Different organizations run different leagues, and most of them have more than one level. A big club usually has teams in several leagues at once: its top team in the most selective league, its second team a level down, and so on. The ladders below go roughly from most to least selective.
Boys
- National top tierMLS NEXT (Homegrown Division) · ECNL Boys
- National second tierMLS NEXT Academy Division · ECNL Regional League · National Academy League (NAL)
- Regional / national playoff pathNational 1 League · Regional Academy League (RAL)
- Regional club leagueNECSL (U8–U19, New England’s largest)
- Younger boys (U11–U12)Northeast Academy League (NEAL), a step before MLS NEXT or NAL
Girls
- National top tierGirls Academy (GA) · ECNL Girls
- National second tierGA Aspire · ECNL Regional League
- Entry national tierDevelopment Player League (DPL) · National 1 League
- Regional club leagueNECSL · RAL
Things that surprise parents
- Girls Academy, GA Aspire and DPL are one pathway. Since July 2026 the DPL is sanctioned under Girls Academy and runs GA Aspire, so the three work as levels of the same system.
- MLS NEXT has two divisions. Players in the top Homegrown Division can’t play high school soccer. The Academy Division, added in 2025, allows it.
- The USYS National League and the NPL are gone. For 2026-27 they merged into the new National 1 League. In New England it is run by EDP.
- The level is the team’s, not the club’s. A club in MLS NEXT may also have NECSL teams. Ask which league your child’s actual team plays in.
- Higher isn’t always better for your child. The top leagues mean more travel, cost and time. A strong team in a regional league can be the better fit.