Golden Gate Women's Soccer League

GGWSL Division Breakdown

This is a very loose explanation of the divisions in the league, simply to help new players choose what division they might best fit into. Basically the higher the division, the more skilled and fit the players. Also, while not always true, most of the upper-division teams have a dedicated coach and mandatory practices.

Open Division

Premier - This is the top division in the league. Some of these players can go toe-to-toe with the best players in the nation, if not the world!

First - Think first division college level. A high level of skill and fitness.

Second - Think second division college level. A high level of skill and fitness.

Third - Think third division college level. A high level of skill and fitness.

Fourth - The Fourth division tends to have a good mix of fitness and skill levels, but most players have at minimum solid high-school experience (or skills comparable to that). Most of the teams in this division have dedicated coaches and/or set practices.

Fifth - This division contains a wide variety of skill levels. Some people only have high-school experience, some have palyed in college, some played years ago and took a few years off, and others used to play in the higher GGWSL divisions but dropped "down" to join a team with less pressure (some teams in this division don't have rigid practices and/or coaches).

Sixth - This division is very similar to the Fifth, but you'll find a smidge more players here with less experience and/or fitness. It's a HIGHLY FUN division! Note: this is also the division that all new teams enter into by default (unless the team knows their skill level is high enough to "challenge" into a higher division).

Over-35 - As the name implies, you need to be 35+ years old to join! You need to turn 35 during the calendar year in which you sign up. Games for the Over-35 league are played on Sundays, allowing players to play on Saturdays with their Open division team.

Division 1 (upper) - This division is quite skilled and competitive. Many of these players also play in the upper levels of the Open divisions.

Division 2 (lower) - This division has a wide range of player types, skills, and fitness levels. Some players have 40+ years of experience, and others are brand new!