# CSL and SCDL



## smellycleats (Nov 15, 2016)

Can someeone tell me about the similarities and differences between these two leagues? What is the ideology behind The formation of SCDL? When was it formed and what was the rationale behind it? Thanks in advance! Im still learning.


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## Round (Nov 15, 2016)

Too bad the old socalsoccer website was wiped.  It was amazing to me that parents believed and defended the bs that scdsl put out.  What it was and what it became was predicted by the detractors.

 Now most of us have something that is not as good, we drive too much, and several middle aged men in track suits and full wallets sit around and laugh at us, at least some of them.


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## CaliKlines (Nov 15, 2016)

SCDSL was formed because CSL wouldn't allow clubs to take teams out of CSL at the older ages for ECNL. CSL threatened to not accept the younger teams from those same clubs. So 20 of the bigger clubs formed SCDSL.


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## SCS Fan (Nov 15, 2016)

On similarities - we played CSL Silver last year and SCDSL Level 2 this year.  The only differences I saw were we played on slightly better fields with SCDSL and the SCDSL playoff format seems to make more sense than CSL.


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## Bdobyns (Nov 15, 2016)

They are both just fall leagues.  With ECNL and now DA, neither one of them will really matter.  Find a good club with a recent history of being competitive and getting kids recruited.


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## jrcaesar (Nov 15, 2016)

See also: http://www.socalsoccer.com/threads/new-to-socal-soccer-differences-in-leagues.713/#post-18537


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## timbuck (Nov 15, 2016)

SCDSL was formed with good intentions on paper.  But what followed was a bunch of mergers/acquisitions/franchising on clubs.  
Coast was a bit to rigid, so the "big" clubs took their ball and started a new league.  Over time, many of the things that SCDSL said would be different have evolved into what Coast was doing in the first place.
Biggest difference -
Coast has promotion / relegation.  SCDSL has "Self Seeding" with some oversight at the older age groups.
Coast only allows a club to have 3 teams per age group.  SCDSL might have clubs that have 3 teams or more in each flight.
Coast  has "league cup" that allows teams to play against other flights.
As you move up in Coast, the distance traveled to games can be a bit longer.


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## MWN (Nov 15, 2016)

smellycleats said:


> Can someeone tell me about the similarities and differences between these two leagues? What is the ideology behind The formation of SCDL? When was it formed and what was the rationale behind it? Thanks in advance! Im still learning.


The differences are minor from a competition perspective.  My B2003 GK was with a CSL club last year and now is with a SCDSL club.  I also referee Presidio, SCDSL and CSL.  The lower divisions (SCDSL Flight 3 and CSL Bronze) are mediocre and the upper divisions (Flight 1 and Gold/Premier) are very good.  This year CAL South has 5 teams compete at the National Presidents Cup Championship round in Tulsa:

BU13 CYSASL La Laja - Champion (CSL)
GU13 Hawks Academy - Champion (SCDSL)
GU 14 Pateadores - Runner Up (SCDSL)
GU 15 West Coast FC - Champion (SCDSL)
GU 16 California Elite Soccer Club (CSL)

For the National Championship, Cal South sent 16 teams:
Coast Soccer League (7): Albion SC, Carlsbad Elite 97, Carlsbad Elite 99, FC Golden State BU18, FC Golden State Friedland, Fullerton Rangers,  and Santa Barbara SC.

SCDSL (9): Beach FC 98, Beach FC Joyner, Legends FC 98, Legends FC 99, So Cal Blues Baker, So Cal Blues Dodge, Strikers FC Chingirian, SLA Nomads,  and Strikers FC North.

So, from just a pure competition perspective, SCDSL and CSL are sending about the same amount of teams to Nationals.  There are great teams in CSL and great teams in SCDSL.  Likewise, there are some very poor teams and poor coaches in both leagues.

The major difference is how the loan/club pass program works.

 - CSL allows a Loan Player to go to a team that is in a higher bracket (silver to silver elite or gold), but not down a bracket (gold to silver).  CSL prevents loans to bronze teams.

 - SCDSL allows players to be loaned any which way under their Club Pass Rule.  This allows a flight 1 bench player to be loaned to the flight 2 team and get some good playing time.  The negative is that it potentially displaces a flight 2 player that may have been a starter but now is sitting on the bench, but some bench player now can get loaned out to the flight 3 team.  An additional positive is teams short on players ... e.g. a 2003 Flight 3 team with only 10 players can pull up some 2004 flight 1 or flight 2 players to fill in the ranks.  Players can have more opportunities to play, which is good.  In addition, the rule has an exception and allows a GK to play two games between the sticks per day.

CSL covers a much broader geographic area, whereas SCDSL is a little tighter/smaller.  The reality is with CSL we traveled 2 hours to games, with SCDSL we traveled 1 1/2 hours, but at least that travel was towards the coast instead of towards the desert.

One last note, CSL tends to make higher bracket teams that go through a break up start back down at the Bronze level if there is sufficient turn over in players.  This can create a situation whereby a Bronze team is destroying the other Bronze teams.  SCDSL tends to be more flexible.  But, there is always that case where a team is playing in a bracket they simply do not belong in in both leagues.


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## smellycleats (Nov 15, 2016)

MWN said:


> The differences are minor from a competition perspective.  My B2003 GK was with a CSL club last year and now is with a SCDSL club.  I also referee Presidio, SCDSL and CSL.  The lower divisions (SCDSL Flight 3 and CSL Bronze) are mediocre and the upper divisions (Flight 1 and Gold/Premier) are very good.  This year CAL South has 5 teams compete at the National Presidents Cup Championship round in Tulsa:
> 
> BU13 CYSASL La Laja - Champion (CSL)
> GU13 Hawks Academy - Champion (SCDSL)
> ...


Thank you all so much. We made the switch two years ago at U11 from rec to club soccer and Ive been trying to educate myself ever since so I can make the best choices possible for my kids.  This site, and all of you, has been an incredible resource (and source of entertainment!)  I have a much more well-rounded understanding of the two leagues now.


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## Dos Equis (Nov 15, 2016)

A lot of very good informaton here.  CSL no longer restricts clubs to 3 teams per age group.


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