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Breaking the Line returns to the airwaves with more news regarding youth soccer's newest pyramid: a collaboration between US Club Soccer, ECNL, NPL and now USYS.

Building off of Episode 131, ECNL President Christian Lavers and ECNL Vice President Doug Bracken expand further on the youth soccer landscape with the additional news that USYS will be joining NPL, and that US Soccer bought the managing contract for US Club Soccer.

Soccer's landscape has dramatically changed in a month's time, and the Breaking the Line team chat about what does this all mean for ECNL players, parents and coaches, why is this a good thing for soccer players around the country, and what does the future hold with this new structure.

Make sure to tune in and get the inside scoop for what is going to be an exciting shift in youth soccer at the beginning of the 2026-2027 season.

As always, make sure to submit any questions to https://ecnl.info/BTL-Questions, to subscribe to Breaking the Line on YouTube, and to follow the ECNL on all social channels.

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It's 2026 and Breaking the Line is back for a brand new episode following the holiday break, and it's a meaty one as ECNL President Christian Lavers and ECNL Vice President Doug Bracken sit down with US Club Soccer President Mike Cullina to discuss a major announcement in the youth soccer world.

On Dec. 18, US Club Soccer, ECNL and NPL announced a new postseason integration for the 2026-27 season, along with a new competition pyramid placing ECNL at the top, ECNL Regional League in the middle, followed by NPL and then local leagues at the bottom. The new postseason structure creates a new pathway for NPL teams to directly compete with ECNL RL teams, and creates opportunities for team and club movement between levels.

With such a major announcement right before the holidays, the powers that be sat down to discuss why now, what does this mean for players, coaches, parents and clubs, what does the future hold, and ultimately, how does this change the youth soccer landscape?

It's a riveting discussion, one that gives listeners an inside look at the thought process of these organizations, the pathway that led us here, and the road map for the future.

As always, make sure to submit any questions to https://ecnl.info/BTL-Questions, to subscribe to Breaking the Line on YouTube, and to follow the ECNL on all social channels.

Let us know the topics of interest to you!

Breaking the Line returns to the airwaves for Episode 130 with a Thanksgiving flair.

ECNL President Christian Lavers and ECNL Vice President Doug Bracken tackle a hot topic within soccer circles, one that will be moving to the forefront ahead of the World Cup and beyond: playing formats and player development.

Bracken asks a simple question: how much does playing format dictate player development? The answer: a great deal.

The BTL crew dives into the topic, examining what the current playing formats are in US Soccer, and how that compares to countries such as England, Spain and Germany. They ask how the US can improve, and what they think is the right way to move forward. Lavers also brings to the table a study that examined this very issue, and how smaller sided games lead to more development across the board.

The episode closes out with a very special Bracken Brain Buster, where the whole team shares what they're thankful for this Thanksgiving season. And Breaking the Line would like to thank all of our loyal listeners, because without you, we wouldn't be able to do any of this!

As always, make sure to submit any questions to https://ecnl.info/BTL-Questions, to subscribe to Breaking the Line on YouTube, and to follow the ECNL on all social channels.