ECNL Format Changes for 2012-2013

"The 73 teams in next year’s competition will be divided into 8 conferences, featuring home and away matches played with each conference opponent. Additionally, teams will gather at some national level showcases for additional matches. The U15 and U18 age groups will meet twice, while the U16 and U17 teams will gather three times, all during the regular season. Teams will thus play in 20-36 regular season games (including showcases) depending on their conference sizes (8 to 11 teams). U14 teams will additionally play in two conference-wide showcases.

A national playoff event will be held in June for U15, U16 and U17 age groups, with the top 3 teams in each of the 8 conferences qualifying for the top flight, along with eight wild card teams in each age group for a total of 32 teams. Lower-placed teams in the regular season standings will compete in separate tiers of playoffs. The teams will be divided into 8 groups of 4 at the playoffs, with 8 group winners (chosen after a 3-game round robin schedule in each group), qualifying for the national finals in July.

The eight U15, U16 and U17 teams at that event will go through group play followed by championship matches in each age group. The 16 U14 and U18 teams qualifying from regular season play will compete in a straight knockout format."

http://www.topdrawersoccer.com/club-soccer-articles/ecnl-nationals:-best-in-the-nation_aid24498


U14 - Regional play, two conference wide showcases, if top 16 then national finals in July.
U15 - Regional play, two national showcases, national playoff event in June and if bracket winner then finals event in July.
U16 - Regional play, three national showcases, national playoff event in June and if bracket winner then finals event in July.
U17 - Regional play, three national showcases, national playoff event in June and if bracket winner then finals event in July.
U18 - Regional play, two national showcases, and if top 16 then then national finals in July.

That's the way it reads to me, feel free to correct any mistakes.

for us non ECNL folks how is this different from the present ECNL format?

bronxdad wrote:for us non ECNL folks how is this different from the present ECNL format?

Overall the change looks to give more teams a chance to compete to win Nationals rather than just show up to Showcase while the very top teams compete to win...

Primarily for us here in Texas it means we play two new teams, from the south region in addition to the existing 8.

Hey Gunners, or anyone else, do you know when the ECNL season starts?

http://eliteclubsnationalleague.com/schedule/index_E.html

Well spotted thanks.