Beginning in 09, the MCFFU will introduce the new 9-Man Ineligible World Championship Format that will consist of teams accumulating points to qualify to compete in the Pro Division of the of the World Championships in Miami, FL. 

Though the tournament will remain an Open Tournament for teams to compete, only a select few will be eligible to compete for the Pro Title.  

Based on the Official MCFFU 9-Man Ineligible Schedule, the top teams at the conclusion of the season (December 2009) will be eligible for the Pro Division in the WC.  The number of spots available have not yet been decided, however it will fall somewhere around 16 teams (Based on the ruling of the Competition Committee). 

This format will provide legitimacy to the World Championships Circuit as well as to the tournaments and directors associated with the MCFFU/USSSA.  Tournaments on the WC Circuit have been strategically selected and/or placed as to not provide multiple local tournaments in a single area/region; the idea is to get teams moving to accumulate their points and balance out the travel requirements among top 9-Man teams. 

The WC Circuit will consist of State Championships, National Invitationals (NIT) and National Championships.  The National Championships will provide teams with the most available points to win ( “Double Points”), and they are: 

• Southern National Championships - Dallas, TX – April 2010
• Norththeastern National Championships - TBA - May 2010
• Eastern National Championships - VA Beach, VA – June 2010
• Southeastern National Championships – Atlanta, GA - August 2010
• Florida National Championships - Tampa, FL - December 2010

At Large Berths:

Teams in regions with limited MCFFU/USSSA Sanctioned Tournaments could however, qualify for an “At Large Berth”, which means they can either move into a slot that was vacated by a qualifying team who failed to register for the WC or be added as an “Add On”, extending the total number of qualifying teams.  

No more that (2) teams may qualify for the “At Large Berths” at any given time.  These teams may also gain admittance into the Pro Division over the last qualifying team based on past experience of both teams accompanied with the lack of regional opportunities  (This will also be decided on by the Competition Committee). 

The new 9-Man WC format now gives teams a yearlong purpose to compete, a reason to keep up with the rankings as well as increasing the overall value of each scheduled event.  No longer will teams be able to sit and wait for the “Big One”, now what you do during the season determines where you play in January.

Pros - Cons:

Depending upon where you stand in the seeding pretty much determines your thoughts on the new format.  Teams that are clear cuts to make the top 16 love the concept, along with teams looking to compete in a balanced pool who feel they are not quite ready for the Pro Division.

Teams that are on the bubble as the deadline approaches all seem to disagree with teams not making the cut due to their yearly performance.  As teams compete on the highest level of competitive flag football; should everyone be grouped together as in the past or does earning your way in mean more?