Soccer for Dummies

Gunnerman · August 3rd, 2007, 01:22 PM

Since Beers requested that there should be one I thought I would be kind enough to oblige.

First lesson
The Premier League

The Premiere League is sometimes referred to the English Premier League or shortened to EPL. The proper name though is Premier League. This is the top league in England and is also considered one of the top pro leagues in the world. The sceduling is pretty easy on the surface, each team will play every other team twice, once at home and once away for a total of 38 regualr season matches for each team.

The League consists of 20 teams. There is no end of season playoff, the team that finishes first is the Champion. The three teams that finish in the bottom three spots get relegated to the Championship for the next season. The Championship is the next league down, kind of like being demoted to a AAA league. Three teams from the Championship then get promoted to the Premier League for the next season.

League competition is not the only competitions that the teams play throughout the season. The top four teams get to also participate in the UEFA Champions League. The teams finishing 5, 6, and 7 get to also play in the UEFA Cup. Both of those pit Premier League teams against other pro teams from all across Europe. All Premier League Teams also participate in the 2 domestic cup competitions which are knock-out type competitions. The oldest and more prestigious is the FA Cup the other is called the Carling Cup. Because teams play more than just League games fixtures can be rearranged quite often during the season.

Thus endeth the lesson of the day.

BtownBeers · August 3rd, 2007, 01:31 PM

Wow I learned a ton just with that lesson actually. The thing I never understood was the diferent leagues and who played who. I thought at first without a playoff/championship that would suck but the fact that teams are moved down a level and likewise moved up a level each year is an interesting way to handle keeping competition high.

I also really thought the EPL and and Premeir league were 2 totally different leagues.

Gunnerman · August 3rd, 2007, 01:36 PM

Very astute observation dear Beers. The fact that 3 teams get relegated means that even end of year games between teams at the bottom of the standings can be very competitive and are sometimes the best games of a given weekend. Contrast that with Pirates baseball after August 1 when all their games mean nothing.

BtownBeers · August 3rd, 2007, 01:42 PM

Thanks Gunny! More sports should employ that type of competition...though near impossible to do but I really like how that works.

BtownJay · August 3rd, 2007, 01:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BtownBeers

Thanks Gunny! More sports should employ that type of competition...though near impossible to do but I really like how that works.

Yep, thats one of the things I loved about the league at first as well. Not to mention, you can root for your team to get 4th place to get into the Champions League. Or if your team is only middle of the road like mine, I was able to root for them to finish in the top 7 to go to the UEFA Cup. So even in the last few weeks and my team was 8th or 9th, every game was still important.

Gunnerman · August 3rd, 2007, 01:49 PM

Actually North American pro leagues are kind of the misfit when it comes to promotion-relegation.

But do not look for it any time soon in any North American Leagues. Primarily because most lower league teams in North America are affiliated with a major league team. In countries where p&r is used the lower league clubs are not affiliated with a parent club. Another reason is because of the high price for expansion teams in North America. If someone has enough money they buy their way into the top league. In other countries clubs start at the lowest level and have to work their way up, so if I wanted to start a new team I would have to start way down in the amateur or semi-pro league and try to get my club up through promotion.

BaldBil · August 3rd, 2007, 01:50 PM

oooo, OOOOO, a question!

Is there a league below the Champions league and does the bottom three rule apply there?

Gunnerman · August 3rd, 2007, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BaldBil

oooo, OOOOO, a question!

Is there a league below the Champions league and does the bottom three rule apply there?

The Champions League, by its nature, does not have promotion and relegation. Entry into the Champions League is determined on how well your club does in its domestic schedule.

Last season the top four teams in England where
1. Manchester United
2. chelscum
3. Liverpool
4. Arsenal

That means that when the Champions League starts this season these four teams get to participate. The top 2, United and the scummers, get immediate entry into the Group Stage while Liverpool and Arsenal must go through one round of qualifying, against another team from a different country, to reach the group stage.

BtownBeers · August 3rd, 2007, 01:56 PM

Good question bil...and Gunny...I just got totally lost with the whole North American teams and there affiliation and different leagues...I guess thats a lesson for Monday.

