From their rulebook

Moving Up, Moving Down Placement in divisions for age groups previously structured into all 10 team divisions will primarily be based upon performance of the team during the previous season. The Structure Committee’s general expectation is typically to utilize the following procedure: - - In the First Division, the 9th and 10th place finishers will move to the Second Division. The 1st and 2nd place finishers in the Second Division will move to the First Division. The 8th, 9th, and 10th place finishers in the Second Division will move to the Third Division. In Divisions Three and lower, the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place finishers will move to the higher division and the 8th, 9th and 10th place finishers will move to the lower division. When there is no lower division, no teams will move down. Placement in divisions for age groups not previously structured into all 10 team divisions will primarily be based upon performance of the team during the previous season. The Structure Committee will strive to move teams up and down as above but the simple 3 up/3 down movement will most likely not always be possible. Additionally, the Structure Committee will consider whether a team’s performance in a given season was achieved with club pass players in a manner that is inconsistent with the spirit of the club pass allowance.

ECNL needs promotion/relegation in its life.

Anonymous wrote:Anyone happy or upset if your team was promoted on relegated ?

Now that the end of the NCSL season is around the corner can anyone explain how he promotion/relegation works? Is it the top team only or the top 2 or three teams that move up or down? Any insight? I’m a newbie parent.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It was 8-yo kids travel. Way too early to tell them to go back to rec, bud.

Then this is where you start to stop coddling your snowflake. Bud

Ok, broflake, and this is where you have proven you fail at grammar and in life at general because your snowflake lost the election.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do you know which division your team is in at the U9 level? I've never seen anything indicating whether we're in D1, D2, D3, etc.

This was a few years ago but when I managed my son's U9 and U10 teams, NCSL asked the coaches to rate the team on a scale of 1-5 I think, from most competitive to developmental. It seemed pretty clear that geography was also a big factor in determining schedules. I appreciated the effort made!

We have all driven to Winchester too many times! But they must have very few teams out there so it's inevitable.

I really wish there were fewer leagues -- that all but MLS folded into NCSL. I have two in CCL and the competition is more uneven, the drives longer. I don't see the point.

It’s been thoroughly discussed that CCL is a joke and a scam. Why people still buy into? Cause parents love festering mediocre programs and supporting the lavish lifestyles of those making 6 figures who couldn’t flip a burger if their lives depended on it.

Anonymous wrote:It was 8-yo kids travel. Way too early to tell them to go back to rec, bud.

Then this is where you start to stop coddling your snowflake. Bud

It was 8-yo kids travel. Way too early to tell them to go back to rec, bud.

Anonymous wrote:How do you know which division your team is in at the U9 level? I've never seen anything indicating whether we're in D1, D2, D3, etc.

This was a few years ago but when I managed my son's U9 and U10 teams, NCSL asked the coaches to rate the team on a scale of 1-5 I think, from most competitive to developmental. It seemed pretty clear that geography was also a big factor in determining schedules. I appreciated the effort made!

We have all driven to Winchester too many times! But they must have very few teams out there so it's inevitable.

I really wish there were fewer leagues -- that all but MLS folded into NCSL. I have two in CCL and the competition is more uneven, the drives longer. I don't see the point.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Or enjoy the succes now, because in a couple years the gap will close significantly and your son very likely will be getting a beating when scores actually are kept, logged and matter.

Ha ha - yeah, that's one of the things that I'm hoping to avoid. It would seem to me that playing in more competitive games makes you a better player, while consistently playing against weaker teams, at a young age, can lead to the development of bad habits.

It's a good suggestion regarding playing with 6 instead of 7. Perhaps I will mention it to the coach as something to consider once the score gets past a certain point (5 - 0 maybe) ....

Most coaches should offer to remove players, or offer the other team to add players or put a touch restriction on their team. But NCSL may have their own rules or guidelines on what's allowable in terms of removing or adding players.

I heard that one team was gettin smoked and the winning team's coach started removing players from his side to make it more competitive and even, but the losing coach told him not to do that. Final score was over 15 goal margin.

Sometimes its good to take a royal butt whipping . The losing coach can use it as a motivation and teaching tool. We've made travel soccer less about being competitive and more about being cool. Too many parents and kids use it as a high dollar rec league. If your worried about a bad loss demoralizing your kid you should be in rec. If your kid takes the loss as to say here is where I'm at and I need to work to get better your gonna be OK. Changing the game to make it "fair" doesn't teach your kids anything. If the winning coach wants to make his team work more thru possession without taking the shots is OK too. But in no way should be expected at all.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Or enjoy the succes now, because in a couple years the gap will close significantly and your son very likely will be getting a beating when scores actually are kept, logged and matter.

Ha ha - yeah, that's one of the things that I'm hoping to avoid. It would seem to me that playing in more competitive games makes you a better player, while consistently playing against weaker teams, at a young age, can lead to the development of bad habits.

It's a good suggestion regarding playing with 6 instead of 7. Perhaps I will mention it to the coach as something to consider once the score gets past a certain point (5 - 0 maybe) ....

Most coaches should offer to remove players, or offer the other team to add players or put a touch restriction on their team. But NCSL may have their own rules or guidelines on what's allowable in terms of removing or adding players.

I heard that one team was gettin smoked and the winning team's coach started removing players from his side to make it more competitive and even, but the losing coach told him not to do that. Final score was over 15 goal margin.

Anonymous wrote:How do you know which division your team is in at the U9 level? I've never seen anything indicating whether we're in D1, D2, D3, etc.

No division til U11. They track the first two years so there aren't too many lopsided divisions. Theres no way to tell at U9 if team A is a better team than B. They do their best to get it right at U11 but its never going to be perfect. They get most of right from U11 on.

U9 and 10 aren’t in divisions yet.

How do you know which division your team is in at the U9 level? I've never seen anything indicating whether we're in D1, D2, D3, etc.

Anonymous wrote:Or enjoy the succes now, because in a couple years the gap will close significantly and your son very likely will be getting a beating when scores actually are kept, logged and matter.

Ha ha - yeah, that's one of the things that I'm hoping to avoid. It would seem to me that playing in more competitive games makes you a better player, while consistently playing against weaker teams, at a young age, can lead to the development of bad habits.

It's a good suggestion regarding playing with 6 instead of 7. Perhaps I will mention it to the coach as something to consider once the score gets past a certain point (5 - 0 maybe) ....

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree that my daughter's U10 team is playing the same teams as in the Fall. Wish they could mix it up at the younger ages.

Also have 1 moving from D2 to D1. I am dreading that move. Long season ahead...

I think U9 & U10 they do it more based on travel distance and try to keep the games closer for everyone. Once they have more divisions than they start moving teams up and down.

I've made too many trips to Winchester to believe that is true