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Thread: NEW MLS Rules

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    Default NEW MLS Rules

    1. Unbalanced Schedule

    Each club’s total matches will remain the same, at 34 regular-season matches, and the regular season will run from mid-March through October, as it has in recent years.

    Here is how the conference-based schedule will work:

    Western Conference clubs will play each other three times, totaling 24 matches. They will play four conference opponents twice at home and once away, and play the other four conference opponents twice away and once at home. The location arrangement will be reversed in 2013.

    West clubs will complete their schedule by playing each of the 10 Eastern Conference clubs once. Five of matches will be at home and five will be on the road. Again, the arrangement will be reversed in 2013.

    Due to the higher number of clubs in the Eastern Conference, things are a little different on that side. Each club will play a total of 25 conference matches.

    Each East club will play seven of their conference opponents three times each (21 total games) and the remaining two conference opponents twice each (4 games).

    To complete their full slate, East teams will then play the nine West teams once each. Those nine games will be split either five at home and four away or vice versa. The locations will be reversed in 2013.

    The league says it plans to announce the full schedule earlier than they have in previous years.

    2. MLS Cup goes to the highest seed

    The MLS Cup final will no longer be a neutral-site game, according to a plan approved on Saturday by the league’s Board of Governors. Instead, the league’s championship match will be played at the home venue of the participating team with a higher regular-season point total.

    That effectively brings an end to the system of rotating the MLS Cup final to different venues around the league, as MLS has done since its inaugural 1996 season.

    3. New Playoff Structure

    The playoff format itself will also get a tweak. As in 2011, the playoff field will remain 10 teams. However, the top five teams in each conference will qualify for the postseason without wild card spots.

    The No. 4 team in each conference will then host the No. 5 team in its conference in a single-elimination game for the right to face its respective conference’s top seed in the Conference Semifinals.

    The Conference Championships will shift to two-leg series instead of a single game, as they have been since 2003.

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    I like both 2 and 3, especially the home field advantage for the cup.

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    The schedule is so fudged up. With only 17 home games, and 18 teams to play, I felt it was unfortunate that there was 1 team we wouldn't be seeing in Toronto. But now there's up to 5 Western Conference teams we won't see in Toronto? Good grief, I'd much rather be seeing Portland, Seattle, Vancouver, and Galaxy in Toronto than the likes of some Eastern teams like New England or Houston.

    And to make it worse, we'll see four of the Eastern teams here in Toronto twice?? WTF??? We might see New England here twice, but not Vancouver at all? That's horrific.

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    All this shenanigans could have been avoided if the league goes with a shorter play offs and use that extra week for 2 games for balanced schedule. But nope. Can't have it.

    Actually, I think there are still bye weeks in the schedule. (week off for the team)
    “Years have gone by and I’ve finally learned to accept myself for who I am: a beggar for good football.

    I go about the world, hand outstretched, and in the stadiums I plead: ‘A pretty move, for the love of God.’

    And when good football happens, I give thanks for the miracle and I don’t give a damn which team or country performs it.”

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    also, the West is much stronger than the East. a bit unfair to award the MLS Cup site to supporter's shield winner, if it comes from the East, who gets it based upon playing more weaker teams. home and away Cup final would have been more fair under new format I think
    Last edited by Yohan; 11-20-2011 at 03:39 PM.
    “Years have gone by and I’ve finally learned to accept myself for who I am: a beggar for good football.

    I go about the world, hand outstretched, and in the stadiums I plead: ‘A pretty move, for the love of God.’

    And when good football happens, I give thanks for the miracle and I don’t give a damn which team or country performs it.”

    -Eduardo Galeano

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    2 and 3 make sense but is it really that hard to to add 2 games to the schedule? in the west the Unbalanced Schedule is not that bad but in the east if you miss the playoffs by a point and the differences in the schedule had you play all the top teams 3 times and the last place teams only twice while the other team only played the top teams twice.

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    3 only makes sense cuz of 1. if you have a balanced schedule (see: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1...ysg/edit?pli=1 with a 30% reduction in travel miles) and a single table, then 3 becomes irrelevant

    don't like 1 (see link)

    2 - my only concern is what happens to future supporter summits, mls cup events, travel costs for fans with so little prep time etc...

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    We play each time 3 times, except conference opponents, which we play 4 times.

    Is that Montreal or Columbus for us?

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    Looks a mess but I like it. Travel time reduces and therefore the quality of the
    on-field product goes up. They really need a 20th team to even things out though.

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    Quote Originally Posted by ArmenJBX View Post
    Is that Montreal or Columbus for us?
    Most likely...

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    Quote Originally Posted by ArmenJBX View Post
    We play each time 3 times, except conference opponents, which we play 4 times.

    Is that Montreal or Columbus for us?
    Not sure what you're asking but TFC's schedule looks like this:

    We play seven of the nine other East teams 3 times. We play the other two East teams twice (7x3 + 2x2 = 25 total games vs East teams). We play the nine West teams once (either 4 home 5 away or vice versa for 9 total games against the West).

