The ECNL is a national youth soccer league founded in 2009 for U-15 through U-18 girls’ teams for the purpose of providing the highest level of competition and the best developmental environment for American female youth soccer players, as well as an identification and development program, which will seek to include players in US Soccer’s National Teams. The 2010-11 season is the ECNL’s second season, during which each U-15 through U-17 team will play in three of the five regular-season events, as well as four Regional ECNL games. Each U-18 team will play in two of the first four regular-season events, as well as four Regional ECNL games.

For the 2010-2011 season, the ECNL expanded in membership, competitions, and age groups. First, twelve new clubs were added from a pool of nearly 80 applicants across the country, bringing the total number of ECNL member clubs to 52. The ECNL also expanded to include the U18 age group. Finally, the ECNL schedule expanded to include regional competition as well as the existing ECNL National Showcase Events. The ECNL National Championships are being held in Aurora, CO July 14-16, 2011.

The 2011-2012 ECNL season begins on August 1, 2011. For its third year, the ECNL has again expandedto 66 member clubs, including some of the nation’s top female soccer clubs. Most importantly, the ECNL also expanded the competition platform to approximately 30 games per team, so that ECNL competition will be the primary, if not the only, competition for these 66 clubs and their players. By focusing solely on the elite competition within the ECNL, these clubs will be able to provide an improved environment with a better training-to-game ratio and more demanding and consistent competition. In short, in the 2011-2012 ECNL season players will be challenged more and get better faster than ever before. To begin extending the development opportunity to younger age groups, the ECNL will also include a reduced U14 schedule in 2011-2012.

The 2011-12 ECNL season will include over 5,000 games in 3 different competition formats: 1- ECNL Conference and Cross-Conference Games; 2- ECNL National Showcase Games; and 3-ECNL National Championship Games.

1. ECNL Conference & Cross-Conference Games: Every ECNL Member Club has been placed into one of eight regional conferences for regular season play. All five ECNL age groups will play every team in their conference both home and away, and then will also play 2-4 cross-conference games against other regional opponents. In total, each team in the ECNL is scheduled to play 15-18 conference or cross-conference games per year.
2. ECNL National Showcase Event Games: In addition to the conference and cross-conference games, there are five ECNL National Showcase Events throughout the year where participating teams play 3 games at each event. Each team at the U15 and U18 age groups will participate in two of these events, while each team at the U16 and U17 age groups will participate in three of these events. These games are key to determining the ECNL National Champions at each age group. ECNL National Showcase Events are the largest collegiate recruiting events in the country (drawing more than 200 different colleges to each event), and are scouted by US Soccer National Staff.
3. ECNL National Championships Games: The 2012 ECNL National Championships will be held June 25-30, 2012, in Chicago, IL. This will leave the month of July as a “rest month” before the season starts again in August 2012. All ECNL Member Clubs participate in the National Championships. Roughly 500 games will be played spanning the 5-day period with over 6,000 participants.
   

ECNL Schedules
Click here for a link to the ECNL Schedule.

1. Create a Competition Structure
   
2. Create a Player Identification Platform
3. Create a Resource Sharing Structure
4. Create a Standards, Guidelines, & Incentives Structure

1. Improving the competitive environment through creation of a true nationally-based competitive league with multiple flights;
2. Improving the process for identifying elite female soccer players for the U.S. Soccer youth national teams through a systematic scouting and identification program based on national competition; and
3. Improving the daily training environment at female youth soccer clubs through developing best practices and training and organizational guidelines for its member clubs.