The following is a press release from the USL.
USL Announces Competitions Rules for 2016
Total wins becomes first tiebreaker for new season
TAMPA, Fla. – The United Soccer League announced today its official competitions rules for the 2016 Season, with the most significant change coming in the league’s standings tiebreakers.
For the new season, total wins will be used the first tiebreaker in the Eastern and Western Conference standings, replacing head-to-head competition. Goal differential will be employed as the second tiebreaker, and goals scored as the third.
Other key areas of the 2016 USL Competition Rules are as follows:
USL Rosters
The Master Roster consists of up to 30 players and is the official player roster of the team as set by the USL. A maximum of seven players on the Master Roster may be Foreign Players. Canadian citizens are considered domestic on the roster of American teams and American citizens are considered domestic on of the roster of Canadian teams.
Academy Players
In addition to the 30 players allowed on the Master Roster, a team may register up to five Academy Players which do not count against the 30 players on the Master Roster and are allowed to participate in all competitions. After the first five Academy Players rostered, Academy Players will count against the Master Roster. To be considered an Academy Player, all of the following must be in place: a) player is under the age of 21 as of the official start date of the current season, b) player cannot compete (or have ever previously have competed) in any NCAA or NAIA university or college soccer program, and c) player has never been signed or registered as a professional soccer player as recognized by FIFA.
The Academy Player must play for a club which conducts its activities (home games and/or training) within the team’s franchise territory or play for a club which has a documented affiliation with the team. In the latter scenario, the affiliated club outside the territory of the team must not be in the territory of another USL team and the team must register all documented affiliate clubs with the League Office prior to the season or upon completion of the affiliation agreement. Additionally, teams with MLS affiliations they use the Academy Players of their MLS affiliate.
2016 USL Roster Freeze
The 2016 USL Roster freeze will take place at 5 p.m. ET on September 6, 2016
-Any player on loan must play a minimum of five games during the regular season to be eligible to play in the playoffs. One of these games must occur prior to the roster freeze date.
Complete Rules
A complete set of the league’s competition rules will be available in the 2016 USL Media Guide.
HOW TO FOLLOW
The 2016 USL Kickoff Weekend is this Friday and Saturday, with 13 games set to open the new season across the United States and Canada.
Every game of the 2016 USL season can be seen live, free and in HD on YouTube (www.Youtube.com/USL), with updates from across the league also available via Twitter, Facebook, Vine and Instagram.
About the USL
The United Soccer League, the longest-standing professional affiliate member of U.S. Soccer, is the largest professional soccer league in the United States and Canada, and the world with 29 teams in 19 U.S. states and three Canadian provinces. The USL has more than doubled in size since 2014 and built a stable, highly competitive professional soccer league on a national footprint with strong ownership groups in major markets positioned for long-term success. The 2016 season marks the introduction of six teams – Bethlehem Steel FC, FC Cincinnati, Orlando City B, Rio Grande Valley FC, San Antonio FC and Swope Park Rangers. The USL’s teams are divided into two conferences – Eastern and Western – with each team playing 30 regular season games. In addition to league play, USL teams compete in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup as well as various domestic and international exhibitions. Every game of the 2016 USL season can be seen live, free and in HD on YouTube (www.Youtube.com/USL), with updates from across the league also available via www.USLSoccer.com, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
