Canadian soccer league system

Last updated

Canadian soccer league system
Country Canada
Sport Soccer
Promotion and relegation Top division: No
Lower divisions: Limited
National system
Federation Canada Soccer
Confederation CONCACAF
Top division
Cup competition Canadian Championship (men)
Interprovincial Championship (women)
Regional systems
Federations
Top divisions
Soccer in Canada

The Canadian soccer league system, also called the Canadian soccer pyramid, is a term used in soccer to describe the structure of the league system in Canada. The governing body of soccer in the country is the Canadian Soccer Association (CSA), which oversees the system and domestic cups (including the Canadian Championship) but does not operate any of its component leagues. In addition, some Canadian teams compete in leagues that are based in the United States.

Contents

Men

League structure

The Canadian soccer system consists of several unconnected leagues and it does not have promotion and relegation. Leagues in the Canadian system are classified as either professional, pro-am, or amateur. The Canadian Soccer Association (CSA) is the governing body for the sport in Canada and directly sanctions leagues that operate in more than one province. [1] Leagues operating in a single province receive sanctioning from their provincial soccer association.

Professional (tier 1)

The Canadian Premier League (CPL) is the top division of soccer in Canada. It is the only fully professional, and only fully national league in the system. Founded in 2019, the CPL is composed of eight teams and is sanctioned by the CSA. Each year, the top CPL clubs qualify for the CONCACAF Champions Cup.

There are also three Canadian teams which play in Major League Soccer, the division 1 league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, reflecting a longstanding practice of major Canadian sports teams competing in American leagues. The Canadian clubs in this league are members of the CSA and compete in the Canadian Championship, rather than in the U.S. Open Cup, alongside clubs from the CPL and qualified lower division clubs.

The three Canadian MLS clubs also compete in the Leagues Cup, a competition held between MLS and Liga MX clubs, as the sub-regional competition within CONCACAF. The CPL does not take part in this competition.

Pro-am (tier 3)

Pro-am (or semi-pro) soccer competitions in Canada are regionally-based due to its large geography and dispersed pockets of population. Teams playing in pro-am leagues are permitted to be composed of professional and amateur players. [1] There are four of such leagues in Canada: League1 Alberta (L1AB); League1 British Columbia (L1BC); League1 Ontario (L1O); and Ligue1 Québec (L1Q). They are based in the provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec respectively, and are sanctioned by their relevant provincial soccer associations. There are more than 40 sanctioned teams playing in these leagues. These four leagues belong to the parent organization League1 Canada which was founded in 2022. [2]

The PLSQ was founded as a semi-pro league in 2012 and is sanctioned by Soccer Quebec. The league includes a team from Eastern Ontario, who compete with special permission from the CSA. [3]

Following the release of The Easton Report in 2013, the CSA set out to create a Division 3 semi-pro structure divided by region, similar to the major junior hockey leagues in Canada, with regional champions competing in a national tournament. [4] In November 2013, the Ontario Soccer Association announced the sanction of League1 Ontario as part of this new structure. [5]

On October 5, 2021, BC Soccer announced the establishment of League1 British Columbia as the nation's third regional pro-am soccer league. [6] The league began play in May 2022 with seven clubs.

In 2022, Toronto FC II and Whitecaps FC 2 began play in MLS Next Pro, a USSF-sanctioned division 3 league. Both Canadian clubs are members of the CSA.[ citation needed ] Toronto FC II had played in the division 2 USL Championship until 2018 and in the division 3 USL League One from 2019 to 2021.

In March 2023, League1 Alberta was founded by the Alberta Soccer Association. With only five teams in the men's and women's division (one short of the requirement for sanctioning), the league played an exhibition series in 2023. By December 2023, league membership had grown to seven teams and so the league joined League1 Canada and received full sanctioning ahead of the 2024 season.

