Vaahteraliiga: Difference between revisions

Vaahteraliiga
Sport	American football
Gegründet	1980
No. of teams	7
Land	Finnland
Most recent; champion(s)	Porvoo Butchers (2023)
Most titles	Helsinki Roosters; (22 titles)
Relegation to	1st division
Official website	Vaahteraliiga

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Latest revision as of 06:33, 22 July 2024

The Vaahteraliiga (Maple League) founded in 1980 is the highest level of American football in Finland played under American Football Association of Finland. The winner of the Vaahteraliiga is the Finnish champion. The Vaahteraliiga season is played in summer, with a schedule usually from May to September.

History

The first season of the Vaahteraliiga was played in 1980. The name Vaahteraliiga ("Maple League") comes from the name of the championship trophy Vaahteramalja ("Maple Bowl"), which was donated to the newly formed association by the embassy of Canada in Finland. Vaahteraliiga is managed by American Football Association of Finland – SAJL. It is government approved non-profit organization governing both American football and flag football activities in Finland.

The most successful team all-time are the Helsinki Roosters with a total of 17 championships, including a then-record six consecutive first-place finishes from 1995-2000. This record was tied by Porvoo Butchers as they also won six consecutive championships between 2005 and 2010. In the early years Helsinki and it surrounding towns were loaded with Maple League teams and they seemed to almost monopolize the championship. The first team outside the Helsinki metropolitan area to win the championship were the Seinäjoki Crocodiles in 2001, ending the 21-year Helsinki area supremacy. Since then, however, those teams have only won the championship twice. Turku Trojans have the most Maple Bowl losses. Having qualified for the game ten times, their only win is from their last visit in 2003.

The 2016 season of Vaahteraliiga was planned to see 8 teams competing, as Tampere Saints and Wasa Royals were promoted from 1st Division. Helsinki 69ers did not start the season, so the 2016 season had 7 teams. The 2017 season also has 7 teams, as TAFT was relegated after finishing last, and I-division winner Hämeenlinna Huskies were promoted to Maple League.

Current teams

Updated for 2024 season.^[1]

League license

Vaahteraliiga has had a different number of teams during its tenure. In recent years the number has been around seven and eight. This is partly because of league license system enforced by SAJL. In addition to competitive status teams have to reach certain economical and organisational standards. This in turn means that at the end of each season it cannot be said to a certainty which teams will eventually play in the league the next year as teams need to apply for the license. SAJL checks the applications and grants licenses to maximum eight teams according to their seed in the previous season. Teams from the 1st division title game, Spaghetti Bowl, are the only division teams eligible to apply for the license.

The system was put in place largely to ensure long-term planning and sensible running of clubs. The system has already shown its cruelty as teams with no alarming difficulties in competitiveness have been relegated due to lack of management and/or economical difficulties.

Playing format

Helsinki Wolverines (blue) against Turku Trojans (white)

Regular season

League schedule is highly dependent on the number of teams. During seasons of eight teams teams are divided into two pools. Teams play against the teams in the same pool twice, home and away, and teams from the other pool once so that each team has ten games, five home and five away. Despite the pools teams are considered as one conference and they are seeded in one conference.

In a seven-team league teams face each team twice, home and away, with a total of 12 games.

Post season

After the regular season the four best teams advance to the post season with seed #1 facing #4 and #2 facing #3 in a single-game play-off. Winners will play in the Maple Bowl for the national title. As of 2006, there hasn't been a game for the bronze medal; they are simply awarded to the losing team of the semi-finals with better seed.

Champions

References

^ "Vaahteraliigan" (in Finnish). Vaahteraliiga. Retrieved 2023-06-08.

External links

[1] "Vaahteraliigan" (in Finnish). Vaahteraliiga. Retrieved 2023-06-08.

