Premier Development League - Definition and Overview

The USL Premier Development League (PDL) is the amateur league of the United Soccer Leagues in the United States and Canada. It is popular with U.S. college players since they can play in it during the summer months and still maintain their collegiate eligibility. A maximum of eight players on each team's 26-man roster can be over 23 years old, and at least three players on each team's roster must be 18 or younger.

The professional leagues in the United States are (highest to lowest):

• Major League Soccer
• USL First Division (also has teams in Canada and Puerto Rico)
• USL Second Division

2005 Teams

Great Lakes Division

• Chicago Fire Reserves
• Cleveland Internationals
• Fort Wayne Fever
• Indiana Invaders
• Kalamazoo Kingdom
• Michigan Bucks
• Toledo Slayers
• West Michigan Edge

Heartland Division

• Boulder Rapids Reserve
• Colorado Springs Blizzard
• Des Moines Menace
• Kansas City Brass
• Sioux Falls Spitfire
• Sprinfield expansion team
• Thunder Bay Chill

Mid Atlantic Division

• Carolina Dynamo
• Raleigh CASL Elite
• Richmond Kickers Future
• West Virginia Chaos
• Williamsburg Legacy

Northeast Division

• Albany Blackwatch Highlanders
• Brooklyn Knights
• Cape Cod Crusaders
• Ottawa Fury
• Reading Rage
• Rhode Island Stingrays
• South Jersey Barons
• Vermont Voltage
• Westchester Flames

Mid South Division

• Austin Lightning
• DFW Tornados
• El Paso Patriots
• Laredo Heat
• Memphis Express
• Nashville Metros
• New Orleans Shell Shockers

Southeast Division

• Ajax Orlando Prospects
• Bradenton Academics
• Central Florida Kraze
• Cocoa Expos
• Palm Beach Pumas

Northwest Division

• Abbotsford Rangers
• Cascade Surge
• Spokane Shadow
• Yakima Reds

Southwest Division

• Bakersfield expansion team
• BYU Cougars
• California Gold
• Fresno Fuego
• Nevada Wonders
• Orange County Blue Star
• San Diego Gauchos
• Southern California Seahorses

External links

Official PDL site (http://pdl.uslsoccer.com)