Does FC Dallas hold academy tryouts?
Toyota Soccer Center, Frisco · Frisco, Texas · Checked September 6, 2026
No open tryouts for the academy, in the club's own words. FC Dallas Academy is free, invitation only, and the club says you may be invited to trial based on its interest and the strength of your playing CV and video, submitted through a scouting form. Only invited players hear back. What confuses parents is FC Dallas Youth, the club's large pay-to-play arm, which runs open tryouts every summer for ECNL and USYS teams from U11 up. Those are real tryouts, but they are for the youth club, not the academy.
Got a tryout? How to prepare your child, including MLS NEXT → How MLS NEXT tryouts work, in one guide →How recruitment works
Invitation after CV and video review or scouting, then a trial period with the age group. Academy is free for selected players.
- 01Academy scouting form
The official self-nomination route. Submit a playing CV and video through the club's scouting page. Technical staff review and may invite a player to trial. The club says it only contacts players who are invited.
Official page ↗ - 02Scouted in FC Dallas Youth and affiliate clubs
The academy draws heavily from FC Dallas Youth teams and the club's affiliate network across Texas and beyond. Playing in that system puts a child in front of academy staff at league games and pool training.
Official page ↗ - 03FC Dallas Youth open tryouts
Pay-to-play club teams in ECNL, ECNL Regional League and USYS. Open tryouts in early summer at Toyota Soccer Center for U11 to U19, registration through Athlete One, rolling tryouts with individual teams after. Not the academy.
Official page ↗ - 04Scouted at MLS NEXT and showcase events
Academy staff scout other MLS NEXT clubs, tournaments and identification events, particularly for U15 and up. National team scouts attend academy games, so evaluation is over a season, not a day.
- Dallas-Fort Worth
- North Texas and Oklahoma
- FC Dallas affiliate clubs nationally
- MLS Homegrown territory rules apply to signing, not to academy entry
- Ask whether the invitation is FC Dallas Academy or FC Dallas Youth. One is free and invitation only, the other is a paid club with open tryouts.
- If you submit the scouting form, the video matters. The club says it decides on CV and video strength.
- Ask which age group and whether it is a training pool or a roster spot. The club says form submission does not guarantee either.
- Homegrown signing rights depend on where you live and train. Ask the club how its territory affects your child before relocating.
What to check before you agree
Practice reading the game while you wait
Soccer IQ is how a player decides what to do before the ball arrives. Our Soccer IQ game shows short match moments and asks your child to choose. It is a free early version. It is for practice and talking together. It does not predict whether a child will be picked.
League and college numbers: Youth soccer in the US: the numbers.
- FC Dallas, Scouting form: no open tryouts ↗
- FC Dallas Youth, Select Tryouts ↗
- FC Dallas Youth, The FCD Way and Academy ↗
Updated October 16, 2026. Last verified September 6, 2026. Spotted a change? Tell us so we can check the page.
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