United Soccer Leagues

The United Soccer Leagues (USL) is the parent organization for the men's lower division leagues of US and Canadian soccer: USL First Division (second division), USL Second Division (third division), and Premier Development League (PDL) (fourth division). The top division for US and Canadian men's soccer is Major League Soccer (MLS). The USL also includes the current top flight women's league W-League and youth league the Super Y-League. It is directly affiliated with the United States Soccer Federation (USSF), United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA) and the Canadian Soccer Association (CSA).

The USL structure allows for the Second Division champion to be promoted to the First Division, provided that the team to be promoted meets criteria set by USL and the USSF, and space exists. A formal relegation process may also be added at a future date. There is no promotion or relegation between MLS and USL.

USL rosters may consist of a maximum of 26 players, with 18 designated for each game. Each team is permitted a maximum of five foreign players on its active game-day roster and a maximum of seven foreign players on its master roster. In the PDL and W-League, at least three players in a full 26-player roster must be under 19, in accordance with guidelines set by the USASA and USSF. In the PDL, a maximum of eight players may be over the age of 23, and can retain their NCAA elegibility.

History

* 1986 Established as Southwest Indoor Soccer League
* 1989 Added an outdoor league known as the Southwest Outdoor Soccer League. This was soon changed to Southwest Independent Soccer League which included both the indoor and outdoor leagues.
* 1990 Renamed Sunbelt Independent Soccer League
* 1991 Renamed United States Interregional Soccer League
* 1995 Renamed United States International Soccer League
* 1995 Renamed United Systems of Independent Soccer Leagues and formally established professional Pro League and amateur Amateur Premier League
* 1996 Established Select League consisting of strongest teams from Division 3 Pro League and Amateur Premier League in hopes of gaining Division 2 sanctioning.
* 1997 Select League and the independent Division 2 A-League merged to form a new A-League under the USISL umbrella.
* 1999 Umbrella USISL changed its name to the modern United Soccer Leagues.

Complete historical team list

SISL

USISL

Champions

SISL

* 1986/87: Addison Arrows 7–2* Lubbock Lazers
* 1987/88: Oklahoma City Warriors 3–0 Austin Sockadillos
* 1988/89: Lubbock Lazers 3–2 Austin Sockadillos
* 1989: Colorado Comets 3–1* Addison Arrows
* 1989/90: Addison Arrows 3–0 Phoenix Hearts
* 1990: Colorado Comets (declared winner after championship game was cancelled)
* 1990/91: Colorado Comets 3–0 Oklahoma City Warriors
* 1991: Richardson Rockets 3–0* New Mexico Chiles- Champions determined by best-of-five-game series, except for 1986/87, 1989 & 1991 seasons which were determined by one-game final.

USISL

* 1991/92: Oklahoma City Warriors 7–2 Atlanta Magic
* 1992: Palo Alto Firebirds 1–0 Tucson Amigos
* 1992/93: Atlanta Magic 11–7 Arizona Cotton
* 1993: Greensboro Dynamo 2–1 Orlando Lions
* 1993/94: Atlanta Magic 8–3 Chattanooga Express
* 1994: Greensboro Dynamo 2–1 (SO) Minnesota Thunder
* 1994/95: Atlanta Magic 6–3 Oklahoma City Slickers
* 1995/96: Baltimore Bays 10–8 Atlanta Magic
* 1996/97: Baltimore Bays 2–0* Tulsa Roughnecks
* 1997/98: Baltimore Bays 13–10 Tulsa Roughnecks- Champions determined by one-game final, except for 1996/97 which was determined by best-of-three game series.

External links

* [http://www.uslsoccer.com Official USL Website]
* [http://www.usldiscussions.com/ Fan operated discussion forum]
* http://xsorbit25.com/users5/soccertalkcanada/index.php
* [http://www.youtube.com/groups_videos?name=MLSandUSLsupporters USL supporters on YouTube.com]
* [http://www.powersoccerusa.com United States Power Soccer Association USPSA]