ECNL Girls Playoffs 2026

[Zeke]

Maybe I dont really know. If NPL clubs are good enough to play in GA great, bring them into the fold.

Something I always found funny about showcase pictures that ECNL hypes in their marketing is there's what seems like over 100 recruiters sitting on the sidelines watching a single game. I get from a league perspective this is what you want to show. But from a recruiter perspective what are you doing? If each team has 22 players its means theres only 44 possible players you could be looking at. If theres 100 recruiters at a game this means over half have no chance at the players. Even then there's probabaly only 10 players per team that are recruitable which means 80% of the recruiters watching the game have no chance at getting a player on the field.

I think more likely with pics like that ECNL is setting up a bar + food tent off just out of view of the camera which brings them all in at the end of the day.

Some showcase games really do get over 100 coaches. I’ve seen it quite a few times.

It mostly happens when you have two top ten teams facing off.

What are they getting? A chance to watch a specific player compete, with her usual teammates, against other top 100 players. She probably only plays 5-10 games like that per year.

 

[rainbow_unicorn]

Maybe I dont really know. If NPL clubs are good enough to play in GA great, bring them into the fold.

Something I always found funny about showcase pictures that ECNL hypes in their marketing is there's what seems like over 100 recruiters sitting on the sidelines watching a single game. I get from a league perspective this is what you want to show. But from a recruiter perspective what are you doing? If each team has 22 players its means theres only 44 possible players you could be looking at. If theres 100 recruiters at a game this means over half have no chance at the players. Even then there's probabaly only 10 players per team that are recruitable which means 80% of the recruiters watching the game have no chance at getting a player on the field.

I think more likely with pics like that ECNL is setting up a bar + food tent off just out of view of the camera which brings them all in at the end of the day.

I can tell that you do not have a good grasp of how college recruiting works. College coaches need to see players play in person and are busy hopping from field to field from 8:00 AM to late 5:00 PM games. They usually spend one half at a game and then move on to another field. They have a list of players that they are focusing on going into the showcase. Most scouts leave in the morning or afternoon of the last showcase day so make sure you ball out in those first two days. Our team was the #48 (last) seed in ECNL CL playoffs and we had 140 schools at one game, so they do not necessarily only watch the top teams.

Recruiting is a numbers game...colleges are trying to put together a list of their top 100 players (give or take) and work that list down from top to bottom. Players will eventually have a list and will end up doing the same...trying to get their top schools and work their way down. It's a huge matchmaking process that takes several months to sort out. Factor in limited travel budgets, resources and time for schools...some coaches are on the road an insane amount of time.

Coaches do not come to ECNL showcases for a food tent....the tent has some snacks, water and a box lunch. Coaches come to ECNL showcases because they have the best collection of girl players.

 

[Carlsbad7]

I can tell that you do not have a good grasp of how college recruiting works. College coaches need to see players play in person and are busy hopping from field to field from 8:00 AM to late 5:00 PM games. They usually spend one half at a game and then move on to another field. They have a list of players that they are focusing on going into the showcase. Most scouts leave in the morning or afternoon of the last showcase day so make sure you ball out in those first two days. Our team was the #48 (last) seed in ECNL CL playoffs and we had 140 schools at one game, so they do not necessarily only watch the top teams.

Recruiting is a numbers game...colleges are trying to put together a list of their top 100 players (give or take) and work that list down from top to bottom. Players will eventually have a list and will end up doing the same...trying to get their top schools and work their way down. It's a huge matchmaking process that takes several months to sort out. Factor in limited travel budgets, resources and time for schools...some coaches are on the road an insane amount of time.

Coaches do not come to ECNL showcases for a food tent....the tent has some snacks, water and a box lunch. Coaches come to ECNL showcases because they have the best collection of girl players.

It still doesn't make sense for all the recruiters to be at the same game at the same time. The number of players available is much less than the number of recruiters. I get that you want to find the best talent possible but what makes one schools free ride better than another's? Is it just about being seen by the player or more likely players parents?

 

[j2five]

It still doesn't make sense for all the recruiters to be at the same game at the same time. The number of players available is much less than the number of recruiters. I get that you want to find the best talent possible but what makes one schools free ride better than another's? Is it just about being seen by the player or more likely players parents?

Most are likely not there to watch just one match. It's a numbers game and they try to watch as many games as possible with players they are interested in, and maybe even spot some players not on their list.

What do you suggest as the alternative? Skip matches and sit in the parking lot? If so, I'd hate for you to be my recruiter if I were a school that hired you.

 

[Carlsbad7]

Most are likely not there to watch just one match. It's a numbers game and they try to watch as many games as possible with players they are interested in, and maybe even spot some players not on their list.

What do you suggest as the alternative? Skip matches and sit in the parking lot? If so, I'd hate for you to be my recruiter if I were a school that hired you.

That doesnt really address the question.

There's a pecking order for colleges. If 100 recruiters are watching a game around 60 aren't in serious contention for the players. In this case recruiters not in contention should be out looking at different games to see what's all available. Not just sitting at a game next to the snack bar.

