Introduction To The Championship

Introduced in 2014 as the North American Soccer League’s new postseason format, The Championship is a four-team, single-elimination tournament that crowns the league’s annual champion.

In November the NASL’s newest champion will be crowned. Here’s an introductory guide to The Championship:

How Do You Get There?

Spring Season Winner: The first berth into The Championship is awarded to the winner of the Spring Season (April - June), the first of two seasons on the annual NASL schedule. 

Fall Season Winner: The second berth into The Championship is awarded to the winner of the Fall Season (July - November). 

Next Best Two Teams In Combined Standings: In addition to the winners of the Spring and Fall Seasons being awarded a place in The Championship, two more teams will clinch postseason spots by virtue of the league’s Combined Standings. The two teams that have the best combined records (Spring and Fall Season) – that didn’t win either the Spring or Fall Season – will enter the postseason tournament. 

How Are The Seeds Determined?

Scenario A – Two Different Winners In Fall And Spring Season

No. 1 Seed: Out of the two teams that win the Spring or Fall Season, the top seed goes to the team with a better combined record (Spring and Fall) than the other.

No. 2 Seed: Out of the two teams that win the Spring or Fall Season, the No. 2 seed goes to the team with the second best combined record (Spring and Fall).

No. 3 Seed: Excluding the two teams that won either the Spring or Fall Season, the No. 3 seed goes to the team with the best overall record in the Combined Standings.

No. 4 Seed: Excluding the two teams that won either the Spring or Fall Season, the final seed goes to the team with the second best overall record in the Combined Standings.

Scenario B - One Team Wins Both Seasons

Should any one team win both the Spring and Fall Seasons, then the three remaining spots in The Championship would go to the teams with the top three best records in the Combined Standings, excluding of course the team that won the Spring and Fall titles. 

How It Works?

The Championship Semifinals: The No. 1 and No. 2 seeds will each host a semifinal match. The No. 1 seed will host the No. 4 seed, while the No. 2 seed will host the No. 3 seed. 

The Championship Final: The winner of each semifinal match will advance in the tournament, and the advancing team with the highest seed will host The Championship Final. 

What’s The Prize?

Soccer Bowl Trophy: The winner of The Championship Final will be awarded the Soccer Bowl trophy, which dates all the way back to the NASL Legendary Era. The winning team will have its name engraved on the trophy to mark the achievement.

Why The Championship?

The league’s split-season format ensures that each of the league games played by NASL sides are more meaningful. Finishing in last place in the Spring Season does not mean that a place in the postseason is out of reach. If a team can rebound to win the Fall Season title, they would be able to earn a spot in The Championship.

The format also rewards consistency throughout the entire year, with two postseason spots going to teams with the top combined records. So, for example, finishing in second place in both the Spring and Fall Seasons would give a team an excellent combined record and a berth into The Championship. Additionally, even for the team that wins the Spring Season and clinches its postseason berth early on in the year, there is still something to play for. Coasting or dropping its level of play could cost the team the top seed in The Championship, which in turn could cause them to lose out on the opportunity to host The Championship Final in front of its home fans.