Position-aware evaluation for freshmen through seniors. Honest tier scoring across D1, D2, D3, NAIA, and JUCO. Parent-approved outreach to the right coach.
Soccer isn't one evaluation — a D1 center back and a D1 striker aren't built from the same blueprint. PathPlay scores against position-specific tiers, so the tier you land in matches who you actually are on the pitch.
D1 GKs read on reflexes + distribution film + 5.2 forty override; D3/NAIA GKs evaluate on shot-stopping reps and command of the box — pure athleticism matters less than decision-making tape.
D1 CB floor sits at 5.0 forty (position override); D3/NAIA scoring rewards aerial duel rate and reading-the-game reps — a 5.3 CB with verified defending tape is still a fit.
Outside backs bridge speed and 1v1 defending. D1 FBs carry sub-5.0 forty plus crossing volume; D3/NAIA thresholds open up when overlapping reps and defensive 1v1 wins are on film.
Anchors grade on positioning and ball-winning more than sprint. D1 CDMs sit at sub-4.9 forty with verified passing range; D3/NAIA evaluate on tackle success and progressive passing accuracy.
Box-to-box mids are the engine — D1 CMs need verified two-way reps plus passing accuracy; D3/NAIA scoring opens up for CMs with strong technical film and aerobic base.
D1 CAMs grade on chance-creation film + sub-4.8 forty; D3/NAIA thresholds open when the final-third passing and assist numbers are documented.
D1 wingers carry the strictest forty threshold (4.7 — see LW/RW override); D3/NAIA evaluate on dribbling volume + crossing + 1v1 take-on rate.
D1 strikers also sit at 4.7 forty override; D3/NAIA scoring rewards finishing volume and hold-up play — a 4.9 ST with 20+ goals is still a fit.
Soccer timelines run on ECNL / GA pipelines and ID camps, not on a single calendar. D1 starts evaluating two years out, D2 + D3 wait until junior year, and NAIA + JUCO recruiting genuinely picks up across the junior summer. The engine below applies a grad-year modifier so the tier score reflects the realistic window, not the artificial one.
ID camps + ECNL/GA national events become the early window; multi-year club film carries the conversation. Sophomore-year tape is what D1 staff weigh when they slot you onto their watchlist.
D2 staff lean on ECNL regional + national events and showcase minutes; junior-year form spikes move the score. Verified reps against D1-caliber competition move the tier rating here.
D3 and NAIA both run a junior-summer window for first-touch outreach; club showcase minutes concentrate exposure. Walk-on slots, academic spots, and late rising juniors all overlap in this window.
NAIA programs run a longer window — junior summer through senior fall — and the core GPA carries more weight than at higher tiers; NLI signing opens in February and runs through August for soccer.
PathPlay's soccer placement engine reads your showcase minutes, competition level, vertical jump, GPA, core GPA, and grad year against per-tier rule tables — and applies a position override on the forty threshold when your position allows it.
Every tier (D1, D2, D3, NAIA, JUCO) has a distinct rule set with required gates and weighted metrics; the engine returns a confidence rating per tier (Strong, Likely, Stretch, Reach) so the recommendation is honest about where the fit is real and where it's a reach.
Showcase minutes + competition tier: the engine weights verified showcase minutes (ECNL/GA/USYS) and competition level as the primary inputs — a 5.0 forty reads as a fit at D3 CB and a miss at D1 W. That's the differentiation, not a stylistic preference.