Amateur

There are various amateur provincial leagues that are sanctioned under their individual provincial or territorial associations. This includes such leagues as the Pacific Coast Soccer League, Vancouver Island Soccer League, Vancouver Metro Soccer League, Fraser Valley Soccer League, Alberta Major Soccer League, Saskatchewan Premier Soccer League, Manitoba Major Soccer League, Ontario Soccer League, [7] Ligue de Soccer Elite Quebec, Nova Scotia Soccer League, and New Brunswick Premier Senior Soccer League. This collection of leagues across the country collectively compete for the Challenge Trophy.

There are 13 provincial and territorial soccer associations in Canada, with a number of leagues organized as amateur competitions at adult and/or youth levels. Typically there is promotion and relegation plus league and cup competitions in each provincial and territorial association, which culminates in the national Challenge Trophy. However, not all associations consistently send representative teams to national championships.

The United Soccer League (USL) manages several leagues, including the amateur USL League Two (USL2). USL2 is sanctioned and administered under the USASA and is below Division 3 in the United States soccer league system. On November 18, 2015, four Ontario teams (including FC London, who then moved to L1O) were given notice by the Ontario Soccer Association that they would no longer be permitted to participate in the league starting in 2017. [8] [ needs update ]

Pyramid breakdown

As of the 2024 season.

Canadian leagues grouped by CSA sanctioning level
TierLeague
Professional
(Tier 1)		 Canadian Premier League (CPL)
8 teams
Pro-am
(Tier 3)		 League1 Canada
League1 Ontario Premier (L1OP)
12 teams

↓ relegate 1 or 2

 Ligue1 Québec (L1QC)
11 teams		 League1 British Columbia (L1BC)
7 teams		 League1 Alberta (L1AB)
7 teams
League1 Ontario Championship (L1OC)
10 teams

↑ promote 1 or 2
↓ relegate 0 or 1

League2 Ontario (L2O)
24 teams in 3 conferences

↑ promote 2 or 3

Amateur Challenge Trophy
13 provincial/territorial associations
Canadian leagues grouped by de facto level
LevelLeague
1 Canadian Premier League
2 League1 Ontario Premier
↓ relegate 1 or 2		 Ligue1 Québec League1 BC League1 Alberta
3 League1 Ontario Championship
↑ promote 1 or 2
↓ relegate 0 or 1		No leagues at this level
4 League2 Ontario
↑ promote 2 or 3
American leagues grouped by USSF sanctioning level
DivisionLeague
1 Major League Soccer (MLS)
29 teams, including 3 in Canada
2No Canadian clubs at this level
3 MLS Next Pro
27 teams, including 2 in Canada
Positions below this point are amateur and are not designated by the USSF
N/A USL League Two (USL2)
128 teams, including 1 in Canada
United Premier Soccer League (UPSL)
250+ teams, including 2 from Canada
(home matches in the U.S.)

National cups

The Canadian Championship is the primary domestic cup in Canada. It was established in 2008 to determine the nation's representative at the CONCACAF Champions Cup. The tournament is organized by the Canadian Soccer Association and is open to fully professional Canadian teams (playing in American or Canadian leagues) and the winners of the Canadian regional pro-am leagues. The winner of the Canadian Championship is awarded the fan-created Voyageurs Cup which predates the tournament.

The Challenge Trophy is Canada's national men's amateur championship. It has been contested since 1913.

Professional leagues background

By the mid-1960s, there were four major leagues across Canada including the Eastern Canada Professional Soccer League (1961–1967). From west to east, the other major leagues were the Pacific Coast Soccer League (British Columbia), the Western Canada Soccer League (Alberta, Saskatchewan and eventually Manitoba and British Columbia), and the National Soccer League (Ontario and Quebec). In 1968, Canadian soccer turned its attention to the cross-nation North American Soccer League that initially featured professional teams in Vancouver and Toronto. Over the next 15 years, the professional league also featured teams in Calgary, Edmonton, and Montreal.

