National League and Piedmont Conference Overview
The U.S. Youth Soccer National League represents the national tier of the Leagues Program. It features the nation's top 14U through 19U boys and girls teams, offering additional exposure to collegiate, professional, and U.S. National Team coaches. All teams earn their place in the National League through success in U.S. Youth Soccer's regional and national competitions, and the top finishers in the National League qualify for the annual U.S. Youth Soccer National Championships.
Teams play a seven-game schedule over two events, facing each team within its age group division one time. The League consists of three total events for boys teams and four total events for girls teams, with each team playing in two of the events.
The top teams from each division advance to the U.S. 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.
The National League, which held its inaugural season in 2007-08, is the national tier and highest level of competition in the U.S. Youth Soccer Leagues Program. Following a restructuring of the Leagues Program in 2018, the program also features 13 Conferences (formerly Regional Leagues) that offer multi-state competition across the various geographical areas of the country.
There are three ways to earn automatic qualification into the National League:
- 48 Regional Championship winners/representatives
- 72 returning National League division top finishers
- 232 Conference qualifiers
Any unfilled slots become open and are filled through an application process.
National League Age Groups
Fall 2019-Spring 2020- 14U (up to 32 teams per gender)
- 15U (up to 32 teams per gender)
- 16U (up to 32 teams per gender)
- 17U (up to 32 teams per gender)
- 18U (up to 32 teams per gender)
- 19U (up to 16 teams per gender)
Piedmont Conference
The US Youth Soccer Piedmont Conference is one of 13 Conferences under the US Youth Soccer National League in the Multi-State Tier. The Piedmont Conference consists of teams primarily from North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia. The top teams in the Conference will earn advancement to the US Youth Soccer Regional Championships, part of the US Youth Soccer National Championship Series. Piedmont Conference teams also have a pathway to participate in the new National League Showcase Series.