    No team will be played 4 times. Also, we will have home games against only 4 or 5 West teams. The reason the format is weirder for East teams (some played against 3 times, some twice) is because there is going to be one extra team in the East next year. The West on the other hand, all play against each other 3 times.

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    Quote Originally Posted by prizby View Post
    3 only makes sense cuz of 1. if you have a balanced schedule (see: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1...ysg/edit?pli=1 with a 30% reduction in travel miles) and a single table, then 3 becomes irrelevant

    don't like 1 (see link)

    2 - my only concern is what happens to future supporter summits, mls cup events, travel costs for fans with so little prep time etc...
    MLS mentioned this proposal, they said it doesn't take into account the availability of venues.

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    Quote Originally Posted by nfitz View Post
    The schedule is so fudged up. With only 17 home games, and 18 teams to play, I felt it was unfortunate that there was 1 team we wouldn't be seeing in Toronto. But now there's up to 5 Western Conference teams we won't see in Toronto? Good grief, I'd much rather be seeing Portland, Seattle, Vancouver, and Galaxy in Toronto than the likes of some Eastern teams like New England or Houston.

    And to make it worse, we'll see four of the Eastern teams here in Toronto twice?? WTF??? We might see New England here twice, but not Vancouver at all? That's horrific.
    The schedule reverses in 2013 so all you have to do is wait a year.

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    Yea, guys, its just because of hte odd number... It'll balance it out


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    I'm asking if it's Montreal or if it's Columbus?
    MLS history indicates it would be Columbus but at the same time...Montreal is Montreal, and who would be their rivals anyway?

    If we play one team four times, which team is it?

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    Quote Originally Posted by ArmenJBX View Post
    I'm asking if it's Montreal or if it's Columbus?
    MLS history indicates it would be Columbus but at the same time...Montreal is Montreal, and who would be their rivals anyway?

    If we play one team four times, which team is it?
    The most times we play one team is 3 times in league play.

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    Quote Originally Posted by kodiakTFC View Post
    1. Unbalanced Schedule

    Each club’s total matches will remain the same, at 34 regular-season matches, and the regular season will run from mid-March through October, as it has in recent years.

    Here is how the conference-based schedule will work:

    Western Conference clubs will play each other three times, totaling 24 matches. They will play four conference opponents twice at home and once away, and play the other four conference opponents twice away and once at home. The location arrangement will be reversed in 2013.

    West clubs will complete their schedule by playing each of the 10 Eastern Conference clubs once. Five of matches will be at home and five will be on the road. Again, the arrangement will be reversed in 2013.

    Due to the higher number of clubs in the Eastern Conference, things are a little different on that side. Each club will play a total of 25 conference matches.

    Each East club will play seven of their conference opponents three times each (21 total games) and the remaining two conference opponents twice each (4 games).

    To complete their full slate, East teams will then play the nine West teams once each. Those nine games will be split either five at home and four away or vice versa. The locations will be reversed in 2013.

    The league says it plans to announce the full schedule earlier than they have in previous years.

    2. MLS Cup goes to the highest seed

    The MLS Cup final will no longer be a neutral-site game, according to a plan approved on Saturday by the league’s Board of Governors. Instead, the league’s championship match will be played at the home venue of the participating team with a higher regular-season point total.

    That effectively brings an end to the system of rotating the MLS Cup final to different venues around the league, as MLS has done since its inaugural 1996 season.

    3. New Playoff Structure

    The playoff format itself will also get a tweak. As in 2011, the playoff field will remain 10 teams. However, the top five teams in each conference will qualify for the postseason without wild card spots.

    The No. 4 team in each conference will then host the No. 5 team in its conference in a single-elimination game for the right to face its respective conference’s top seed in the Conference Semifinals.

    The Conference Championships will shift to two-leg series instead of a single game, as they have been since 2003.

    Can you please provide the link too?
    Thanks
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    Quote Originally Posted by denime View Post
    Can you please provide the link too?
    Thanks
    These two together have essentially the same info.....
    http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/articl...chedule-format
    http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/articl...fs-format-2012
    “What the world needs is more geniuses with humility; there are so few of us left.”

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    Quote Originally Posted by nfitz View Post
    The schedule is so fudged up. With only 17 home games, and 18 teams to play, I felt it was unfortunate that there was 1 team we wouldn't be seeing in Toronto. But now there's up to 5 Western Conference teams we won't see in Toronto? Good grief, I'd much rather be seeing Portland, Seattle, Vancouver, and Galaxy in Toronto than the likes of some Eastern teams like New England or Houston.

    And to make it worse, we'll see four of the Eastern teams here in Toronto twice?? WTF??? We might see New England here twice, but not Vancouver at all? That's horrific.
    It's shit like this that will make me abandon the league.
    Unbalanced schedules in previous years was ago because you at least saw every team at least once. Now you see some teams twice while other never. This is turning the league into a joke.