Gunnerman · August 3rd, 2007, 02:01 PM

Beers, think of it like this, even though the Pirates blow ass chunks every year they still have a AAA, AA and A team and the players there for the most part are part of the Pirates organization. That is not the case where promotion and relegation are used. Arsenal does not have a separate "minor league" team that plays in a different city.

ssigman · August 3rd, 2007, 02:10 PM

bil...the championship is the lower league than the premier league...the champions league is a competition that pits the top teams from all over europe...the championship does have promotion and relegation...in england, they have around 6 or 7 different levels of leagues with the bottom ones being semi-pro...but with wins, they can move all the way up the ladder

BtownBeers · August 3rd, 2007, 02:31 PM

But the North American teams...they are part of the EPL and this is all seperate from the MLS?

ssigman · August 3rd, 2007, 02:56 PM

Here's a breakdown:

Europe:

these would be considered the better leagues overall in europe

EPL = ENGLAND
LA LIGA = SPAIN
SERIE A = ITALY
LIGUE SMELLY = FRANCE
BUNDESLIGA = GERMANY

these leagues would be considered just under the best

SCOTLAND
PORTUGAL

then you have smaller leagues

AUSTRIA
HOLLAND
POLAND
ISRAEL
MIDDLE EAST
GREECE
BASICALLY ALL THE COUNTRIES HAVE A LEAGUE OF THERE OWN

all the european leagues are eligible for the champions league and the uefa cup

then you have north america:

MLS
Mexican League

we started the Superliga which is just a 8 team competition but hopes to grow to a bigger tournament maybe involving all of north and south america

then central america has leagues but who cares

then south america:

ARGENTINA
BRAZIL

are the biggest leagues...they have a tournament for just the south american clubs..sudamerica(i think thats the name...gunny can easily correct me)

then asia has its own leagues
K LEAGUE = Japan
AUSTRALIA
CHINA
ETC.

they play in some sort of asian cup

THE FINAL TOURNY IS THE CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP AND I REFUSE TO EXPLAIN IT

BtownJay · August 3rd, 2007, 02:59 PM

Also, this weekend is the leagues "Community Shield Game". Sunday at 10am... Man U vs. Chelsea on Fox Soccer Channel.

This matches up the EPL league winner from the last season vs. the FA Cup winner from the last season. Manchester United won the League and Chelsea won the FA Cup.

I'm pumped... games between these two are usually good.

BtownBeers · August 3rd, 2007, 03:01 PM

Honestly thanks guys...its a lot to even attempt to digest..especially on a Friday.

August 3rd, 2007, 01:22 PM	#1
Gunnerman Join Date: 04-01-2004 Location: Pittsburgh Posts: 5,519	Soccer for Dummies Since Beers requested that there should be one I thought I would be kind enough to oblige. First lesson The Premier League The Premiere League is sometimes referred to the English Premier League or shortened to EPL. The proper name though is Premier League. This is the top league in England and is also considered one of the top pro leagues in the world. The sceduling is pretty easy on the surface, each team will play every other team twice, once at home and once away for a total of 38 regualr season matches for each team. The League consists of 20 teams. There is no end of season playoff, the team that finishes first is the Champion. The three teams that finish in the bottom three spots get relegated to the Championship for the next season. The Championship is the next league down, kind of like being demoted to a AAA league. Three teams from the Championship then get promoted to the Premier League for the next season. League competition is not the only competitions that the teams play throughout the season. The top four teams get to also participate in the UEFA Champions League. The teams finishing 5, 6, and 7 get to also play in the UEFA Cup. Both of those pit Premier League teams against other pro teams from all across Europe. All Premier League Teams also participate in the 2 domestic cup competitions which are knock-out type competitions. The oldest and more prestigious is the FA Cup the other is called the Carling Cup. Because teams play more than just League games fixtures can be rearranged quite often during the season. Thus endeth the lesson of the day.

August 3rd, 2007, 02:56 PM	#13
ssigman Join Date: 03-15-2004 Posts: 27,221	Here's a breakdown: Europe: these would be considered the better leagues overall in europe EPL = ENGLAND LA LIGA = SPAIN SERIE A = ITALY LIGUE SMELLY = FRANCE BUNDESLIGA = GERMANY these leagues would be considered just under the best SCOTLAND PORTUGAL then you have smaller leagues AUSTRIA HOLLAND POLAND ISRAEL MIDDLE EAST GREECE BASICALLY ALL THE COUNTRIES HAVE A LEAGUE OF THERE OWN all the european leagues are eligible for the champions league and the uefa cup then you have north america: MLS Mexican League we started the Superliga which is just a 8 team competition but hopes to grow to a bigger tournament maybe involving all of north and south america then central america has leagues but who cares then south america: ARGENTINA BRAZIL are the biggest leagues...they have a tournament for just the south american clubs..sudamerica(i think thats the name...gunny can easily correct me) then asia has its own leagues K LEAGUE = Japan AUSTRALIA CHINA ETC. they play in some sort of asian cup THE FINAL TOURNY IS THE CLUB CHAMPIONSHIP AND I REFUSE TO EXPLAIN IT Last edited by BtownJay; August 3rd, 2007 at 03:01 PM. Reason: changed to 8 teams in Superliga

