The United States Soccer Federation (USSF) governs most levels of soccer in the United States, including the national teams, professional leagues, and amateur leagues, being the highest soccer authority in the country. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) governs most colleges; secondary schools are governed by state-level associations, with the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) setting the rules at that level. The match regulations are generally the same between the three governing bodies although there are many subtle differences.
Fall River Rovers were a United States soccer club, based in Fall River, Massachusetts. They won the 1888 and 1889 American Cups as well as the 1917 National Challenge Cup. In 1922 Rovers and Fall River United attempted to share rent on venue due to increasing costs. Subsequently their joint bid for an ASL slot in the 1922–23 season was rejected. They later disbanded with their players signing with other teams.
The American Football Association (AFA) was the first attempt in the United States to form an organizing soccer body.
American League of Professional Football was the first professional soccer league in the United States, existing for one season in 1894. It was also one of the earliest professional leagues in the world. It was created by the owners of the National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, partly to fill their dormant stadiums in the winter months and partly for publicity reasons to keep their baseball seasons visible to the public during the off-season.
New Bedford Whalers was the name of three American soccer teams based in New Bedford, Massachusetts. The first Whalers played in the Southern New England Soccer League between 1914 and 1918. The second Whalers played in the American Soccer League between 1924 and 1931 before merging into Fall River F.C. The third Whalers were then formed when Fall River merged with New York Yankees. They played in the ASL between 1931 and 1932.
The United States had recently entered World War I, and the soccer world felt the effects as increasing numbers of players joined the armed forces to wage battle in Europe. Soccer was not as hard-hit as some other sports, but all leagues felt the impact; in fact the Čechie team of Chicago lost every member of its roster to enlistment. The United States Soccer Football Association issued a call to its member associations for teams to resist the temptation to strengthen their teams at the expense of others — when wealthy, but decimated teams eye the poorer but complete teams, their wallets and checkbooks should remain pocketed in the name of fair play. A welcome consequence of the war situation was a willingness of the USFA's own warring factions to end their dispute and work together in relative harmony during those trying times. Many soccer organizations launched fund raising campaigns and benefit matches to raise money to provide support for U.S. soldiers through, among other means, the provision of soccer equipment and gear to enhance their recreational opportunities. One such project was the Soccer Football Chain Letter Fund launched by Thomas Cahill and the USFA.
Thomas W. Cahill was one of the founding fathers of soccer in the United States, and is considered the most important administrator in U.S. Soccer before World War II. Cahill formed the United States Football Association in 1913, which later became the United States Soccer Federation. In 1916 he became the first coach of the United States men's national soccer team. Cahill was enshrined in the U.S. National Soccer Hall of Fame in 1950.
The Eastern Professional Soccer League, better known as the Eastern Soccer League (ESL), was an American soccer league which existed for only a season and a half in 1928 and 1929. Born of the internecine strife between soccer organizations in the United States known as the “Soccer War”, the ESL was created by the United States Football Association (USFA) as a counter to the professional American Soccer League which was contesting USFA control of professional soccer in the country.
The American Amateur Football Association Cup was an American soccer competition open to amateur teams affiliated with the American Amateur Football Association (AAFA). It played only two years, 1912 and 1913 before being superseded by the National Challenge Cup, now known as the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
Clark Our New Thread, mostly known as Clark O.N.T. was a U.S. soccer team sponsored by the Clark Thread Company. The team competed in the annual American Cup, winning the first three championships. Beside Fall River Rovers, they are considered the most successful clubs in the late 1880s in American soccer.
Hollywood Inn F.C. was a U.S. soccer team which played in Yonkers, New York during the early twentieth century. While an amateur team for much of its existence, it played a single season in the professional National Association Football League. In 1913, it went to the final of the American Amateur Football Association Cup where it lost to Yonkers F.C.
The 1924–25 National Challenge Cup was the annual open cup held by the United States Football Association now known as the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
The 1922 American Cup tournament was not held. In accordance with new rules passed by the USFA, the American Football Association did not conduct a tournament for the 1921-22 season. The hiatus was brief, though, with the tournament resuming the following season.
The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is an American soccer competition open to all United States Soccer Federation affiliated teams, from amateur adult club teams to the professional clubs of Major League Soccer. The following is the history of the U.S. Open Cup tournament.
Soccer in the United States has a varied history. Research indicates that the modern game entered the country during the 1850s with New Orleans' Scottish, Irish, German and Italian immigrants. Some of the first organized games, using modern English rules, were played in that city.
The 1923 National Amateur Cup was the USFA's first attempt to stage a national knockout competition strictly for amateur soccer teams. This edition however did not reach a conclusion and no overall winner was crowned. The tournament suffered numerous delays. Among the worst instances was an early round game between Swedish Americans of Chicago and Gary, Indiana scheduled for mid December. Poor field conditions due to bad weather prevented the completion of their matchup until the end of March. Consequently, no national final or semifinals were played. Ten years prior, the USFA's earlier incarnation, the AAFA, had conducted two tournaments on the amateur level. Both were successful in the sense that they were completed expeditiously however they were able to draw few if any teams from beyond the New York area. The 1923 amateur tournament drew 68 teams ranging from Chicago, Illinois to Rumford, Maine including even a team from San Francisco, California, the Olympic Club though their entry was rejected as a matter of logistics.
The American Soccer League, established in 1921, was the first of four different professional soccer sports leagues in the United States to use the ASL name. It was formed by the merger of teams from the National Association Football League and the Southern New England Soccer League. For several years the ASL's popularity rivaled the popularity of the National Football League. Disputes with the United States Football Association and FIFA, as well as the onset of the Great Depression, led to the league's collapse in spring 1933.
The 1913 AAFA Cup featured twenty-four teams from New York and New Jersey. The 'Wasps' of Yonkers defeated the 'Black and White Brigade' of Hollywood Inn 3–0 to win the tournament. This was the second and final edition as the AAFA Cup. The association became the USFA and awarded the Dewar Trophy for the 1913 edition of the AAFA cup. The Dewar Trophy was also awarded to the National Challenge Cup winners beginning in the 1913–14 season.
The American Amateur Football Association Cup was an American soccer competition open to amateur teams affiliated with the American Amateur Football Association (AAFA).