After the collapse of the original North American Soccer League, and Canada's participation in the 1986 FIFA World Cup the original Canadian Soccer League started operations as a nationally based CSA sanctioned Division 1 league. [9] When the original CSL folded in 1993, three Canadian teams moved to the American Professional Soccer League (APSL) where several had played preseason games and competed in post season tournaments. Later in 1993, Major League Soccer (MLS) beat the APSL and won the USSF's competition for U.S. Division 1 status. Canadian teams continued to participate in the APSL and subsequently with the United Soccer Leagues merger in the A League / USL-1. FIFA did not allow the U.S. Division 1 sanctioned league to include foreign teams which was why the APSL was never officially recognized as Division 1 before MLS.[ citation needed ]

MLS would eventually expand into Canadian cities with existing U.S. Division 2 teams. Newly created Toronto FC joined MLS for the 2007 season, whereas the existing Toronto Lynx self relegated from the USL-1 and began playing in the amateur-only USL Premier Development League. [10] The owners of Vancouver Whitecaps FC of the USSF Division 2 Professional League formed a team that joined MLS in 2011, and the owners Montreal Impact of the North American Soccer League created a team that joined in 2012. [11]

One of the other original CSL teams did not join the APSL, they joined the National Soccer League based in southern Ontario. The National Soccer League renamed itself the Canadian National Soccer League (CNSL) with the addition of an out of province team. The CNSL had four teams found the second league named the Canadian Professional Soccer League (1998–2006) or CPSL with four other new teams. In 2006, the CPSL teams restarted in a new league, the second Canadian Soccer League (CSL). This second version of the CSL was initially sanctioned the Ontario Soccer Association and later by the Canadian Soccer Association as Division 3 in 2009. [12] [13] Following a match fixing scandal the league was then de-sanctioned in 2014 and continues to operate as a member of the Soccer Federation of Canada (SFC) that is not associated with any international body. [14]

In February 2010, the Canadian Soccer League was granted full membership by the CSA and sanctioned as a semi-professional league. Sitting behind MLS and the NASL, the CSL operated as one of the Division 3 leagues within the Canadian pyramid. [15] However, following the release of a development study and subsequent change in CSA policy for the future growth and development of regional leagues, also coinciding with match fixing allegations in 2012, [16] the CSL was de-sanctioned by the CSA in 2013 [17] and would not be considered a CSA sanctioned semi-pro league for the 2014 season.

In order to limit the Americanization of all of Canada's professional soccer clubs, the CSA issued a moratorium on the sanctioning of any new Division 2, 3, or 4 teams on November 15, 2010, which lasted until September 30, 2011. [18] Despite the moratorium, the NASL announced that Ottawa had been awarded a franchise on June 20, 2011. [19]

Women

Professional

The Northern Super League is a Canadian women's soccer league set to begin in 2025. It will be the first professional women's soccer league in Canada. In 2022, former national team player Diana Matheson and then-current national team captain Christine Sinclair announced the league provisionally named Project 8 with a goal of beginning play in 2025. Matheson and Project 8 Sports Inc. are leading this effort while Sinclair is involved in an advisory role. In their announcement, they confirmed that Vancouver Whitecaps FC and Calgary Foothills WFC would be two of the league's inaugural teams. [20] In 2023, they announced AFC Toronto as a third team, [21] and in 2024, a Halifax-based team. [22] In May 2024, the competition was officially named the Northern Super League; additional teams were announced for Montreal and Ottawa. [23]

The CSA formerly had an affiliation with the U.S.-based National Women's Soccer League where some Canada women's national soccer team would be assigned to an NWSL club. [24] This affiliation ended in 2021 although many Canadians continue to play in the American league. [25]

Pro-am

Various women's leagues operate throughout Canada and the United States at a lower level than NWSL in a pro-am setup. As with the men's system, there is often no formal relationship (or results-based promotion/relegation) between leagues. There are four Canadian leagues (CSA Division 3): League1 Ontario, Ligue1 Québec, League1 Alberta and League1 British Columbia, which have a total over 40 clubs. Like the men's divisions of these leagues, League1 Canada was formed as an umbrella organization for the three leagues. Since in 2022, League1 Canada has sponsored an inter-provincial championship. The annual competition includes the three Division 3 champions and a second club from the league designated to host the competition. One Canadian club (Calgary Foothills WFC), competes in United Women's Soccer League 1.

