New Regional Soccer Structure Coming in 2027

Ontario Soccer is introducing a new Integrated Soccer League (ISL) structure for the 2027 outdoor season, replacing the current IModel and traditional Regional league structure for youth competitive soccer.

The ISL will operate across four regions of Ontario — Central (CISL), South (SISL), West (WISL) and East (EISL). For clubs in Eastern Ontario, the EISL will become the new regional competition pathway for eligible youth teams below the Ontario Player Development League (OPDL). The current structure is focused on U14–U18, with the inclusion of U13 still to be confirmed.

What changes for Regional-level teams?

The biggest change is the move away from the traditional promotion and relegation system. Under the new model, teams will not simply move up or down based on their previous season's final standings.

Instead, teams who wish to play at the Regional level will begin the season in a qualifying phase, that may begin as early as April and conclude in July. Entry is open to any team wishing to qualify, regardless of previous season performance, and division participation, with one team entry per age and gender, permitted per Club.

Teams will then be placed into the level that best matches their current competitive ability for the remainder of the season, sorted out within the qualifying phase. The strongest teams will advance to EISL Competitive 1 (C1), while the other teams may compete in Competitive 2 (C2) or an appropriate District-level competition.

This means that a team's previous outdoor season league standing will no longer determine its level of play for the following season. Placement will be based more directly on current performance and readiness as determined through the qualification phase.

What else is changing?

The new structure is intended to:

• provide more consistent standards for regional-level competition across Ontario;
• create more appropriate levels of competition for teams;
• reduce unnecessary travel through regionalized competition;
• bring eligible community clubs and registered academies into one competitive structure; and
• provide a more balanced season, including planned breaks and recovery periods.

For players and families, the goal is a more consistent and development-focused competitive pathway, with teams playing against opponents at an appropriate level based on their current ability.

A summary of information about the new EISL is available here.

The detailed structure for the East Region, including the final qualifying format, participating age groups, schedules, team-entry requirements and fees, is still being finalized. Ontario Soccer and the East Region are expected to provide additional information as the 2027 implementation progresses.