NFL Style League Structure

[Ryderrr]

Hey guys, I hope this isn't a commonly covered subject but I had a quick search and couldn't find anything.

Basically I've been using the editors for a couple of years now and have done so to create a few fictional leagues. However there's been one idea I've never managed to create completely and that is the creation of an NFL-style league.

For those of you who don't know, It works pretty much the same as in American Basketball too:

League split into two conferences (AFC and NFC) of 16 teams each

Conferences split into regional divisions (North, South, East West) of four teams each.

This would be just fine but it means that the sides only play their divisional rivals, whereas in the NFL they play outside of their division for 16 fixtures.

Ideally, what I would like to do is that, except set the fixtures so that they only play teams in the same conference twice (thus creating a season of 30 'regular' season matches before the playoffs). I know that there is an option to set specific fixtures but this would take aaaaageeess and I'm hoping that there's an easier or quicker way to do this.

In a nutshell what I'm asking for a bit of guidance as to whether my idea is possible to implement, and if so, how. I apologise for the long OP but I'd really like to try this out and then, if enough people are interested, upload it for others.

Thanks!

[magicmastermind124]

Actually the easiest way would be to create it using specific fixtures.

You should take a look at the Advanced Rules thread, and download the activation then download the comps file, as that has the MLS included, and that should help you towards your goal. But you should be able to do this with Nation Rules and specific fixtures.

[deadfncat]

If you want to do it like the NFL it will be hard though with the way their fixtures work

6 div games, 4 games against 1 AFC div and 4 games against 1 NFC div plus 2 based on their previous seasons result and a bye

Im pretty sure thats how it is

If you want it exactly like that? good luck although I do think it would be fkn awesome

[Ryderrr]

Actually the easiest way would be to create it using specific fixtures.

You should take a look at the Advanced Rules thread, and download the activation then download the comps file, as that has the MLS included, and that should help you towards your goal. But you should be able to do this with Nation Rules and specific fixtures.

I'm gonna give it a go with specific fixtures and try to narrow down the work so I don't waste any time - I'll just test it with 2 divisions to begin with so I get a basic idea. If I can't get it going with the normal editor I'll give the AP a look, thanks a lot!

If you want to do it like the NFL it will be hard though with the way their fixtures work

6 div games, 4 games against 1 AFC div and 4 games against 1 NFC div plus 2 based on their previous seasons result and a bye

Im pretty sure thats how it is

If you want it exactly like that? good luck although I do think it would be fkn awesome

Haha I didn't realise it was quite that complicated but as said above I'd be pretty delighted with just conference games. Tbh with the fun and games I had on FM10 editor to try and get this to work I'll be happy just to have teams playing games outside of their division

[Ryderrr]

Okay so I tried using the normal editor to use specific fixtures (e.g. for the purpose of solving the problem I put Arsenal in one division with Villa and Birmingham and Blackpool with Blackburn and Everton but they only play teams within their own division. I'm not sure why this is but after looking at how the MLS is structured within the game it looks like it'd be easier to use that as a template I guess. Any more suggestions are more than welcome

[mauvais]

I've done this type of game for Cuba, where the teams are divided into groups and play each other - a total of 30 meetings.

You have an advanced editor, add the appropriate stage, to choose his team from the league (without the division into groups) and the results transmitted to the stage where it is split into groups.

Fabulously simple solution...

[Ryderrr]

I've done this type of game for Cuba, where the teams are divided into groups and play each other - a total of 30 meetings.

You have an advanced editor, add the appropriate stage, to choose his team from the league (without the division into groups) and the results transmitted to the stage where it is split into groups.

Fabulously simple solution...

This sounds pretty good, I might give it a go if I can't get everything going how I want it to. I've had a few more ideas regarding the playoffs so I might have to use cup competitions rather than leagues/divisions to make it work. Thanks man!

[Ryderrr]

Okay, I'm getting into the Advanced Editor now, but there are a few things I don't really understand just yet. Can anyone explain the ranking levels to me? I think I've got the jist of most of it now though. Thanks for the help so far

[vivavilla]

I've been interested in doing an NFL-style league for a while now. I posted a thread asking if it was possible to replace draws with penalty shootouts, as this would be a great way of replicating win-loss records in the NFL. I used the advanced editor to enable extra time (overtime) and penalties, and also changed the result of a win to 1 point and draw to 0 points.

I'd be very interested to hear how you get on with splitting the league into conferences, and would be more than willing to help.

[Ryderrr]

I've been interested in doing an NFL-style league for a while now. I posted a thread asking if it was possible to replace draws with penalty shootouts, as this would be a great way of replicating win-loss records in the NFL. I used the advanced editor to enable extra time (overtime) and penalties, and also changed the result of a win to 1 point and draw to 0 points.

I'd be very interested to hear how you get on with splitting the league into conferences, and would be more than willing to help.

Good to see some interest! I'm really struggling with grasping it at the moment, I've been looking at the MLS on the Advanced Editor I can't see how the game knows which conference each team should be put in. If I could find that then I'd probably be more or less sorted.