U Sports and amateur

U Sports women's soccer is a league competition for students at Canadian universities. The two-month season is followed by the U Sports women's soccer championship to determine a national champion.

There are provincial competitions run by each of the provincial soccer associations to qualify an amateur team for the national championship, the Jubilee Trophy. Some of these are leagues and others cup competitions. Many other primarily adult amateur leagues, some with eight month seasons, also culminate in the Jubilee Trophy. There are indoor (March) and outdoor (September) national championships given Canada's climate.

Pyramid breakdown

TierLeague
Professional
(Tier 1)		 Northern Super League (beginning 2025)
6 teams
Pro-am
(Tier 3)		 League1 Canada
League1 Ontario Premier (L1OP)
10 teams

↓ relegate 1 or 2

 Ligue1 Québec (L1QC)
12 teams		 League1 British Columbia (L1BC)
7 teams		 League1 Alberta (L1AB)
7 teams
League1 Ontario Championship (L1OC)
10 teams

↑ promote 1 or 2
↓ relegate 1

League2 Ontario (L2O)
20 teams in 2 conferences

↑ promote 1

Amateur Jubilee Trophy
8 provincial associations

See also

Related Research Articles

The Open Canada Cup was an annual knock-out cup competition in Canadian Soccer. The competition was first held during the 1998 season as the CPSL League Cup. It was organized by the Canadian Soccer League originally as a League Cup for CSL member clubs. After operating the competition for several seasons as an exclusive tournament, the league's ownership decided in 2003 to grant accessibility to all Canadian professional and amateur clubs. The decision was influenced by the lack of initiative by the Canadian Soccer Association in providing a potential candidate for the CONCACAF Champions' Cup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soccer in Canada</span>

In Canada, soccer is the most popular sport in terms of participation rate; according to FIFA's Big Count, almost 2.7 million people played in Canada in 2006. Professional soccer in Canada is played in the Canadian Premier League and Major League Soccer. Canada also has many semi-professional and amateur soccer leagues. Canada's men's and women's national soccer teams are ranked 49th and 9th respectively in the FIFA World Rankings as of April 4, 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian Soccer Association</span> Governing body of soccer in Canada

The Canadian Soccer Association is the governing body for soccer in Canada. Headquartered in Ottawa, Ontario, the federation is a full member of FIFA and governs Canadian soccer at the international, professional, and amateur levels, including: the men's and women's national teams, Canadian Premier League, youth organizations, beach soccer, futsal, Paralympic and deaf national teams. The Canadian Soccer Association also administers and operates the Canadian Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toronto Blizzard (1986–1993)</span> Former soccer team in Toronto, Ontario

The second iteration of the Toronto Blizzard was a Canadian professional soccer team in Toronto, Ontario that competed in the Canadian Soccer League, National Soccer League, and the American Professional Soccer League. The club was formed shortly after the folding of the original team that coincided with the folding of the North American Soccer League. This edition of the club folded in 1993 after poor financial prospects and lack of attendance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian Championship</span> Annual professional soccer tournament

The Canadian Championship is an annual soccer tournament contested by Canadian professional teams. The winner is awarded the Voyageurs Cup and a berth in the CONCACAF Champions Cup. It is contested by Major League Soccer sides Toronto FC, Vancouver Whitecaps FC, and CF Montréal, eight Canadian Premier League sides, and the champions of League1 Ontario, League1 British Columbia, and Ligue1 Québec. The tournament is organized by the Canadian Soccer Association and has been broadcast on OneSoccer since 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toronto FC Academy</span> Canadian soccer team

