THREAD: 1. The USSF Professional League Standards (PLS) are written to prevent the free movement of clubs via merit up & down USSF Pro leagues sanctioned as DI, DII, or DIII. #ProRelForUSA

2. The USSF PLS mandate ownership net worth requirements that will force most clubs to sell equity in their club to high net worth individuals to advance to a higher league. In USSF Pro DI-DIII, clubs with a plurality of owners including Supporter Owned clubs are prohibited.

3. The USSF PLS has minimum metro market sizes for DI & DII leagues of 1M & 750K respectively for at least 75% of its clubs. This provision may be a necessary guide for franchise-based closed leagues with limited outlets, but it has nothing to do with on field performance.

4. The USSF PLS mandates DI & II leagues must have clubs located in 3 time zones regardless of merit. In the unlikely event a merit-based league failed to have clubs in 1 of these time zones, an undeserving club must be added or the league would need a waiver.

5. The USSF PLS also limits the ability of a merit-based league to follow a northern hemisphere/Euro league schedule of AUG-MAY & sanction as USSF Pro DI-III due to mandatory participation in events that operate during summer months like the US Open Cup.