If push comes to shove then I'll set it all up as leagues similar to the MLS and then create the playoffs as cups whereby the teams qualify through league position (a bit like the CL)

[vivavilla]

Good to see some interest! I'm really struggling with grasping it at the moment, I've been looking at the MLS on the Advanced Editor I can't see how the game knows which conference each team should be put in. If I could find that then I'd probably be more or less sorted.

If push comes to shove then I'll set it all up as leagues similar to the MLS and then create the playoffs as cups whereby the teams qualify through league position (a bit like the CL)

Yeah I'm having similar headaches to be honest. I've loaded the usa_mls file and changed everything related to the MLS competition with the Premier League (which actually seems to be very little). Yet when the game starts up the teams aren't divided into conferences at all, and the top 8 are apparently "qualified". Also no fixtures are set up.

So I'm a bit stumped, but will look again tomorrow. With your idea - is it possible to have teams qualify for a competition within the same season?

[Ryderrr]

Yeah I'm having similar headaches to be honest. I've loaded the usa_mls file and changed everything related to the MLS competition with the Premier League (which actually seems to be very little). Yet when the game starts up the teams aren't divided into conferences at all, and the top 8 are apparently "qualified". Also no fixtures are set up.

So I'm a bit stumped, but will look again tomorrow. With your idea - is it possible to have teams qualify for a competition within the same season?

Yeah its not terribly self-explanatory so I can imagine it all taking a while with trial and error.

I'm pretty sure you can - so long as the cup competition's start date is after the league finishes then I can't see why not. But again it'll take trying it out to be sure. I remember downloading a European Super League Pyramid where there was an English Division that took place earlier in the season than the European league, if you see what I'm saying?

[dim13]

... I posted a thread asking if it was possible to replace draws with penalty shootouts, as this would be a great way of replicating win-loss records in the NFL...

Yes, it is possible.

In the Advanced Panel: (for usa_mls):

Stage 1 - pltb (League)

- League Settings - change Match rules option to Penalties or Extra Time, Penalties (for an OT before the shootout). This will omit Draws.

[dim13]

... I've been looking at the MLS on the Advanced Editor I can't see how the game knows which conference each team should be put in...

Open up the usa_mls.xml file and go down to <list id="league_team_order">

Under this tag you will see the 16 team IDs. I believe the first 8 are automatically placed in the Eastern Conference and the next 8 are placed in the Western Conference. I haven't tested this, but I'm guessing if you change the order the IDs are listed here, you would change the teams in each conference.

[manworker]

you could set up all of the divisions with however many teams you want and they play each other twice, like they do in the NFL. Then each division splits in half with the top teams playing in a league against the top teams in the same conference and the bottom teams playing in a similar league. When the Conference league finish the top teams from each qualify for a championship playoff where the "winners" league are first seeds and the "losers" are seconds seeds.

i know thats pretty confusing and i cant think of a better way to explain it.

does the MLS file include the draft?

[Paddy Superstar]

If you ever figure this out and get it up and running can you pop it up here as i'd be interested in downloading and NFL League.

Very Cool.

[Ryderrr]

Open up the usa_mls.xml file and go down to <list id="league_team_order">

Under this tag you will see the 16 team IDs. I believe the first 8 are automatically placed in the Eastern Conference and the next 8 are placed in the Western Conference. I haven't tested this, but I'm guessing if you change the order the IDs are listed here, you would change the teams in each conference.

I haven't tested this either but it looks like a possibility. It's going to take a lot of trial and error to figure out how to customise it too.

you could set up all of the divisions with however many teams you want and they play each other twice, like they do in the NFL. Then each division splits in half with the top teams playing in a league against the top teams in the same conference and the bottom teams playing in a similar league. When the Conference league finish the top teams from each qualify for a championship playoff where the "winners" league are first seeds and the "losers" are seconds seeds.

i know thats pretty confusing and i cant think of a better way to explain it.

does the MLS file include the draft?

That's a pretty good idea, and another back-up plan if I can't get what I want doing.

If you ever figure this out and get it up and running can you pop it up here as i'd be interested in downloading and NFL League.

Very Cool.

Haha thanks very much man! I've got my fingers crossed. Will have a post up in a bit explaining my plans in a bit more detail so you know what you're getting yourself into

[Ryderrr]

Okay, so here's the basic idea.

I'm reforming the top tier of English Football and restructuring the league into an NFL-style league. One way or another this will happen as I have several backup plans to make the outcome as close to my original plans and the NFL as possible.

All the current clubs are replaced by fictional franchises, and are divided roughly into the divisions (North East, North West, South East, South West) of the English Football Conference and the National Football Conferences.

At the moment the plan is that the top two sides from each division qualify for the playoffs, with each winner seeded to guarantee a home tie against a runner-up. The first round of the playoffs will, rather than a 'wildcard' round, be a 'regional' (i.e. North and South) championships semi-final of each conference, of which the winners play for the regional championships. The winners of the regional championships then play each other for the conference championship, and the conference champions for the League championship.

I realise it's not quite like the NFL but I thought it'd be a nice touch to add in the extra 'trophy' of being a regional champion as well as the divisional championship.