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subject: "INFO FOR ALL IFFL TEAMS ABOUT THE MD and VA IFFL 2007 SPRING SEASON"

TOM/SHAY/ROB

Feb 18, 2007
12:44 PM

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This is an update to all of the IFFL/VA teams about the 2007 IFFL Spring season with information about IFFL/MD and information about the 2007 USFFA National Championship Tournament.

This year as always we will have the IFFL Reston, VA divisions four to five divisions of eight teams each. Also we have added another MD divisions to go along with last years Montgomery County Division. So for the 2007 IFFL Spring season we will have two MD divisions of 8 to 10 teams each.

The IFFL/Montgomery County Division and the IFFL/Prince Georges County Division. Both of these division will be part of the IFFL open league and teams in both of these divisions will be competing to place and play in the IFFL A/B/C playoffs.

We are placing this information on the VA message board so that ALL teams know about the MD divisions and the direct bids to the 2007 USFFA National Championship Tournament in Allentown, PA December 2007 from each of these two divisions to represent MD in the tournament.

What that means is the regular season division champions in the IFFL/Mont and the IFFL/PG will each get a bid to the USFFA Tourney this year.

We are letting the all IFFL teams know this so if you want to have a chance to compete for a bid to the 2007 USFFA National Championship you can chose to place your in one of the MD divisions and yes your team is still part of the IFFL Spring league.

Why is this set up this way? Well, just for the teams that don`t know already VA also have four bids every year to the USFFA National Championship Tournament. All four 2007 VA bids have already been filled from the top four teams that placed in the 2006 VFFA State tournament last December.

To get a VA bid you would have to play in the VFFA "A" VA State Tournament and finish in the Top four in the "A" tournament. The next VFFA "A" VA State Tournament will be in December 2007 and the top four teams in that will get the VA bids but for the 2008 USFFA National Championship Tournament as the 2007 bids have already been filled.

As of right now we do not have a MD State tournament since MD is new to the USFFA. So for now until MD gets large enough to have a MD State tournament the four MD bids to the USFFA National Championship will be give the four MD bids with two bids from the IFFL Spring division winners and two from the IFFL fall division winners.

If you have any questions about the cost for MD teams, field locations and how MD works within the IFFL spring league just e-mail myself, Tom or Rob will call you back

Question

Feb 20, 2007
7:45 AM


;	Why not just make the MD divisions a completely separate league with its own playoffs? Why get them into the mix with the Virginia teams who are trying to secure thier own berths in the VFFA tournament? I like that the game and league are expanding to MD, but it doesn`t make sense to me to have to contend against teams that either base or choose to play in MD in a playoff to determine representatives to a VA tournament. Even if the MD teams would have already qualified to play in the USFFA and wouldn`t be eligible for a VA tournament berth, they are still cluttering up the brackets for legit VA teams that are trying to qualify for thier own tourneys. Also, the balance seems to be a bit off...assuming the strength of the MD divisions is what it was last spring, an average IFFL B team could play in the MD division and win it, securing a berth to play in USFFA against teams the caliber of those in the VFFA A bracket? Talk about a slaughter! I normally like and support what you all are doing in running the league, but this seems a little underthought.

SHAY MATTERA

Feb 20, 2007
9:10 AM


;	OK I`m going to attempt to answer ALL your questions so for those of you wanting to read this it is LONG. 1-Why not just make the MD divisions a completely separate league with its own playoffs? In the fall season the MD IFFL divisions are a separate league and do not compete with the VA IFFL leagues. Remember in the spring there is no A/B level it`s an open league for the most part with a novice division for new teams only. That is the main reason we combine MD and VA for spring season to make it a bigger more competitive league in the spring. Even when MD gets large enough we still plan to keep VA and MD together for the spring seasons only. 2- Why get them into the mix with the Virginia teams who are trying to secure their own berths in the VFFA tournament? MD teams cannot get a birth to the VFFA even if they win the IFFL spring league. The same goes for the VA teams wanting a MD bid to nationals. Any of the VA teams that play in a VA division cannot get a MD bid to the USFFA they would have to play in a MD divisions to do that. 3- I like that the game and league are expanding to MD, but it doesn`t make sense to me to have to contend against teams that either base or choose to play in MD in a playoff to determine representatives to a VA tournament. As answered above how a MD team does in the IFFL Spring playoffs will not effect any VA teams bid to the VA tournament. Example if a MD teams does win the IFFL Spring championship this year and it beats a VA team in the championship the top seed for the VA tournament will go to that VA team that lost the IFFL championship. The MD team won the IFFL Spring league but does not get a bid to the VFFA. 4- Even if the MD teams would have already qualified to play in the USFFA and wouldn`t be eligible for a VA tournament berth, they are still cluttering up the brackets for legit VA teams that are trying to qualify for their own tourneys. No, actually they are not cluttering up the playoffs for the IFFL we use the same system as always in the IFFL spirng league. The top 2 in each division in the A playoffs next 16 to 24 in B playoffs and remained go to C playoffs. How or what MD teams do in the IFFL playoffs WILL NOT have any effect on VA teams trying to qualify for the VFFA. 5- Also, the balance seems to be a bit off...assuming the strength of the MD divisions is what it was last spring, an average IFFL B team could play in the MD division and win it, securing a berth to play in USFFA against teams the caliber of those in the VFFA A bracket? Talk about a slaughter! MD is new to the USFFA style of play and will have it`s growing pains in our style with the "new" MD teams that are joining. If some of the MD teams that play in other leagues start playing in the IFFL then I wouldn`t be so quick to say MD teams are not as good. If some of the MD teams playing in some of the MD 7on7 or 9on9 leagues start playing in the IFFL then it would be even caliber between the VA and MD. Also for the last few years we`ve been talking with many teams in some of these MD league and found out the only way that some of them would even consider playing is if they are part of a larger league like the IFFL. 6-I normally like and support what you all are doing in running the league, but this seems a little under thought. Thanks for your opinion but sorry to tell you this issue of MD and VA has not been under thought matter fact we have been talking and planning to do this for some time now. We wanted to start this a few years ago but didn`t do to logistical reason (my deployment to Iraq was the main reason we didn`t start back in 2003) I`m not trying to sound rude but this matter is not up for debate. The IFFL format with MD and VA being one league in the spring will remain. In the fall MD and VA will be separate leagues. We do appreciate your opinion but my post about IFFL/MD divisions was put out for informational purposes only so that the VA teams to consider playing in MD if they chose to do so not to debate how the league is set up they matter is has already been decided. So if you have further comments or question on the IFFL Spring season format call me direct or e-mail me (SMAT3692@AOL.C0M), or contact Tom or Rob. Thank you and hope you enjoy the season. Shay Mattera

visitor

Feb 20, 2007
9:45 AM


;	Damn the Vegas Mights beat alot these Va teams dont talk to bad about them now , they have beaten the top teams in Va.