National Premier League

National Premier Leagues

The NPL was created to elevate and change the competitive youth soccer landscape by extending developmental principles espoused by U.S. Soccer into more age groups and clubs, by linking competition with player development and identification platforms, and by providing meaningful weekly competition culminating in the NPL Finals.

NPLs are independent leagues, unified under one national competition platform, and based on a common technical framework designed to improve long-term player development. The NPL provides a platform:

  • focused on long-term player development;

  • for the country’s top soccer clubs, allowing consistent, meaningful high-level games appropriately scheduled with higher training-to-game ratios;

  • that allows players to be scouted and evaluated by U.S. Soccer National Staff and Technical Advisors;

  • that is designed and structured by the clubs, based on the needs of the clubs; and

  • that provides an avenue for qualification to the Elite National Premier League (ENPL).

NPL Showcases:

The NPL has hosted NPL Showcases since 2014 to provide high school-aged players with opportunities to play high-quality games in front of collegiate coaches and scouts.

In 2014, top 16-U through 18-U boys teams gathered in suburban Las Vegas for the inaugural NPL Showcase. Every year since then, NPL Showcases have been organized for 15-U through 17-U girls teams in Palm Coast, Fla.

Plans are being made for an NPL Showcase in January 2018. Please stay tuned for more information.

Beginning in 2015, the NPL entered into partnerships with the Jefferson Cup and Surf Cup to provide slots to top NPL teams at those renowned events.

NPL Finals:

Formerly known as the NPL Champions Cup, the NPL Finals annually crowns NPL national champions as the culminating event of year-long, league-based competition.

The prestigious event features qualifiers in 13-U through 18/19-U boys and girls age groups from every NPL across the country.

With the launch of the Elite National Premier League (ENPL), the coveted destination for all NPL teams will be the ENPL Finals beginning with the 2017-18 season. More information about the ENPL playoff structure and how that affects the NPL will be released soon.