[1]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+{{Multiple issues|
+{{More citations needed|date=July 2022}}
+{{Third-party|date=July 2022}}
+}}
+{{short description|American football league in Finland}}
 {{Infobox sports league
 |logo=Vaahteraliiga logo.gif|
@@ Line 4: / Line 9: @@
 |sport=[[American football]]
 |founded=1980
-|teams=8
+|teams=7
 |singles=
 |relegation=[[Finnish 1st Division (American football)|1st division]]
-|country={{FIN}}
+|country=[[Finland]]
-|champion=[[Helsinki Roosters]]
+|champion= Porvoo Butchers (2023)
-|most_champs= [[Helsinki Roosters]]<br>(17 titles)
+|most_champs= [[Helsinki Roosters]]<br>(22 titles)
-|website= [http://www.sajl.fi/sarjat/miehet/vaahteraliiga/ Vaahteraliiga]
+|website= [http://vaahteraliiga.fi Vaahteraliiga]
 }}
-The '''Vaahteraliiga''' is the highest level of [[American football]] in [[Finland]] played under [[American Football Association of Finland]]. The winner of the Vaahteraliiga is the Finnish champion. The Vaahteraliiga season is played in summer, with a schedule usually from May to September.
+The '''Vaahteraliiga''' (Maple League) founded in 1980 is the highest level of [[American football]] in [[Finland]] played under [[American Football Association of Finland]]. The winner of the Vaahteraliiga is the Finnish champion. The Vaahteraliiga season is played in summer, with a schedule usually from May to September.
 == History ==
@@ Line 18: / Line 23: @@
 The first season of the Vaahteraliiga was played in 1980. The name ''Vaahteraliiga'' ("Maple League") comes from the name of the championship trophy ''Vaahteramalja'' ("Maple Bowl"), which was donated to the newly formed association by the embassy of [[Canada]] in Finland. Vaahteraliiga is managed by [[American Football Association of Finland]] – SAJL. It is government approved non-profit organization governing both American football and flag football activities in Finland.
-The most successful team all-time are the [[Helsinki Roosters]] with a total of 17 championships, including a then-record six consecutive first-place finishes from 1995-2000. This record was tied by [[Porvoo Butchers]] as they also won six consecutive championships between 2005 and 2010. In the early years [[Helsinki]] and it surrounding towns were loaded with Maple League teams and they seemed to almost monopolize the championship. The first team outside the Helsinki metropolitan area to win the championship were the [[Seinäjoki Crocodiles]] in 2001, ending the 21-year [[Helsinki]] area supremacy. Since then, however, those teams have only won the championship twice. [[Turku Trojans]] have the questionable record of most Maple Bowl losses. Having qualified for the game ten times, their only win is from their last visit in 2003.
+The most successful team all-time are the [[Helsinki Roosters]] with a total of 17 championships, including a then-record six consecutive first-place finishes from 1995-2000. This record was tied by [[Porvoo Butchers]] as they also won six consecutive championships between 2005 and 2010. In the early years [[Helsinki]] and it surrounding towns were loaded with Maple League teams and they seemed to almost monopolize the championship. The first team outside the Helsinki metropolitan area to win the championship were the [[Seinäjoki Crocodiles]] in 2001, ending the 21-year [[Helsinki]] area supremacy. Since then, however, those teams have only won the championship twice. [[Turku Trojans]] have the most Maple Bowl losses. Having qualified for the game ten times, their only win is from their last visit in 2003.
-The 2015 season of Vaahteraliiga will only see 6 teams competing, as both [[Kouvola Indians]] and [[Helsinki Wolverines]] were relegated to [[Finnish 1st Division (American football)|1st Division]].
+The 2016 season of Vaahteraliiga was planned to see 8 teams competing, as [[Tampere Saints]] and [[Wasa Royals]] were promoted from [[Finnish 1st Division (American football)|1st Division]]. Helsinki 69ers did not start the season, so the 2016 season had 7 teams. The [[2017 Vaahteraliiga season|2017 season]] also has 7 teams, as TAFT was relegated after finishing last, and I-division winner Hämeenlinna Huskies were promoted to Maple League.
