Major League Soccer’s youth system, MLS NEXT, is introducing a new way to evaluate young talent—Quality of Play rankings—for its U13 and U14 age groups. Rather than focusing on wins and losses, this system assesses individual player actions and performance during games, including off-the-ball movement and tactical decisions.
The move aims to identify long-term potential rather than early physical dominance. MLS NEXT leaders, including technical director Luis Robles, say traditional standings miss late bloomers and overemphasize early results.
Using the TAKA video platform, analysts spend hours reviewing each game, scoring players on offense, defense, and overall impact. The top teams based on these scores—not win/loss records—will now qualify for the MLS NEXT Cup.
Robles emphasizes this system allows MLS to better track development and scout talent more thoroughly over time. College coaches and scouts will also gain access to this performance data, giving more players exposure beyond game-day showcases.
While the U13 and U14 groups will use the new method, older age groups (U15–U19) will continue to be ranked by traditional standings. Ultimately, the goal is to produce better professionals and national team players, not just winning youth teams.
