US Youth Soccer Pacific Conference establishes league structure

FRISCO, Texas — The US Youth Soccer Pacific Conference has established its league structure and qualifying criteria that will go into effect during the current youth soccer season, with conference play expected to begin in the spring of 2021.

As one of 13 Conferences within the USYS National League, the Pacific Conference serves top-level boys and girls teams in the 13U through 19U age groups from the State Associations of Cal North and Cal South. Participating teams have an opportunity to compete for qualification into the 2021 USYS Far West Regional Championships, as well as qualification into the 2021-22 USYS National League Playoffs.

Beginning with the 2020-2021 seasonal year, Pacific Conference games will be played primarily in the spring, and that is expected to be the case for future seasons.

Cal South Teams

In the Pacific Conference Premier I (South) Divisions, each gender will have six teams per age group compete in the league. Teams will qualify for the Pacific Conference each season based on their performance in the California Regional League (CRL), which will hold its competition in the earlier stages of the seasonal year to allow teams to secure advancement into the Pacific Conference.

“The qualification format will allow teams with an opportunity to earn their place in the Conference each season,” Pacific Conference league manager Anthony Morales said. “That will produce high-level matches that elevate the competition and provide an optimal environment for players to grow and develop.”

In future seasons, the CRL matches are expected to take place in the fall ahead of a spring Pacific Conference schedule. For the 2020-2021 seasonal year, the CRL hopes to begin play in late fall 2020, but the start date is dependent on following state and local guidelines for returning to competition.

Cal North Teams

In the Pacific Conference Premier I (North) Divisions, each gender will have six teams per age group compete in the league. Teams will qualify for the Pacific Conference each season based on the combination of their prior year’s performance in the Pacific Conference and the Cal North State Cup.

For the 2020-21 seasonal year, the Pacific Conference North Divisions hope to begin play in early 2021, but the start date is dependent on following state and local guidelines for returning to competition. If able to return to competition this year, Cal North teams will compete in the Pacific Conference during January and early February over six games. The Pacific Conference games will also be used to seed the teams into the Cal North State Cup, which will be held in February.

Winning either the Pacific Conference or the State Cup offers Cal North teams an opportunity to qualify for the Far West Regional Championships, while the Pacific Conference also has qualification implications for the National League Playoffs.

In future seasons, the Pacific Conference North Division matches are expected to take place in the fall, as well as the early spring, after the winter high school season concludes.

The Pacific Conference, along with each of the 13 National League Conferences, provides its teams with consistent high-level competition at a targeted local level. Conference teams have access to the USYS National League Showcase Series, as well as a chance to compete for spots in the USYS National League Playoffs.

For more information on the Pacific Conference, click here.

For more information on all of the National League Conferences, the National League Showcase Series, and the National League Playoffs, click here.