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    Doesn't every professional league in North America have unbalanced schedules ?
    RPB Road Warrior. DC United 9/29/07, Columbus Chaos 3/25/08, DC Rumble 5/24/08, Montreal Madness 5/27/08, Chicago 7/12/08, Kansas City Opener 3/21/09, Columbus Smoke 3/28/09, Boston Bus Bounce 8/1/09, Montreal 1000 4/7/12 Montreal 3200 3/16/2013 Columbus Bus Breakdown 3/21/15, Montreal Playoffs 10/29/15, Montreal Opener 04/23/16, Montreal East Final 11/22/16, Chicago 08/19/17, NY Semi-Final 10/30/17, Columbus East Final 11/21/17, Montreal "Dichio Lives" 3/17/18

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    So, in theory the MLS cup could be played in Toronto next year

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    Quote Originally Posted by Bluenose13 View Post
    Doesn't every professional league in North America have unbalanced schedules ?
    What does that have to do with anything?

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    Quote Originally Posted by boban View Post
    It's shit like this that will make me abandon the league.
    Unbalanced schedules in previous years was ago because you at least saw every team at least once. Now you see some teams twice while other never. This is turning the league into a joke.
    This league will copy the NFL as much as it can.

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    Quote Originally Posted by boban View Post
    It's shit like this that will make me abandon the league.
    Unbalanced schedules in previous years was ago because you at least saw every team at least once. Now you see some teams twice while other never. This is turning the league into a joke.
    1 step forward, 2 steps back.

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    Quote Originally Posted by boban View Post
    What does that have to do with anything?
    because they are mls' closest comparison in everything except rules of play, What does hockey have to do with football? what does basketball have to do with baseball? territory, industry, business plan, customers, partners (tv/radio/newspapers, advertisers). Theres a reason no north american league has a balanced schedule. The distance from Toronto to LA is 3489km. London to Demascus is 3535km.

    Edit: forgot montreal next year. Montreal to LA is 3962km. London to Baghdad is 4089km.
    Last edited by Waggy; 11-20-2011 at 11:39 PM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Waggy View Post
    because they are mls' closest comparison in everything except rules of play, What does hockey have to do with football? what does basketball have to do with baseball? territory, industry, business plan, customers, partners (tv/radio/newspapers, advertisers). Theres a reason no north american league has a balanced schedule. The distance from Toronto to LA is 3489km. London to Demascus is 3535km.
    in those leagues (except NFL) you have an unheard amount of games : 82-162 played per season. You still each team come to town at least once.
    I had no issues when we were 13 teams. Now if the issue was to keep it at 34 games and sacrifice 1 team then i would kind of understand and accept that. but now they are sacrificing 4,5,6 teams from coming here?!! Kinda fucked if you asked me.
    Soccer around the world for the better part is played by playing a team both home and away at least once a year. Thats my point about the other leagues in NA. Who cares about them.

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    Quote Originally Posted by boban View Post
    in those leagues (except NFL) you have an unheard amount of games : 82-162 played per season. You still each team come to town at least once.
    I had no issues when we were 13 teams. Now if the issue was to keep it at 34 games and sacrifice 1 team then i would kind of understand and accept that. but now they are sacrificing 4,5,6 teams from coming here?!! Kinda fucked if you asked me.
    Soccer around the world for the better part is played by playing a team both home and away at least once a year. Thats my point about the other leagues in NA. Who cares about them.
    If you're going to make it unbalanced it has to also be as fair as possible. Having just 1 team from a conference missing a potentially tough away game is really unfair. Imagine if say, we happen to not play at seattle next year and wind up make the playoffs by 1 or 2 points. If we were fans of any other team, we'd be fucking PISSED. At least if half the conference don't play at Seattle it's a little more fair. Esp if the other half don't play at Portland.


    edit: besides this is obviously a temporarily situation until there's a 20th club. Can't imagine it'll be any more than 2 or 3 years. Hell, they could also look at potentially folding a club (sadly, like DC United)*

    *not to say they should. I like DC. I'd prefer to see a team like Dallas fold. But given their stadium, I can't really see them folding. It'd have to be a DC or a Boston. Maybe even a San Jose. Teams who just don't have MLS viable buildings.
    Last edited by Waggy; 11-20-2011 at 11:55 PM.

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    I wasn't so up in arms about the unbalanced schedule when it was first mentioned but this is stupid.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Whoop View Post
    I wasn't so up in arms about the unbalanced schedule when it was first mentioned but this is stupid.
    Exactly.

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    * sigh*

    There's no good need for all this complication and I would wager the majority of MLS fans would agree. It really bothers me that Garber and the MLS brass are basically sticking their nose up at the people who patronize the league and are asking for a fair and balanced schedule.
    Did the USA , of all countries, just fix soccer? - C. Ronaldo, May 27th commenting on the FBI-led investigations into fraud and corruption throughout FIFA.

 

 

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