The following was recently posted and emailed to clubs participating in MAPLE:
League Restructuring
As you all know, we have been discussing U12 8 v 8 for years. Half our clubs want it and half don’t so we really need a way to accommodate both and still be able to form divisions that involve qualification from a combination of league play and tournament play.
The answer is to wait until U14 to make divisions. And with State Cups moving earlier this is now possible.
So here is what we would propose:
U12 would have both 8 v 8 and 11 v 11 sections
U13 would be the same as U12 – color sections. No teams would be dropped and new teams could enter for the spring. The procedure for combining these 2 groups for the fall would be a variation on that already used to form U12 divisions. It would depend upon the number of teams playing either 8 v 8 or 11 v 11 and some feedback from coaches who currently play in leagues which have already combined them.
U14 would be the same as the current U13. All teams are accepted for the fall, cut down to the appropriate number of divisions in the spring based on the number of teams who enter in the fall. The drop-off would then occur after U14, instead of after U13.
The Paul Irwin Cup would be a voluntary tournament with both 8 v 8 and 11 v 11 divisions structured along the lines of the KC Andre Cup.
The U13 tournament would be the 3rd weekend of June when State Cups are done. The 2 State Cup finalists and top 2 Blue section teams who are not State Cup finalists), or some variation of that, would bye 4 teams into U14-1. 16 teams would play a round robin. The top team in each section would have a D-1 place. The 2nd place teams would have a playoff, best record v worse record, 2nd v 3rd, for the 2 remaining places. There will be no tournament this year as U13 divisions which have already be determined will carry over to U14.
Most of this could be implemented this spring. The U12’s can offer both options. We cancel the November tournament games other than the promotion games and tier all the U13 D-3 teams. Division 1 and Division 2 would have 8 teams this spring, but the D-3 levels would denote strength as they currently do in U12. U14 for this spring expands as noted below.
It also solves the problem of the relegation at the end of the fall for U13, since teams would move a color group but could still qualify for D-1 & D-2 through the tournament.
Lastly, the way to solve the U14 relegation at the end of the fall is just to have 10 teams in the spring and they don’t all play each other. No one was interested in doubleheaders. So, we have an expanded promotion system where maybe the bottom teams play each other. That would not be hard to figure out.
Please talk about this proposal with your club and get back to me if you have questions. This involves several constitutional changes so 2/3 of the membership need to approve it for it to take effect. Voting will be by email and will be open until 9/28.
League Restructuring
As you all know, we have been discussing U12 8 v 8 for years. Half our clubs want it and half don’t so we really need a way to accommodate both and still be able to form divisions that involve qualification from a combination of league play and tournament play.
The answer is to wait until U14 to make divisions. And with State Cups moving earlier this is now possible.
So here is what we would propose:
U12 would have both 8 v 8 and 11 v 11 sections
U13 would be the same as U12 – color sections. No teams would be dropped and new teams could enter for the spring. The procedure for combining these 2 groups for the fall would be a variation on that already used to form U12 divisions. It would depend upon the number of teams playing either 8 v 8 or 11 v 11 and some feedback from coaches who currently play in leagues which have already combined them.
U14 would be the same as the current U13. All teams are accepted for the fall, cut down to the appropriate number of divisions in the spring based on the number of teams who enter in the fall. The drop-off would then occur after U14, instead of after U13.
The Paul Irwin Cup would be a voluntary tournament with both 8 v 8 and 11 v 11 divisions structured along the lines of the KC Andre Cup.
The U13 tournament would be the 3rd weekend of June when State Cups are done. The 2 State Cup finalists and top 2 Blue section teams who are not State Cup finalists), or some variation of that, would bye 4 teams into U14-1. 16 teams would play a round robin. The top team in each section would have a D-1 place. The 2nd place teams would have a playoff, best record v worse record, 2nd v 3rd, for the 2 remaining places. There will be no tournament this year as U13 divisions which have already be determined will carry over to U14.
Most of this could be implemented this spring. The U12’s can offer both options. We cancel the November tournament games other than the promotion games and tier all the U13 D-3 teams. Division 1 and Division 2 would have 8 teams this spring, but the D-3 levels would denote strength as they currently do in U12. U14 for this spring expands as noted below.
It also solves the problem of the relegation at the end of the fall for U13, since teams would move a color group but could still qualify for D-1 & D-2 through the tournament.
Lastly, the way to solve the U14 relegation at the end of the fall is just to have 10 teams in the spring and they don’t all play each other. No one was interested in doubleheaders. So, we have an expanded promotion system where maybe the bottom teams play each other. That would not be hard to figure out.
Please talk about this proposal with your club and get back to me if you have questions. This involves several constitutional changes so 2/3 of the membership need to approve it for it to take effect. Voting will be by email and will be open until 9/28.
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