CEFL 2010

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Goran Košutić

photo: CEFL

After the league’s annual team meeting, this year in Budapest, one of the biggest possibilities in the CEFL’s 2010 season, after 4 seasons of playing a two part regular season, is that the league is strongly considering moving the schedule to spring/summer only.

This would come instead of a two-part system that was in use since the beginning of league play in 2006, where the season began in March-April, and ended in October because of summer break. All that is left is that teams arrange the schedules so that they don’t conflict with their national league schedules, but since the majority of the teams were for it, this change will likely pass.

Although not officially members of the league yet, the Istanbul Cavaliers confirmed their strong desire to take part in a new CEFL competition – the Wild Card Cup – by attending the meeting, and introducing their team to all the other league members. The Wild Card Cup winner would have an opportunity to participate in the CEFL playoffs.

One other team that is open to participating in the Wild Card is the Cineplexx Blue Devils. The Austrians, league runner-up last year, will also play in the Swiss league this year, making it impossible they also participate in the CEFL regular season. Other than the Blue Devils, the CNC Gladiators announced it would be too difficult for them to participate in their national championship and the CEFL again. After a 2009 season that saw many of their core members leave the team or football altogether, this was not a surprise. Also, after failing to record a win in two years, the Zagreb Thunder did not apply for this season.

The remaining 5 teams will for the first time in 2006 be in just one group, instead of two, the North and the South like in 2007-2009. Each team will play its opponent twice, bringing the number of games for every team to 8.

Among other things, the league will attempt to address scheduling of games, and try to arrange the schedule more firmly, with less changes, including both the date and time of the games. The most important reason for this would be a very strong possibility again that the CEFL’s games would be aired on television in some of the CEFL countries. If they air live, like they did on Sportklub last year, a better and more strict schedule would be in the league’s favor.