PYRAMID INDEX

League strength

Every league gets its own average, estimated from the games its teams play against other leagues: the U.S. Open Cup and its qualifying rounds, the USL Cup, the National Amateur Cup and state cups.

LeagueAvg rating± vs UPSLTopTeamsTeams with cross-league gamesComparable
Major League Soccer +4.54 ±0.6 +5.34 30 20 yes
USL Championship +3.14 ±0.46 +3.77 26 26 yes
MLS Next Pro +2.28 ±0.72 +3.02 30 10 yes
USL League One +2.18 ±0.48 +2.81 19 19 yes
National Premier Soccer League +0.52 ±0.42 +2.50 58 24 yes
USL League Two +0.37 ±0.41 +3.02 169 25 yes
United Premier Soccer League -0.37 – +2.20 585 85 yes
Cosmopolitan Soccer League · D1 -0.41 ±1.91 +1.30 12 0 yes
Cosmopolitan Soccer League · D4 -0.41 ±1.91 +0.61 9 0 NO (disconnected)
Cosmopolitan Soccer League · D3 -0.41 ±1.91 +0.56 11 0 NO (disconnected)
Cosmopolitan Soccer League · D2 -0.41 ±1.91 +0.47 14 0 NO (disconnected)
American Premier Soccer League -0.75 ±0.36 +1.78 121 23 partly (rest via league prior)

How the leagues connect

Cup games between teams from different leagues. These are the only games that set how the leagues compare, so thin links mean wide uncertainty.

BetweenGames
USL Championship USL League One103
UPSL APSL26
MLS USL Championship24
USL League One USL215
USL2 UPSL14
NPSL UPSL13
USL Championship NPSL11
NPSL APSL10
MLS USL League One10
USL League One UPSL9
USL Championship UPSL7
USL Championship USL26
MLS Next Pro UPSL6
USL Championship MLS Next Pro5
USL League One NPSL5
USL League One MLS Next Pro4
MLS Next Pro NPSL3
USL2 APSL3
MLS Next Pro USL22
USL League One APSL2

Regional leagues

Leagues seen only through Open Cup qualifying share one pooled average.

LeagueTeamsAvg
HFA (regional)1+0.65
NCSL (regional)2+0.13
APL (regional)2+0.10
PFL (regional)1-0.07
MPPL (regional)1-0.12
MWPL (regional)9-0.14
SRATS (regional)2-0.38
BSSL (regional)4-0.40
GSSL (regional)2-0.68
SWPL (regional)5-0.69
OVPL (regional)5-0.70
CPL (regional)4-0.73
GSLSL (regional)3-0.74
FSSL (regional)1-0.82
SPL (regional)4-0.84
SFSFL (regional)4-0.84
USSL (regional)3-0.94
MUSL (regional)2-0.96
WSL (regional)1-1.01
TLS (regional)1-1.01
GCSL (regional)1-1.02
MSSL (regional)1-1.06
DCPL (regional)2-1.06
ADASL (regional)1-1.18
PSLC (regional)1-1.24
DSA (regional)2-1.31
GPSL (regional)1-1.33
NVSL (regional)1-1.47
SISL (regional)1-1.57
TSSA (regional)1-1.75