why odd number of teams in d1?

Why does d1 go to 9 teams? Less games for the top teams and a bye week? Doesnt make sense to me. Why not just swap the bottom 2 and top 2 and keep it at 10?

Is there an obvious answer I am missing?

I'm just guessing, but maybe the league thought they could not maintain a consistent standard of play with more than 9 teams (that is, the top teams would crush the teams at the bottom of the table).
However, with a lot of the strongest players now going to ECNL, and a lot more players involved select soccer, I don't think that is true any longer, at least not to the same extent. You could look at the variance in points earned and goal differential from top to bottom on D1 for U14 and older for the past 7 years and see if the gap is closing- but I'm too lazy to do that research.

Blank77 wrote:Why does d1 go to 9 teams?  Less games for the top teams and a bye week?  Doesnt make sense to me.  Why not just swap the bottom 2 and top 2 and keep it at 10?

Is there an obvious answer I am missing?

I have wondered the same thing many times. Less league revenue too, but maybe profit stays the same with the bye week.  Anyhow, seems odd.

9 teams 8 games?? Even play. Plus you have HS season and field availability. Probably a #s thing

The smaller number of teams began long before ECNL, I think it went back to the Premier League. The top teams of D1 were typically also doing Premier League, so I think it was an effort to clear out some available weekends for those games, and probably showcase tourneys too. For a while all of the divisions (D1-D3) went to less than ten teams. Then about 2 or 3 years ago they bumped all of them back up to 10. ( at least D2 and D3). Then the next year was when they tossed out the ECNL teams. The older a group got, the more "stuff" outside the LHGCL they had going on, ( High School ball, Tournaments), so maybe it was an effort to make it all work by having fewer league games.

I know thats not a definitive answer, but the truth probably lies in there somewhere.

....

Slakemoth wrote:The smaller number of teams began long before ECNL, I think it went back to the Premier League.

It actually predates Premier League. Before they had a D3 (and to a lesser degree D2), the # of teams was reduced by 2 every couple of years in an attempt to concentrate the talent to the top of the league. The final few years were played with 6 D1 teams and you played a combined schedule with the next age group.

The advent of PL and ECNL has changed all that.

Combination of things including PL and HS.

As the girls get older there were less players and less teams, this has been going on before there was a 3rd division in LHGCL.

As girls got older the number of players became smaller to keep the level of play even (to some extent) they adjusted the number of teams in the top group.

It seems to be less necessary with the current state of things, though. In U16 D1 with 8 teams, the difference between last 3rd place and last place was 2 games.

Maybe they are just lazy!!! NTX has such a deep pool of player, there is literally an endless numbers of players/ teams/ coaches to keep the 3 LH divisions full at 10 each.....

I think it stinks, especially when they go to 18 size rosters at u13, why not keep it at 16 with more teams, and more revenues for LH....

I would even like to see less league games playing each team once increasing the amount of time to compete more on the national level.

BUNDESLIGA wrote:I would even like to see less league games playing each team once increasing the amount of time to compete more on the national level.

If we were in Kansas I'd agree with that. But given league competition here is strong as almost any tournament in the country, we'd be making top level soccer far more expensive at younger age groups...without much benefit.

Playing the same teams and same players for the last 4 years is getting old!

LHGCL is a hack fest, where players are rewarded for your ability to mug other players.

BUNDESLIGA wrote:LHGCL is a hack fest, where players are rewarded for your ability to mug other players.

I do agree somewhat... and there are plenty of injuries to back that up... but what is the alternative at U13... next year ECNL should be better.

I can tell you that there is a big difference from D3 to D1... clearly the more skilled the team the less brut force plays that happen.

BUNDESLIGA wrote:Playing the same teams and same players for the last 4 years is getting old!

don't you all do any out of town tourneys? we do like 9 per year 6 out of town this year....

Hook It wrote:

BUNDESLIGA wrote:Playing the same teams and same players for the last 4 years is getting old!

don't you all do any out of town tourneys?  we do like 9 per year 6 out of town this year....

Yep, southern cal this weekend. That is going to be a hell of a tournament.

Hook It wrote:

BUNDESLIGA wrote:Playing the same teams and same players for the last 4 years is getting old!

don't you all do any out of town tourneys?  we do like 9 per year 6 out of town this year....

Traveling to Oklahoma just to play texas teams is not my idea of a good tournament.

Tom- I was getting worried about you, after that debacle over at Sting your posts really slowed down. I really enjoy reading all your "info" and was really bored. I absolutely LOVE what you are doing with this new bit of carrying on a actual conversation with yourself with Hook it and BUNDESLIGA its AWESOME!!!! 

I think it would be EPIC if you would start a new thread with all your aliases Hook it-BUNDESLIGA Bring Total Soccer and BLAH BLAH BLAH back from the dead and let them ALL go at it.

Some topics that would be humorous would be stalking AndroFan with your 4 MAIN aliases, EXPERT ANALYSIS of ECNL, EVERYTHING about ODP-especially things coaches tell your daughter during tryouts (just to help newbie's know what it takes), maybe throw in a little about how 18 girls is to many on a team, or just how awesome Sting is while incorporating all these topics.  

Serie A wrote:Tom- I was getting worried about you, after that debacle over at Sting your posts really slowed down. I really enjoy reading all your "info" and was really bored. I absolutely LOVE what you are doing with this new bit of carrying on a actual conversation with yourself with Hook it and BUNDESLIGA its AWESOME!!!! 

