club is invited based on their regular season league performance across multiple ages the prior year.  Through unique mini-game competition, in group stage and knock-outs, the ECNL RL Invite Cup champions are crowned.

ECNL REGIONAL LEAGUE GIRLS LEADERS CUP

The ECNL Girls Leaders Cup was launched in 2026 and is an invitation only event for the top performing ECNL Regional League Girls clubs in the country. Each club is invited based on their regular season league performance across multiple ages the prior year.  Through unique mini-game competition, in group stage and knock-outs, the ECNL RL Leaders Cup champions are crowned.

LEAGUE PLAY: The format of the Pre-ECNL varies by region based upon what works best for participating clubs. All Pre-ECNL leagues include the U12 age group, and some extend to the U9 age group. Pre-ECNL competition prioritizes quality games with limited travel, appropriate to the age level of the players.

NATIONAL EVENTS: The Pre-ECNL also includes a number of regionalized events where teams in Pre-ECNL leagues can drive to play against teams from other Pre-ECNL leagues in a unique and fun environment. Each Pre-ECNL event allows teams to compete to be the event champion.