August 3rd, 2007, 01:31 PM	#2
BtownBeers Join Date: 08-23-2004 Location: In Mrs. Jays Pants! Posts: 21,564	Wow I learned a ton just with that lesson actually. The thing I never understood was the diferent leagues and who played who. I thought at first without a playoff/championship that would suck but the fact that teams are moved down a level and likewise moved up a level each year is an interesting way to handle keeping competition high. I also really thought the EPL and and Premeir league were 2 totally different leagues.

August 3rd, 2007, 01:36 PM	#3
Gunnerman Join Date: 04-01-2004 Location: Pittsburgh Posts: 5,519	Very astute observation dear Beers. The fact that 3 teams get relegated means that even end of year games between teams at the bottom of the standings can be very competitive and are sometimes the best games of a given weekend. Contrast that with Pirates baseball after August 1 when all their games mean nothing.

August 3rd, 2007, 01:42 PM	#4
BtownBeers Join Date: 08-23-2004 Location: In Mrs. Jays Pants! Posts: 21,564	Thanks Gunny! More sports should employ that type of competition...though near impossible to do but I really like how that works.

August 3rd, 2007, 01:49 PM	#6
Gunnerman Join Date: 04-01-2004 Location: Pittsburgh Posts: 5,519	Actually North American pro leagues are kind of the misfit when it comes to promotion-relegation. But do not look for it any time soon in any North American Leagues. Primarily because most lower league teams in North America are affiliated with a major league team. In countries where p&r is used the lower league clubs are not affiliated with a parent club. Another reason is because of the high price for expansion teams in North America. If someone has enough money they buy their way into the top league. In other countries clubs start at the lowest level and have to work their way up, so if I wanted to start a new team I would have to start way down in the amateur or semi-pro league and try to get my club up through promotion.

August 3rd, 2007, 01:50 PM	#7
BaldBil Join Date: 06-15-2006 Location: Salem, MA Posts: 5,208	oooo, OOOOO, a question! Is there a league below the Champions league and does the bottom three rule apply there?

August 3rd, 2007, 01:56 PM	#9
BtownBeers Join Date: 08-23-2004 Location: In Mrs. Jays Pants! Posts: 21,564	Good question bil...and Gunny...I just got totally lost with the whole North American teams and there affiliation and different leagues...I guess thats a lesson for Monday.

August 3rd, 2007, 02:01 PM	#10
Gunnerman Join Date: 04-01-2004 Location: Pittsburgh Posts: 5,519	Beers, think of it like this, even though the Pirates blow ass chunks every year they still have a AAA, AA and A team and the players there for the most part are part of the Pirates organization. That is not the case where promotion and relegation are used. Arsenal does not have a separate "minor league" team that plays in a different city.

August 3rd, 2007, 02:10 PM	#11
ssigman Join Date: 03-15-2004 Posts: 27,221	bil...the championship is the lower league than the premier league...the champions league is a competition that pits the top teams from all over europe...the championship does have promotion and relegation...in england, they have around 6 or 7 different levels of leagues with the bottom ones being semi-pro...but with wins, they can move all the way up the ladder

August 3rd, 2007, 02:31 PM	#12
BtownBeers Join Date: 08-23-2004 Location: In Mrs. Jays Pants! Posts: 21,564	But the North American teams...they are part of the EPL and this is all seperate from the MLS?

August 3rd, 2007, 02:59 PM	#14
BtownJay Join Date: 07-14-2004 Location: Lehigh Valley, PA Posts: 28,016	Also, this weekend is the leagues "Community Shield Game". Sunday at 10am... Man U vs. Chelsea on Fox Soccer Channel. This matches up the EPL league winner from the last season vs. the FA Cup winner from the last season. Manchester United won the League and Chelsea won the FA Cup. I'm pumped... games between these two are usually good.

August 3rd, 2007, 03:01 PM	#15
BtownBeers Join Date: 08-23-2004 Location: In Mrs. Jays Pants! Posts: 21,564	Honestly thanks guys...its a lot to even attempt to digest..especially on a Friday.