I think it would be EPIC if you would start a new thread with all your aliases Hook it-BUNDESLIGA  Bring Total Soccer and BLAH BLAH BLAH back from the dead and let them ALL go at it.

Some topics that would be humorous would be stalking AndroFan with your 4 MAIN aliases,  EXPERT ANALYSIS of  ECNL, EVERYTHING about ODP-especially things coaches tell your daughter during tryouts (just to help newbie's know what it takes), maybe throw in a little about how 18 girls is to many on a team, or just how awesome Sting is while incorporating all these topics.  

I always thought me-obsessed and Blah-Blah-Blah were the same person. So Blah-Blah-Blah was also TOM! Dang Tom I bet you're never bored!  

I am not blah,blah, blah, nor am I hook it. 

4-3-3 wrote:

Serie A wrote:Tom- I was getting worried about you, after that debacle over at Sting your posts really slowed down. I really enjoy reading all your "info" and was really bored. I absolutely LOVE what you are doing with this new bit of carrying on a actual conversation with yourself with Hook it and BUNDESLIGA its AWESOME!!!! 

I think it would be EPIC if you would start a new thread with all your aliases Hook it-BUNDESLIGA  Bring Total Soccer and BLAH BLAH BLAH back from the dead and let them ALL go at it.

Some topics that would be humorous would be stalking AndroFan with your 4 MAIN aliases,  EXPERT ANALYSIS of  ECNL, EVERYTHING about ODP-especially things coaches tell your daughter during tryouts (just to help newbie's know what it takes), maybe throw in a little about how 18 girls is to many on a team, or just how awesome Sting is while incorporating all these topics.  

I always thought me-obsessed and Blah-Blah-Blah were the same person. So Blah-Blah-Blah was also TOM!  Dang Tom I bet you're never bored!  

Let's not forget UEFA!  If any of you have the opportunity to stand within ear shot at the ODP Practices and listen to the Wisdom spewing out on the sidelines, please take it all in.  TotalSoccer, Blah-Blah-Blah, UEFA, Hook it, and BUNDESLIGA should have a soccer forum round table about nutrition, supplements, weight training, skills training and trainers, ODP, ECNL, Notre Dame Soccer, EPL, and how the MLS doesn't train properly.     Maybe THE TICKET could have him on as a special guest expert in all things Futbol.

4-3-3 wrote:

Serie A wrote:Tom- I was getting worried about you, after that debacle over at Sting your posts really slowed down. I really enjoy reading all your "info" and was really bored. I absolutely LOVE what you are doing with this new bit of carrying on a actual conversation with yourself with Hook it and BUNDESLIGA its AWESOME!!!! 

I think it would be EPIC if you would start a new thread with all your aliases Hook it-BUNDESLIGA  Bring Total Soccer and BLAH BLAH BLAH back from the dead and let them ALL go at it.

Some topics that would be humorous would be stalking AndroFan with your 4 MAIN aliases,  EXPERT ANALYSIS of  ECNL, EVERYTHING about ODP-especially things coaches tell your daughter during tryouts (just to help newbie's know what it takes), maybe throw in a little about how 18 girls is to many on a team, or just how awesome Sting is while incorporating all these topics.  

I always thought me-obsessed and Blah-Blah-Blah were the same person. So Blah-Blah-Blah was also TOM!  Dang Tom I bet you're never bored!  

Dammit!  Insulted once again!

I actually have a confession..................I'm also mslater and "Pixie Trixie" is my stage name.........................  

I had totally forgotten about UEFA!! Good luck in  S. California this weekend that will be a great tournament. Hopefully the weather will be great and y'all do well, always tough out there. I am envious but sure am glad I do not have to foot the bill for all Tom's luggage. Can you imagine how expensive it is to pack for all these multiple personalities? Do they each get their own suitcase or just jumbled together?   

me?obsessed? wrote:

4-3-3 wrote:

Serie A wrote:Tom- I was getting worried about you, after that debacle over at Sting your posts really slowed down. I really enjoy reading all your "info" and was really bored. I absolutely LOVE what you are doing with this new bit of carrying on a actual conversation with yourself with Hook it and BUNDESLIGA its AWESOME!!!! 

I think it would be EPIC if you would start a new thread with all your aliases Hook it-BUNDESLIGA  Bring Total Soccer and BLAH BLAH BLAH back from the dead and let them ALL go at it.

Some topics that would be humorous would be stalking AndroFan with your 4 MAIN aliases,  EXPERT ANALYSIS of  ECNL, EVERYTHING about ODP-especially things coaches tell your daughter during tryouts (just to help newbie's know what it takes), maybe throw in a little about how 18 girls is to many on a team, or just how awesome Sting is while incorporating all these topics.  

I always thought me-obsessed and Blah-Blah-Blah were the same person. So Blah-Blah-Blah was also TOM!  Dang Tom I bet you're never bored!  

Dammit!  Insulted once again!

I actually have a confession..................I'm also mslater and "Pixie Trixie" is my stage name.........................  

No way meobsessed. Not going out like that. I'm confessing all my usernames through the years. Never tried to be anonymous and haven't had any conversations with myself...not yet anyway:

mslater, fourfourtwo, 4-4-2 diamond, 3-4-3, 4-3-3, Atomic Dog

Before this is done I will also be: RefMikeRedux, 4-2-3-1, 3-5-2, and 3-2-1-DaughterFinallyQuit