Maybe this is the last game of the day or last top team game. Or maybe they feel that they've already seen everything there is to see for the day. My point is the numbers dont add up. If 100+ recruiters are actually looking to fill roster spots from Youth leagues. There appears to be no real sense of urgency. Maybe they feel the top players are all that matter and they can pick up the rest in the portal. *shrug*

 

[Orangeteam]

It still doesn't make sense for all the recruiters to be at the same game at the same time. The number of players available is much less than the number of recruiters. I get that you want to find the best talent possible but what makes one schools free ride better than another's? Is it just about being seen by the player or more likely players parents?

The info is a bit skewed because a school will have their headcoach and a few assistant so they can cover more ground. So the UNC hc can watch his target player and the assistant can be at 3 other games at the same time checking on other players. UNC can be at four 8am games.

Scheduling is done so it takes the entire day to get an age group done. So for 2009s and 2010 their games are spread for max attendance oppty. that would have been this years target age.

ECNL tries to bucket age groups close to each other on the fields so a lot of coaches are really lingering between two fields. When parents come by to collect names it may appear they are just watching their game, but if coaches are browsing they'll catch 2 games in the same timeslots and never have to move their chair.

 

[Carlsbad7]

ECNL tries to bucket age groups close to each other on the fields so a lot of coaches are really lingering between two fields. When parents come by to collect names it may appear they are just watching their game, but if coaches are browsing they'll catch 2 games in the same timeslots and never have to move their chair.

Ahhh.... This makes more sense.

I would assume the HC stays at a pivot point between the 2 fields with top teams and Assistants get gophered out to games not on the top fields to look at specific players. For the HC its looking at top teams/players but its probabaly also shmuzing with other coaches and being seen.

 

[TopesWin]

Overall...

ECNL is stronger than GA
ECNL gets more players into D1 (~3:1 ECNL:GA)
ECNL has more coaches at events

but...

Top half of GA is still strong
Bottom half of both leagues are weak
There are GA teams that are stronger than ECNL teams
GA still gets plenty of coaches at events
100s of players from GA still get into D1 each year

So...

GA is a good option even though ECNL is overall stronger
Just because one option is better doesn't mean the other one sucks

And...

If recruiting/exposure is all one cares about, preference in order would generally be - top tier ECNL team, top tier GA team, mid tier ECNL team, mid tier GA team, bottom tier ECNL team, bottom tier GA team. Lots of variables here such as geography, age group and outlier teams.

This is very well put.

 

[j2five]

That doesnt really address the question.

There's a pecking order for colleges. If 100 recruiters are watching a game around 60 aren't in serious contention for the players. In this case recruiters not in contention should be out looking at different games to see what's all available. Not just sitting at a game next to the snack bar.

Maybe this is the last game of the day or last top team game. Or maybe they feel that they've already seen everything there is to see for the day. My point is the numbers dont add up. If 100+ recruiters are actually looking to fill roster spots from Youth leagues. There appears to be no real sense of urgency. Maybe they feel the top players are all that matter and they can pick up the rest in the portal. *shrug*

Like you said, there's a pecking order for schools. But you're missing the fact that there's a pecking order to the players on the field as well. Just as not all schools represented on the sidelines are equal, not all players on the field are equal.

For simplicity's sake, lets say schools and players are divided into three tiers each - top, mid, bottom. The top schools are there to look at the top players. This is smallest group of teams and likely the smallest group of players, although the size of each tier of players on the fields depends on the level of the team.

The mid-tier schools are there to look at the mid-tier players plus a few top tier players they are hoping might choose them (i.e. a stud that has school ties, wants to stay local, etc.). The bottom tier schools (lower D1, D2, D3) are there to look at the lower tier players (low end starter, bench players) plus some mid-tier.

Add in other variables like school geography, academically focused schools and players, etc. and the variety increases. You can change the definition of tiers to your liking, but the point still applies...not all 100+ recruiters are there to look at the same players because there is a pecking order for schools AND a pecking order for players.

 

[WNYtoYL]

This is very well put.

Yes we’ll put, now give the same bullet point summary for GA vs. ECRL . Thanks

 

[Soccerjunkie24]

My understanding for ECNL Play Offs in Seattle is;

Top 2 from U18 - will play off to go to National Finals in St Louis in conjunction with RL playoffs (Final 8)

U13-U17
Top 5 qualify to Champions League
6 & 7 qualify for North America
8 & 9 qualify for Showcase
(Total of 9 teams qualify for post season)

 

[SuperSoccerStar]

My understanding for ECNL Play Offs in Seattle is;

Top 2 from U18 - will play off to go to National Finals in St Louis in conjunction with RL playoffs (Final 8)

U13-U17
Top 5 qualify to Champions League
6 & 7 qualify for North America
8 & 9 qualify for Showcase
(Total of 9 teams qualify for post season)

yeah. Unfortunately the ECNL is doing a disservice to the 2010 age group this year. 4 teams will not get the opportunity to play in front of scouts or go on the trip that normally do in the most important year of their playing career. Its truly unfortunate that the ECNL did nothing to fix the problem that they knew about for years. There solution was to take opportunity away from these kids that have worked so hard for these opportunities.