Toronto FC Academy, also known as TFC Academy, is the youth academy and development system of Canadian Major League Soccer club Toronto FC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian Soccer League (1987–1992)</span> Former soccer league in Canada

The Canadian Soccer League was a Division 1 professional soccer league that operated for six seasons between 1987 and 1992. It was a nationwide league that had teams in six provinces over the course of its history. It was the last top-division league in Canada until the Canadian Premier League began play in 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian Soccer League</span> Mens soccer league in Canada

The Canadian Soccer League is a semi-professional league for Canadian soccer clubs primarily located in the province of Ontario, and claims the history of the Canadian National Soccer League (CNSL). It is a non-FIFA league previously sanctioned by the Canadian Soccer Association (CSA), but now affiliated with the Soccer Federation of Canada (SFC). As of 2024, it consists of six teams, all located in Ontario. The season usually runs from May to October, with most games played on the weekend followed by a playoff format to determine the overall champion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Professional Soccer League</span> Defunct soccer league in North America

The American Professional Soccer League (APSL) was a professional men's soccer league with teams from the United States and later Canada. It was formed in 1990 by the merger of the third American Soccer League with the Western Soccer League. It was the first outdoor soccer league to feature teams from throughout the United States since the demise of the North American Soccer League in 1984.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ligue1 Québec</span> Football league

Ligue1 Québec (L1QC) is a semi-professional men's and women's soccer league in Quebec, Canada. Founded in 2011 as the Première ligue de soccer du Québec, the league is sanctioned by the Canadian Soccer Association and the Quebec Soccer Federation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">League1 Ontario</span> Semi-pro soccer league in Ontario, Canada

League1 Ontario (L1ON) is a semi-professional men's soccer league in Ontario, Canada. The league is sanctioned by the Canadian Soccer Association and the Ontario Soccer Association.

The 2014 Canadian Soccer League season was the 17th since its establishment where a total of 20 teams from Ontario took part in the league. The season began on May 24, 2014, and concluded on October 26, 2014. York Region Shooters won their second championship in a 5–4 victory in a penalty shootout over Toronto Croatia in the CSL Championship final held at Esther Shiner Stadium in Toronto. York Region became the second club in the league's history to produce a perfect season, and championship after the Toronto Olympians in the 1999 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Molham Babouli</span> Syrian footballer

Molham "Mo" Babouli is a professional footballer who plays for York United of the Canadian Premier League. Born in the United Arab Emirates, he represented Canada at youth level and currently represents the Syria national team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vince Ursini</span> Canadian accountant, soccer executive, and stage actor

Vincent Ursini is a Canadian accountant, former soccer executive, and stage actor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">League1 Ontario (women)</span> Semi-pro soccer league in Ontario, Canada

League1 Ontario is a semi-professional women's soccer league in Ontario, Canada. The league is sanctioned by the Canadian Soccer Association and the Ontario Soccer Association as a pro-am league in the Canadian soccer league system. League1 Ontario part of League1 Canada, the national third tier with regional divisions, with L1O equivalents in Alberta, British Columbia, and Quebec.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">League1 Canada</span> Canadian soccer league

League1 Canada is a national pro–am soccer organization in Canada. It consists of four regional leagues; League1 Alberta, League1 British Columbia, League1 Ontario, and Ligue1 Québec with each league operating men's and women's divisions. L1C is overseen by Canada Soccer Business, in partnership with participating provincial member federations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">League1 Alberta</span> Canadian soccer league founded in 2023

League1 Alberta (L1AB) is a semi-professional men's and women's soccer league in Alberta, Canada. The league is sanctioned by the Canadian Soccer Association and the Alberta Soccer Association as a third division pro–am league in the Canadian soccer league system.

