Idaho Futsal Age Bracket & Divisions Mechanics

DIVISIONS WITHIN AN AGE BRACKET

Upon registration, teams can select their Level of Play (A, B, or C), also referred to as a division.

AGE BRACKETS

Age-pure brackets will be offered depending on the number of registered teams. However, Idaho Futsal may combine age brackets and/or divisions if necessary to ensure meaningful competition. Younger teams and lower division teams will be involved in the decision.

DIVISION CONFIGURATION & PLAYING FORMAT

Due to the limited number of weeks futsal can run in Autumn and Winter between outdoor seasons, each team is guaranteed a minimum of six games per season.

The divisions within each age bracket are structured according to the number of teams that registered in a specific division, with the following playing configurations to determine a champion.

4 teams:

6 teams:

  • Single round-robin (5 games)
  • Plus:
    • 1st vs 2nd (Championship Match)
    • 3rd vs 4th (Third Place Match)
    • 5th vs 6th (Fifth Place Match)
  • Total: 6 games per team

8 teams

  • 2 groups of 4 teams are created within the division
  • Single round-robin (3 games):
  • Plus crossovers (1 game, no weight in standings)
  • Semi Finals and Consolation Semi Finals
    • 1st Group A vs 2nd Group B (Semi Final 1)
    • 1st Group B vs 2nd Group A (Semi Final 2)
    • 3rd Group A vs 4th Group B (Consolation Semi Final 1)
    • 3rd Group B vs 4th Group A (Consolation Semi Final 2)
  • Finals
    • Winner Semi Final #1 vs Winner Semi Final #2 (1st place match)
    • Runner-Up Semi Final #1 vs Runner Up Semi Final #2 (3rd place match)
  • Consolation Finals
    • Winner Consolation Semi Final #1 vs Winner Consolation Semi Final #2 (5th place match)
    • Runner-Up Consolation Semi Final #1 vs Runner-Up Consolation Semi Final #2 (7th place match)
  • Total: 6 games per team

At Idaho Futsal, we try to minimize formation of divisions with an odd number of teams. However, these are the division formats that can be formed if we cannot have even numbers of teams in a division.

Exceptional cases:

3 teams:

Double round robin (4 games) plus two crossover games against other divisions’ teams. Total 6 games.

If both crossover games for each of the 3 teams in the division are against the same two opponents, the crossover games’ scores will count towards the standings. Otherwise, those two crossover games will not count.

5 teams:

We have two different options to play this type of division:

Option #1

  • Single round-robin (4 games) plus:
    • 4th place Play Off (4th vs 5th)
    • Semifinals
    • 1st vs 2nd (Championship Match)
    • 3rd vs 4th (Third Place Match)
  • Total: 6 games minimum per team

Option #2

The 5 teams in this arrangement will play a single round robin (4 games) plus they also will play a crossover game with a team in another division. (The scheduling algorithm is the same as the 6 teams division).

  • Single round-robin (4 games + 1 crossover game). Crossover matches scores will no count towards the standings, as these crossover matches will generally be against different teams from different division/brackets)
  • Plus:
    • 1st vs 2nd (Championship Match)
    • 3rd vs 4th (Third Place Match)
    • 5th vs (wild card or winner of 3rd vs 4th)
  • Total: 6 games per team (one team may get 7 games depending on the 5th place match configuration)

7 teams:

  • Single round-robin (6 games total)
  • In a six-weeks season (usually Autumn/Nov-Dec), 3 of the 7 teams (selected randomly) will play two games in one of the six competition weeks (and have a bye one of the weeks) to accommodate the larger bracket. The other 4 teams will play one game weekly.
  • In a season where we have seven-weeks of play, each team will generally play one game weekly, and will have a “BYE” week.
  • For tiebreakers see section 4 at https://www.usyouthfutsal.com/idahofutsal

9 teams:

  • Similar to the configuration for the 8 teams division presented above
  • The 9th team (the last registering) plays two teams from each division (one of these games, selected randomly, will not have weight in the standings for the 9th team)
  • For the teams playing the 9th team, the scores will be ignored and will not count towards their single round robin results.
  • At the end of the Single Round Robin (3 games), there will be an 8th vs 9th play off match to qualify for the consolation semifinals
  • Then, with the final 8 teams set, apply the Finals and Semi Finals mechanics of the 8 teams division (see above)
  • Total: 6 games per team

VISIT IDAHO FUTSAL FOR REGISTRATION INFORMATION, LEAGUE RULES AND MORE.