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The American Soccer Pyramid is a term used in soccer to describe the structure of the league system in the United States. For practical and historical reasons, some teams from Bermuda, Canada and Puerto Rico also compete.

Major League Soccer has a fixed number of teams (currently 14), with no merit-based promotion possible from the USL First Division, which is run by a completely separate entity, the United Soccer Leagues (USL). The USL manages many leagues including the USL First and Second Divisions. There is no system of relegation, as of 2006, between the USL First and USL Second divisions. A promotion system has been established, but has largely been unused. Several franchises have voluntarily dropped from the First Division to the Second, usually to cut costs.

Promotion and relegation does not regularly occur between any two levels. According to Tim Holt, vice president of the USL, relegation between the USL and MLS is difficult to implement because the teams are franchises awarded by the leagues, not autonomous teams. The franchise gives the owner certain rights and obligations that make it difficult to move a team from one league to the other.^[1]

The National Premier Soccer League and the Pacific Coast Soccer League are run by completely separate entities from both MLS and USL, and are considered semi-professional leagues.

The USL Premier Development League is the top amateur league in the country. As PDL seasons take place during the summer months, the player pool is drawn mainly from elite NCAA college soccer players seeking to continue playing high level soccer during their summer break, which they can do while still maintaining their college eligibility.

The top tier in the United States is Major League Soccer. Under that would be the United Soccer Leagues (USL). The United States Adult Soccer Association is a group of local leagues at the amateur level.

The Women's United Soccer Association suspended operations in 2003, leaving the Women's Premier Soccer League WPSL and the USL's W-League as the top flight in American women's soccer.

Soccer in the United States v • d • e
USSF Men's team Venues, (cap) List of clubs Men's U20 team Men's U23 team Women's team MNT Stats League system SSS Champions History
Competitions in American Soccer
MLS USL First Division USL Second Division PDL USL Super-20 MISL NPSL/WPSL PCSL
Cup Competitions in American Soccer
Open Cup MLS Cup Southwest Cup George F. Donnelly Cup

• Major League Soccer http://web.mlsnet.com/
• United Soccer Leagues http://www.uslsoccer.com