NorCal Hosts First-Ever NPL Qualification Playoffs

This past weekend at the Davis Legacy Soccer Complex, NorCal Premier Soccer hosted the first-ever NPL Qualification Playoffs, with hundreds of teams participating in the new look event in the hopes of maintaining their status in the NPL for the fall season.

The knockout competition format provided excitement for each team as well as competitive games, with U13 – U18 sides involved in a format similar to the promotion playoffs that occur in several other countries around the world.

“The NPL Qualification Playoff gave teams one last chance at qualifying for this year’s NPL competition in an exciting knockout format,” said NorCal Director of Competitions Jason Drury. “As much as possible, we have been moving towards a fully objective selection process for NPL and this event helps conclude this process for the final few openings in each age group.”

For NPL clubs, wildcards eliminated from the NPL the previous season, and clubs finishing in the second, third, and fourth of the State Premier Championship in the spring, this was an opportunity to secure a spot in the area’s highest levels of competition.

And the action didn’t disappoint, with several games coming down to the wire or being decided on kicks from the mark.

Qualifying Teams