US Club Soccer and the Elite Clubs National League have created a new national competition and development platform for 14-U through 18/19-U boys. The Elite National Premier League (ENPL) provides local and national regular-season competition, national showcase events and postseason playoff competition for top teams across the country.
The ENPL includes both member Boys ECNL Conferences and member National Premier Leagues (NPLs), providing multiple entry paths into the competition. ENPL competition includes 14-U, 15-U, 16-U, 17-U and 19-U boys age groups, and includes participating teams from two independent qualification paths: (i) qualifying teams from designated National Premier Leagues across the country; and (ii) qualifying teams from ECNL club-based conferences across the country.
By providing qualification paths for both team-based and club-based competitions, the ENPL features the best boys players in US Club Soccer. The regular season competition within each NPL and Boys ECNL Conference are unique and independently structured; however, consistent technical and competitive standards apply, and all teams focus on the same postseason destination: the ENPL Playoffs.
The 2019 postseason for ENPL and NPL qualifiers was held in a few phases from late June to mid-July:
No teams are guaranteed entry into the ENPL postseason. Whether qualifying through an NPL or a Boys ECNL Conference, all teams earn their place into the ENPL postseason through a full season of regular league play.
