NPL teams playing in/for ECRL?

Yep, that is how you are reading it. Fall NPL, teams at the top play ECRL in the spring. Win that and you go to ECNL tournament.

Article on it:

"At U15, U16 and U17 age levels, they will also ultimately compete for participation in the Open Cup at the ECNL National Playoffs."

Personally I would love to see promotion/relegation rather than just give a few select clubs the golden ticket.
 
Yep, that is how you are reading it. Fall NPL, teams at the top play ECRL in the spring. Win that and you go to ECNL tournament.

Article on it:

"At U15, U16 and U17 age levels, they will also ultimately compete for participation in the Open Cup at the ECNL National Playoffs."

Personally I would love to see promotion/relegation rather than just give a few select clubs the golden ticket.
Glad to see ECNL is opening up their competition to clubs outside the ECNL regime. I hope this applies to all regions, not just Nor Cal.
 
Here is a different question, how many non ECNL or GA, can win the league? No way GA will allow a club to play in ECNL open cup I'd imagine. ECNL teams of course can qualify through ecnl normal league for nationals. While it looks interesting on the surface, we'll see how it works. I'm sure there are a few games where it's possible but slim in most ages I would guess. Just Ziemer trying to bring pro and rel to ECNL :)
 
Here is a different question, how many non ECNL or GA, can win the league? No way GA will allow a club to play in ECNL open cup I'd imagine. ECNL teams of course can qualify through ecnl normal league for nationals. While it looks interesting on the surface, we'll see how it works. I'm sure there are a few games where it's possible but slim in most ages I would guess. Just Ziemer trying to bring pro and rel to ECNL :)
There are definitely a few non ECNL teams out there that can win the Open Cup at every age group. Maybe very difficult to win the Champions league but the Open Cup is not. I think ECNL needs to advance NPL teams to the appropriate championship rounds, not the OPEN Cup. If those teams are beating teams that make it to Champions League final, then be it. If they qualify for North American, then they should be placed there. Etc, Etc. It shouldn't be limited to the Open Cup but at least it's a start for ECNL.
 
Here is a different question, how many non ECNL or GA, can win the league? No way GA will allow a club to play in ECNL open cup I'd imagine. ECNL teams of course can qualify through ecnl normal league for nationals. While it looks interesting on the surface, we'll see how it works. I'm sure there are a few games where it's possible but slim in most ages I would guess. Just Ziemer trying to bring pro and rel to ECNL :)
A lot of NorCal NPL teams would fall between ECNL and ECRL and could definitely win ECRL league.
 
I think promotion/relegation would work if you also introduce geographic restrictions for clubs. Otherwise it just ramps up the club recruiting craziness. I'd rather see coaches developing great players and teams with the pool they have to work with than being sales people. It would also encourage community representation which is at the heart of sports and is pretty much nonexistent in club soccer.
 
At least NorCal / Ziemer are trying to do something in regards to pro/rel. I give them props for that. That said, most in youth soccer and youth sports in general will think money first. That fact teams are traveling out of state to play ECNL league games is about the stupidest money grubbing thing I have ever heard of. On top of that why isn’t there an ECNL club in the Central Valley??? Great talent there…but not enough money. It’s not about soccer, it’s about dollars sadly.
 
We can only hope for a true promotion/relegation league nationally. It would be beneficial to the country in so many ways. Unfortunately, It will expose too many of these golden ticket clubs that have been mediocre at best. They would fight tooth and nail to keep it from happening because they will actually have to develop players instead of recruiting them from the clubs that are.
 
We can only hope for a true promotion/relegation league nationally. It would be beneficial to the country in so many ways. Unfortunately, It will expose too many of these golden ticket clubs that have been mediocre at best. They would fight tooth and nail to keep it from happening because they will actually have to develop players instead of recruiting them from the clubs that are.
Unless someone is going to put up a lot of money, a true national league will be limited to clubs with big pockets, just like now.
 
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