Guide · ECNL Girls
How ECNL Girls teams qualify for the 2026–27 playoffs
As of October 1, 2026, based on the ECNL’s 2026–27 Girls Post-Season Structure (September 11, 2026) and Competition Rules (August 17, 2026). The ECNL’s own documents are authoritative and can change.
The short answer
For 2026–27, 48 teams in each age group from U13 to U17 qualify for the ECNL Girls Champions League. Places go by points per game (PPG) in conference games only, and there are no wildcards. Of those 48, only four per age group reach the ECNL National Finals.
U18/19 has its own route with 16 teams. At U15–U17, the next finishers after the Champions League places go to other national cups.
How the Champions League works
At the ECNL National Playoffs, the 48 teams in each age group are split into 12 groups of four, and each team plays three group games. The 12 group winners and the four best second-place teams go through to the Round of 16. Second-place teams are compared on total points, then goal difference, goals for and goals against.
The Round of 16 and the quarterfinals are also played at the Playoffs. The four quarterfinal winners go on to the ECNL National Finals, a four-team knockout of semifinals and a final, where the champion is crowned.
Each conference’s champion is the team with the highest conference PPG, regardless of division. The 10 conference champions are seeded 1–10, and the other teams are seeded 11–48 by conference PPG.
Champions League places by conference
How many places each conference gets, and which finishers take them. For U18/19, the count is the teams that reach the play-in round.
| Conference | U13–U14 | U15–U17 | U18/19 play-in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mid-Atlantic11 teams | 4Top 4 | 4Top 3, plus the League Cup winner (or 4th) | 21st plays 2nd |
| Midwest16 teams | 6Top 2 in each division, plus the next 2 best | 6Top 6 | 21st plays 2nd |
| New England9 teams | 3Top 3 | 3Top 3 | 1Top team plays North Atlantic’s top team |
| North Atlantic10 teams | 3Top 3 | 3Top 2, plus the League Cup winner (or 3rd) | 1Top team plays New England’s top team |
| New England & North AtlanticPlay-in between the two | 1One more place, decided by a play-in between the two conferences | 1One more place, decided by a play-in between the two conferences | — |
| Northern California12 teams | 4Top 4 | 4Top 4 | 1Top team plays Northwest’s top team |
| Northwest10 teams | 3Top 3 | 3Top 3 | 1Top team plays Northern California’s top team |
| Ohio Valley12 teams | 4Top 4 | 4Top 2 in each division | 21st plays 2nd |
| Southeast16 teams | 5Top 5 | 5Top 5 | 21st plays 2nd |
| Southwest17 teams | 8Top 8 | 8Top 8 | 21st plays 2nd |
| Texas16 teams | 7Top 6, plus the League Cup winner (or 7th) | 7Top 6, plus the League Cup winner (or 7th) | 21st plays 2nd |
| Total | 48 | 48 | 16 |
New England and North Atlantic share one more U13–U17 place, decided by a play-in between the two conferences. The ECNL can adjust qualification and seeding at its discretion (Competition Rules 3.4.3 and 3.16).
ECNL Girls standings by age
U18/19: a separate route
U18/19 has its own postseason. Sixteen teams qualify automatically, with no wildcards. Each plays a single play-in game hosted by the higher seed, the team with the higher conference PPG. A tie goes straight to penalty kicks.
The eight winners go to an eight-team National Finals knockout, with quarterfinals of 1 v 8, 4 v 5, 2 v 7 and 3 v 6. The venue hasn’t been announced.
Other national cups for U15–U17
At U13 and U14, the Champions League is the only national postseason route.
At U15, U16 and U17, the next 16 finishers after the Champions League places go to the North American Cup. At U16 and U17, the next finishers after that go to Showcase Cup A (16 teams) and Showcase Cup B (8 teams).
How standings and ties are decided
A win is worth 3 points, a tie 1 and a loss 0. A forfeit counts as a 3–0 loss, and only the Commissioner can declare one. Points per game is points divided by games played, counting conference games only.
If two teams are tied, head-to-head points come first. If more than two are tied, head-to-head doesn’t apply. After that it’s goal difference, then goals for, then goals against, then a coin toss. Goal difference isn’t capped (Rule 3.17).
All games must be played by the first Sunday in June, June 6, 2027. Teams that qualify must take part.
What changed from last season
In 2025–26, 32 teams per age group from U13 to U17 played single elimination at the Playoffs in Redmond, Washington, July 11–17, 2026. For 2026–27 the field grows to 48 with a group stage, and the quarterfinals move to the Playoffs, so only four teams per age group go on to the Finals.
ECNL RL Girls in brief
ECNL Regional League (RL) Girls teams qualify on league PPG, counting league games only, for one of six regional playoff events: Somerset, New Jersey; Greensboro, North Carolina; Rockford, Illinois; St. Louis, Missouri; Fort Worth, Texas; and Norco, California. Dates haven’t been announced.
For U13–U17, eight teams per age group advance from those events to the ECNL RL Finals, at a location still to be announced. At U18/19, each site crowns a regional champion and the season ends there. A new ECNL Conference League postseason, with National 1 League teams, starts in 2027.
ECNL RL Girls standings · How ECNL, ECNL RL and Girls Academy compare
Sources
- 2026–27 ECNL Girls Post-Season Structure ↗ · September 11, 2026
- ECNL Competition Rules 2026–2027 ↗ · August 17, 2026
- ECNL Girls: everything you need to know about ECNL Girls Playoffs ↗ · July 6, 2026
- 2026–27 ECNL Regional League Girls Postseason Structure ↗ · August 19, 2026
- New ECNL Conference League playoffs to debut in 2027 ↗ · March 2, 2026
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