1996 USISL Pro League

The 1996 USISL Professional League was the second highest of the three outdoor men's leagues run by the United Systems of Independent Soccer Leagues during the summer of 1996.

This season, the USISL introduced several changes. First, the league added a third, higher league above the professional league. Consequently, several 1995 Pro League teams moved up and did not compete in the 1996 Pro League. Second, the USISL aligned its rules with the newly created Major Soccer League. In previous seasons, the USISL had used 60 minute halves and a shootout for every foul committed after the seventh foul of each half. Both of these were gone for the 1996 season. The USISL also changed its regular season points system to match MLS. This meant each win was worth 3 points and each shootout win was worth 1 point.^[1] The average pay for Pro League players was $200 per week. The regular season began in mid-April 1996.

Prime Network provided live broadcast of the USISL All Star Game and delayed broadcast of the Pro League championship game.^[2]

The USISL held its All Star Game on July 17 in Blaine, Minnesota. The game pitted the USISL Select League All Stars against a team composed of USISL Professional League and USISL Premier League players. The league coaches voted to select the players.^[3] Players from the USISL Professional League included Goalkeeper Randy DeDini of the Chico Rooks, Defenders Paul Edwards (North Jersey Imperials) and Guy Norcott (Charleston Battery); Midfielders Craig Beeson (Everett BigFoot) and Pat O'Kelly (Central Jersey); Forwards Victor Medina (D/FW Toros) and Jon Payne (Charlotte Eagles).

• Regulation win = 3 points
• Shootout win (SW) = 1 points
• Loss = 0 points

Place	Team	GP	W	SW	L	GF	GA	GD	Points
1	Central Jersey Riptide	16	11	2	3	44	24	+20	35
2	North Jersey Imperials	16	11	0	5	42	26	+16	33
3	Rhode Island Stingrays	16	10	0	6	26	20	+16	30
4	Reading Rage	16	9	1	6	39	31	+8	28
5	Philadelphia Freedom	16	8	2	6	40	25	+15	26
6	New Hampshire Phantoms	16	8	1	7	32	40	-8	25
7	Baltimore Bays	16	5	0	11	34	15	-19	15
8	Albany Alleycats	16	4	0	12	34	44	-10	12
9	Worcester Wildfire	16	0	1	15	19	57	-38	1

Place	Team	GP	W	SW	L	GF	GA	GD	Points
1	Charlotte Eagles	16	12	0	4	49	25	+24	36
2	Charleston Battery	16	11	1	4	46	23	+23	34
3	Wilmington Hammerheads	16	6	1	9	20	30	-10	19
4	Washington Mustangs	16	6	0	10	25	37	-12	18
5	Mobile Revelers	16	3	2	11	15	33	-18	11
6	Chattanooga Express	16	1	0	15	18	55	-37	3

Place	Team	GP	W	SW	L	GF	GA	GD	Points
1	Dallas/Fort Worth Toros	16	9	0	7	33	31	+2	27
2	Rockford Raptors	16	8	1	7	34	28	+6	25
3	Tulsa Roughnecks	16	8	0	8	38	34	+4	24
4	San Antonio Pumas	16	6	0	10	25	37	-12	18
5	Houston Hurricanes	16	5	0	11	28	43	-15	15

Place	Team	GP	W	SW	L	GF	GA	GD	Points
1	Hawaii Tsumani	16	10	0	6	31	19	+12	30
2	Chico Rooks	16	9	1	6	23	16	+7	28
3	Everett Bigfoot	16	7	3	6	27	20	+7	24
4	San Fernando Valley Golden Eagles	16	7	3	6	20	22	-2	24
5	Yakima Reds	16	8	0	8	29	20	+9	24
6	Cascade Surge	16	7	0	9	33	23	+10	21
7	Central Valley Hydra	16	3	0	13	16	48	-32	9

The Mobile Revelers made the playoffs despite having only eleven points. This happened because the South Atlantic Conference had four guaranteed play-off spots. The Charleston Battery received a bye into the playoffs as host of the championship final. Therefore, the league went to the Revelers as the next South Atlantic Conference team in line.

• North Jersey Imperials 3-1 Rhode Island Stingrays
• Charlotte Eagles 1-0 Mobile Revelers (forfeit)
• Wilmington Hammerheads 3-1 Washington Mustangs
• D/FW Toros 1-0 (SO) Houston Hurricanes
• Tulsa Roughnecks 3-2 (SO) Rockford Raptors
• Chico Rooks 3-0 Valley Golden Eagles
• Everete BigFoot 2-1 Hawaii Tsunami

• North Jersey Imperials advanced to Sizzlin' Six finals.

• Wilmington Hammerheads advanced to the Sizzlin' Six finals.

• Originally planned for August 17th, the second game was postponed until Sunday morning, August 18th, because of heavy rainfall and flooding which rendered the playing field unuseable on Saturday.

• D/FW Toros advanced to the Sizzlin' Six finals.

• Chico Rooks advanced to Sizzlin' Six finals.

Group A:                 Charleston defeated Dallas/Ft. Worth 2-1
                        Chico defeated Dallas/Ft. Worth 2-1 (OT)
                        Charleston defeated Chico 2-1
Group B:                 Wilmington defeated North Jersey 3-0
                        Charlotte defeated Wilmington 1-0
                        Charlotte defeated North Jersey 6-2

• Charlotte defeated Chico 1-0
• Charleston defeated Wilmington 2-0

Rank	Scorer	Club	Goals	Assists	Points
1	Philibert Jones	Charlotte Eagles	18	20	45
2	Patrick Olalere	Charleston Battery	20	5	45
3	Craig Beeson	Everette BigFoot	17	2	36
4	Jon Payne	Charlotte Eagles	14	8	36
5	Carlos Rocha	Rhode Island Stingrays	14	3	33
6	Robert DeLuca	North Jersey Imperials	14	3	31
7	Pat O'Kelly	North Jersey Imperials	12	6	30

• MVP: Craig Beeson
• Points leader: Patrick Olalere
• Defender of the Year: Guy Norcott
• Goalkeeper of the Year: Chris Carmiento
• Rookie of the Year: Juan Sastoque
• Coach of the Year: Nuno Piteira
• Organization of the Year: Reading Rage

• United Soccer Leagues (RSSSF)
• The Year in American Soccer - 1996