References

  1. 1 2 "Canadian Soccer Association Rules and Regulations" (PDF). Canada Soccer. May 2021. Retrieved October 16, 2021.
  2. ↑ "League1 Canada officially launched today". Canadian Premier League. March 31, 2022. Retrieved April 1, 2022.
  3. ↑ "Ottawa South United announces historic move to PLSQ". League1 Ontario . January 30, 2020.
  4. ↑ Charles (February 5, 2013). "The Easton Report: What it means for Div. 3 in Canada". The 11. Retrieved July 7, 2018.
  5. ↑ "OSA will sanction semi-pro League One". CanadianSoccerNews.com. November 16, 2013. Archived from the original on December 13, 2013. Retrieved December 8, 2013.
  6. ↑ "BC Soccer officially launches League1 British Columbia". BC Soccer . October 5, 2021. Archived from the original on April 4, 2022. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  7. ↑ "The Ontario Soccer Association - Leagues". Archived from the original on July 27, 2010. Retrieved February 21, 2013.
  8. ↑ "Ontario gives notice on PDL in province". Canadian Soccer News. Archived from the original on November 20, 2015. Retrieved November 20, 2015.
  9. ↑ MacDonald, Archie (February 26, 1987). "Soccer rebirth". Vancouver Sun Newspaper. Retrieved January 18, 2015.
  10. ↑ "Toronto Lynx a costly labour of love". www.sportsnews24h.com. Archived from the original on December 6, 2010. Retrieved December 10, 2010.
  11. ↑ "Canada Looks to MLS Expansion as Aid to International Success". www.nytimes.com. November 19, 2010. Retrieved December 10, 2010.
  12. ↑ "CSL kicks off Friday while making plans for the future". www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. CSL media release. Retrieved September 23, 2017.
  13. ↑ "CSL looks to field a true national league". www.vancouversun.com. August 13, 2010. Archived from the original on September 22, 2010. Retrieved November 2, 2010.
  14. ↑ "Canadian Soccer League joins Newly-Formed Soccer Federation". canadiansoccerleague.ca. February 13, 2010. Archived from the original on December 12, 2013. Retrieved February 13, 2010.
  15. ↑ "CSL Granted Full National Membership in CSA". MilltownFC.ca. February 24, 2010. Retrieved July 8, 2011.
  16. ↑ "Canadian soccer an easy target for match fixing". CBC News. September 12, 2012. Retrieved December 8, 2013.
  17. ↑ "Canadian Soccer League to fight CSA decertification". TheGlobeAndMail.com. March 5, 2013. Retrieved December 8, 2013.
  18. ↑ Duane Rollins (November 15, 2010). "CSA puts brakes on future D2 sanctioning in US leagues". Canadian Soccer News. Archived from the original on November 23, 2010. Retrieved July 7, 2011.
  19. ↑ "Ottawa to Join NASL". North American Soccer League. June 20, 2011. Retrieved July 7, 2011.
  20. ↑ Dichter, Myles (December 5, 2022). "Christine Sinclair, Diana Matheson reveal pro Canadian women's soccer league set for kickoff in 2025". CBC Sports . Retrieved December 7, 2022.
  21. ↑ Dichter, Myles (April 26, 2023). "Toronto named 3rd franchise in Canadian women's pro soccer league set to start in 2025". CBC Sports . Archived from the original on April 26, 2023. Retrieved April 26, 2023.
  22. ↑ "We're thrilled to announce the upcoming debut of professional women's soccer in Halifax in 2025..." Project 8 Sports. Twitter. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
  23. ↑ "Montreal, Ottawa join newly named Northern Super League pro women's soccer circuit". CBC Sports. May 28, 2024. Retrieved May 28, 2024.
  24. ↑ "Canada Soccer announces 2017 NWSL allocations". canadasoccer.com. Canadian Soccer Association. Retrieved January 26, 2017.
  25. ↑ Armstrong, Laura (March 17, 2022). "Vanessa Gilles. Kailen Sheridan. Quinn. Expanded NWSL kicks off with loads of Canadian talent". Toronto Star . Retrieved April 23, 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.