TAMPA, Fla. – USL League One announced on Thursday a revised regular season and playoff structure for the 2020 season has been approved by the league’s Board of Governors. The new format for the league’s second season will see each of League One’s teams play 20 games across 15 weeks in the regular season to determine the sides that will meet in the 2020 League One Final.
The revised schedule will see each team in League One face 10 teams during the regular season, with one opponent omitted from each club’s schedule to help limit air travel. Each team will play its assigned regional rival four times – twice home and twice away – and seven other clubs in a home-and-home series. The final two games of the season will be made up of one home and one away game against two more clubs, creating a 20-game slate.
| Team | Regional Rival | Omitted Opponent |
|---|---|---|
| Chattanooga Red Wolves SC | South Georgia Tormenta FC | FC Tucson |
| Fort Lauderdale CF | Orlando City B | Union Omaha |
| Forward Madison FC | Union Omaha | Orlando City B |
| Greenville Triumph SC | Richmond Kickers | New England Revolution II |
| New England Revolution II | Toronto FC II | Greenville Triumph SC |
| North Texas SC | FC Tucson | Richmond Kickers |
| Union Omaha | Forward Madison FC | Fort Lauderdale CF |
| Orlando City B | Fort Lauderdale CF | Forward Madison FC |
| Richmond Kickers | Greenville Triumph SC | North Texas SC |
| South Georgia Tormenta FC | Chattanooga Red Wolves SC | Toronto FC II |
| Toronto FC II | New England Revolution II | Greenville Triumph SC |
| FC Tucson | North Texas SC | Chattanooga Red Wolves SC |
The regular season will be played over a single-table format, with the schedule set to kick off on Saturday, July 18 and conclude on Saturday, October 24th. The top two teams in the final regular season standings will then meet the week of October 31st in the 2020 League One Final.
All league activities for the duration of the 2020 season will be coordinated in compliance with both local health authorities protocols and those previously published by the USL, which were created in consultation with medical and infectious disease experts along with required government approvals.
Additionally, League One’s Board of Governors approved a motion that will allow five substitutes to be used for the remainder of the 2020 season. Matchday squads will remain at 18 players, with clubs mandated to provide 23-man provisional squad lists at least 48 hours prior to kickoff, as per league rules.
The number of substitutes represents an increase from the three substitutions rule that had been in place. However, to avoid disruption to the game, each team will only have three opportunities to make all of its allotted five substitutions.
Substitutions may also be made at halftime without counting against a club’s three in-game opportunities. The decision is in line with the temporary law amendment made by the International Football Association Board in May.
Every game of the 2020 League One season will be broadcast on ESPN+. Announcements regarding Home Openers for each club and the full 2020 schedule will be announced in the coming days.
