The USL Super League, a first-division women’s professional league nearing the conclusion of its inaugural season, will host its championship match on the weekend of June 14.
The eight-team league revealed its playoff format on Tuesday: Four semifinalists will play on the weekend of June 7. The No. 1 seed will face the No. 4 seed while the second- and third-seeded teams will face off, with the higher seed hosting each single-elimination game.
The league, which launched in August 2024, occupies the same place atop U.S. Soccer’s women’s professional pyramid as the more established National Women’s Soccer League (launched in 2013). One of the major points of differentiation for the USL Super League is a fall- to-spring calendar.
The USL Super League kicked off in August and will wrap up in June, which aligns with most European leagues.
The NWSL begins in March and ends in November, following a traditional American soccer calendar.
“We are thrilled to unveil the dates for our inaugural playoffs,” Amanda Vandervort, the USL Super League’s president, said in a statement. “This marks an exciting new chapter for the USL Super League, as we bring together the top teams in the league to compete for the first-ever final. We can’t wait for the playoffs in June and to see who will rise to the occasion and become the league’s inaugural champions.”
Playoff games will follow FIFA rules, with extra time and penalty kicks to follow if the score is tied. Carolina Ascent FC, which is based in Charlotte, North Carolina, currently sits atop the league table one point clear of Brooklyn FC, which is winless in seven games since play resumed in February.
Fort Lauderdale United FC and Dallas Trinity FC sit third and fourth, respectively.
Hosting is subject to league approval and venue availability, the USL Super League said in a statement. Venue types vary throughout the league. Brooklyn plays at a converted baseball stadium on Coney Island and had to delay its debut at the venue until spring following field safety issues in the fall.
Fort Lauderdale took over the old Miami Dolphins training facility to create a stadium of its own. Tampa Bay Sun FC plays in a 5,000-seat stadium that is located at a riverfront high school and that the team renovated for its own use.
Teams in Lexington, Kentucky, and Spokane, Washington, play in purpose-built stadiums alongside co-owned men’s team.
Dallas operates in its own extreme, playing at the 90,000-plus seat Cotton Bowl that is typically under 10% capacity.
The USL Super League also announced on Tuesday that it will hand out year-end awards with a slight twist. In addition to a Golden Boot winner for the top goal-scorer, a Golden Glove will be awarded to the goalkeeper with the lowest goals-against average (among those who have played at least 50% of the club’s regular-season minutes).
The player with the most assists will also receive the “Golden Playmaker.”
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