Structure
Sanctioning
Official recognition of a league, which is not a ranking of it.
US Soccer recognizes leagues through its member organizations, which is what makes a competition official and insurable. It asks for bylaws and standards, not a competitive assessment, so a sanctioned league is a legitimate one rather than a highly ranked one. Nobody officially ranks youth leagues.
Related terms
Built for your kid
Does this one apply to your kid?
The report says whether this one matters at your kid’s age, in your area, at the level they play now, and what to do about it if it does.