ECNL RL Overview
Purpose
In partnership with the Elite Clubs National League, the NorCal Division of the ECNL Regional League exists to provide the highest level of competition and college showcasing opportunities to teams and clubs within Northern California, while limiting the travel demands on families.
NorCal believes that while clubs, teams, and players should strive to find their highest level, there is plenty of competition within Northern California, and very few of us need to get on a plane to find competition that is going to stretch us to our highest levels. The NorCal ECNL RL provides top-level competition with no requirement to leave Northern California.
ECNL Regional League Structure
The NorCal ECNL Regional League fits within the broader NorCal league structure, sitting on top of the NorCal NPL. As part of a merit based system, teams are promoted into and relegated out of the ECNL RL based on their performance on the field. The best leagues around the world use promotion and relegation as it is the only way to ensure that teams are at the appropriate level, and provide a consistently high quality competition. With an integrated promotion and relegation system from State Premier all the way through ECNL RL, NorCal provides a pathway for teams to earn their way to the highest levels of competition available.
U13 ECNL RL – Played in the spring season only, the top finishing teams from the regional NPL divisions will be grouped into a State-Wide ECNL RL division. Following the spring season, all teams in the ECNL RL will return to regional NPL divisions in the fall of their U14 year.
U14 ECNL RL – Played in the spring season only, the top finishing teams from the regional NPL divisions will be grouped into a State-Wide ECNL RL division. Following the spring season, teams who finish outside of last place will be placed into the year round ECNL RL U15 division the following year. The last place team will be relegated down to a regional NPL division for the fall of their U15 year.
U15 ECNL RL – A year round division played in both the fall and the spring, teams will play a double round robin schedule (play each opponent twice) with a single table. At the conclusion of the season (spring) teams finishing outside of 8th and 9th place will qualify for the following year’s ECNL RL division. Teams finishing 8th and 9th will be relegated into NPL 1 for the following fall season.
U16 – U19 ECNL RL – A year round divisions played in both the fall and the spring, teams will play a double round robin schedule (play each opponent twice) with a single table. At the conclusion of the season (spring) teams finishing outside of 7th and 8th place will qualify for the following year’s ECNL RL division. Teams finishing 7th and 8th will be relegated into NPL 1 for the following fall season.
