S7 Expansion Announcement

[Canadice]

Expansion in S7

The BoD continuously keeps track of the size of the active player pool in the league in relation to the number of teams. As of writing this post, we are at around 11.5 active players per team which is a good value.

As a league, we should strive for all actives being able to play as much as possible. A starting roster consists of 11 players and the ability to sub in two players gives 13 players the opportunity to play in any one single game. In the past couple of seasons, the BoD has discussed a possible expansion when the average actives per team approach or exceed 12.5. Even though we have a lower value right now, we have seen evidence of teams being filled and not being interested in picking up new players.

Projecting forward to S7, we expect around 30 new players to create. If we include those new creates in the average, we get a number closer to 14 players per team.

All of these reasons result in the BoD announcing an expansion for S7!

Expansion process

We are planning on expanding with two new teams that will start in the second division, thereby bringing both divisions to eight teams each. With these added number of teams, the projected average number of active players drop to a number close to 12. We are announcing a hiring post for expansion managers separately.

One major difference in this expansion process is that we will not hold an expansion draft. Instead we have come up with an alternative way for these two new expansion teams to build their team.

Expansion teams get:

CODE

- 1st and 2nd OA picks in their first Prospect Draft, S7, (order decided by random draw) - Compensatory picks at 9th and 10th OA in their first and second Prospect Draft, S7 + S8, (order decided by reverse 1/2 OA) - Compensatory picks at 19th and 20th OA in their first and second Prospect Draft, S7 + S8, (order decided by 1/2 OA) - 5 free Active FA signings during their first four seasons, S7 - S10, in the league - 10 free IA FA signings during their first two seasons, S7 + S8, in the league

The reasoning for this change in process is in part to give a bigger chance for new players to come to a team where they will be able to play. We also wanted to take into account the feedback and comments we received from the previous expansion processes. A current team will by this process not lose any direct assets, however an indirect case being the D1 teams having their first round picks moved down two more spots than normal in the overall order.

The expansion team will be able to build their team from multiple first round draft picks (normal + compensatory) as well as picking up players in Free Agency without incurring their transfer costs. All of these pick assets given to the expansion teams are tradeable.

With this expansion the two divisions will be able to play the same amount of games during a season and we are discussing possible changes to the SSL Cup to provide more guaranteed games for every team.

[OrbitingDeath]

One major difference in this expansion process is that we will not hold an expansion draft


- thank you!

[RashfordU]

Its the most, wonderful time, of the year