Don’t blink or you might miss the 2006-07 North American Premier League’s season.
After a decline in membership last season, this year is a retrenchment of sorts. An NAPL championship will not be awarded this season. Instead, there are two challenge tournaments that will be held in Feasterville and Downingtown, Pa. to choose which clubs will have the right and responsibility to organize the regional teams which will be in the league for the 2007-08 season.
I find this very interesting on a few levels. What happens in a case where an established outdoor team splits in two, and wins both tournaments? Will there be two co-existing teams in one area like the Mets and Yankees?
What if a major metropolitan area (say, New York) does not place high enough in either to merit a team in favor of a team which is in a smaller market (say, Albany)?
And what about player selection once the organizing rights are allocated? What prevents a team holding organizational rights from not selecting anyone from an open tryout?
There are plenty of questions, but the answers will be on full display the weekend of Dec. 16 and Jan. 13 in Pennsylvania. Should be very interesting. And it is an enterprise that deserves your support.
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