 ==Current teams==
-* [[Helsinki Roosters|Roosters]], [[Helsinki]] (Current champions)
-* [[Helsinki 69ers|69ers]], [[Helsinki]]
 * [[Porvoo Butchers|Butchers]], [[Porvoo]]
 * [[Seinäjoki Crocodiles|Crocodiles]], [[Seinäjoki]]
-* [[Turku Trojans|Trojans]], [[Turku]]
+* [[United Newland Crusaders|Crusaders]], [[Lohja]]
-* [[Vantaa TAFT|TAFT]], [[Vantaa]]
+* [[Helsinki Roosters|Roosters]], [[Helsinki]]
+* [[Wasa Royals|Royals]], [[Vaasa]]
-<small>Updated for 2015 season.</small><ref>{{cite web|title=Miesten sarjojen joukkueet vahvistettu|url=http://www.sajl.fi/?x167512=3224598|website=sajl.fi|publisher=American Football Association of Finland|accessdate=26 November 2014|language=Finnish|date=20 November 2014}}</ref>
+* [[Kuopio Steelers|Steelers]], [[Kuopio]]
+* [[Helsinki Wolverines|Wolverines]], [[Helsinki]]
+<small>Updated for 2024 season.</small><ref>{{cite web|title=Vaahteraliigan|url=http://vaahteraliiga.fi/|publisher=Vaahteraliiga|access-date=2023-06-08 |language=fi}}</ref>
 ==League license==
@@ Line 37: / Line 44: @@
 ==Playing format==
+[[File:Trojans-Wolverines.jpg|thumb|Helsinki Wolverines (blue) against Turku Trojans (white)]]
 ===Regular season===
 League schedule is highly dependent on the number of teams. During seasons of eight teams teams are divided into two pools. Teams play against the teams in the same pool twice, home and away, and teams from the other pool once so that each team has ten games, five home and five away. Despite the pools teams are considered as one conference and they are seeded in one conference.
@@ Line 77: / Line 84: @@
 *[[2007 Vaahteraliiga season|2007]] – [[Porvoo Butchers]]
 *[[2008 Vaahteraliiga season|2008]] – [[Porvoo Butchers]]
-*[[2009 Vaahteraliiga season|2009]] – [[Porvoo Butchers]]
+* [[2009 Vaahteraliiga season|2009]] – [[Porvoo Butchers]]
-*[[2010 Vaahteraliiga season|2010]] – [[Porvoo Butchers]]
+* [[2010 Vaahteraliiga season|2010]] – [[Porvoo Butchers]]
-*[[2011 Vaahteraliiga season|2011]] – [[Helsinki Wolverines]]
+* [[2011 Vaahteraliiga season|2011]] – [[Helsinki Wolverines]]
-*[[2012 Vaahteraliiga season|2012]] – [[Helsinki Roosters]]
+* [[2012 Vaahteraliiga season|2012]] – [[Helsinki Roosters]]
-*[[2013 Vaahteraliiga season|2013]] – [[Helsinki Roosters]]
+* [[2013 Vaahteraliiga season|2013]] – [[Helsinki Roosters]]
-*[[2014 Vaahteraliiga season|2014]] – [[Helsinki Roosters]]
+* [[2014 Vaahteraliiga season|2014]] – [[Helsinki Roosters]]
+* [[2015 Vaahteraliiga season|2015]] – [[Helsinki Roosters]]
+* [[2016 Vaahteraliiga season|2016]] – [[Helsinki Roosters]]
+* [[2017 Vaahteraliiga season|2017]] – [[Helsinki Roosters]]
+* [[2018 Vaahteraliiga season|2018]] – [[Helsinki Roosters]]
+* [[2019 Vaahteraliiga season|2019]] – [[Helsinki Roosters]]
+* [[2020 Vaahteraliiga season|2020]] – [[Kuopio Steelers]]
+* [[2021 Vaahteraliiga season|2021]] – [[Kuopio Steelers]]
+* [[2022 Vaahteraliiga season|2022]] – [[Kuopio Steelers]]
+* [[2023 Vaahteraliiga season|2023]] – [[Porvoo Butchers]]
 ==References==
@@ Line 88: / Line 104: @@
 ==External links==
-* [http://www.sajl.org/sarjat/miehet/vaahteraliiga/ Official website]
+* [http://vaahteraliiga.fi/ Official website]
+* [http://www.sajl.org/sarjat/miehet/vaahteraliiga/ Vaahteraliiga at sajl.fi]
 {{European Football Leagues}}
+{{Vaahteraliiga}}
+{{Top sport leagues in Finland}}
 [[Category:American football leagues in Europe]]
 [[Category:American football in Finland]]
+[[Category:1980 establishments in Finland]]
+[[Category:Sports leagues established in 1980]]
+[[Category:American expatriate players of American football]]

v t e Vaahteraliiga
Seasons	1980 [fi] 1981 [fi] 1982 [fi] 1983 [fi] 1984 [fi] 1985 [fi] 1986 [fi] 1987 [fi] 1988 [fi] 1989 [fi] 1990 [fi] 1991 [fi] 1992 [fi] 1993 [fi] 1994 [fi] 1995 [fi] 1996 [fi] 1997 [fi] 1998 [fi] 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Current teams (recent champion in bold)	Helsinki Roosters Helsinki Wolverines Kuopio Steelers Porvoo Butchers [fi] Seinäjoki Crocodiles UNC Crusaders [fi] Wasa Royals [fi]