Why are there so many indoor leagues?

Discussion in 'Pro Indoor Soccer' started by WiscFan, Oct 17, 2009.

  1. WiscFan

    WiscFan Member

    Nov 14, 2005
    Fond du Lac, WI
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I'm thinking about following the indoor game a bit more. I live only an hour away from the Wave. I'm trying to find out why there are so many leagues in the US? Also the rules similar to futsal rules? I think if at least one of the many leagues had these rules the national team would be better off.

    The indoor teams I know of could form a decent North American league (if the haven't folded):
    Milwaukee Wave (NISL)
    Baltimore Blast (NISL)
    Cabernet Pumas (PASL)
    Calgary United FC (CMISL)
    Chicago Storm (XSL)
    Chico Bigfoot (PASL)
    Denver Dragons (PASL)
    Detroit Ignition (XSL)
    Dynamite Reserves (PASL)
    Edmonton Drillers (CMISL)
    Estadio Azteca All-Stars (PASL)
    FC Fury 2 (PASL)
    Ft. Collins Fury (PASL)
    Highlands Ranch Heat (PASL)
    La Cabana (PASL)
    Las Vegas Knights (PASL)
    Merced Atlas (PASL)
    Monterrey La RaZa (NISL)
    New Jersey Ironmen (XSL)
    OTWSSC Men (PASL)
    Philadelphia Kixx (NISL)
    Pikes Peak Cavalry (PASL)
    Rockford Rampage (NISL)
    Sacramento Scorpions (PASL)
    Saskatoon Accelerators (CMISL)
    San Diego Crew (PASL)
    San Diego Fusion (PASL)
    Sequoia FC (PASL)
    Turlock Express (PASL)
    V.C. United (PASL)
    Winnipeg Alliance FC (CMISL)

    Could anyone rank these leagues (CMISL, NISL, PASL, XSL)? Are they comparable? I have a feeling it may be NISL, XSL, PASL, CMISL.
     
  2. Kevin McMillan

    Oct 17, 2006
    Edmonton
    Well, the XSL is dead, so I'll have to rank it in the #4 spot.

    The NISL is the only really "pro" one, so it would get #1

    The PASL and CMISL work together, but if you want them ranked I'd put the PASL #2, cause if they hadn't came along the CMISL most likely would be on the same pile as the XSL
     
  3. WiscFan

    WiscFan Member

    Nov 14, 2005
    Fond du Lac, WI
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    So what happened to the other XSL teams?
     
  4. Kevin McMillan

    Oct 17, 2006
    Edmonton
    Well they joined the greatest indoor league of them all... the Hiatus League
     
  5. WiscFan

    WiscFan Member

    Nov 14, 2005
    Fond du Lac, WI
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    So if they join the NISL, we could potentially have a decent 8 team league:
    Baltimore Blast
    Chicago Storm
    Detroit Ignition
    Milwaukee Wave
    Monterrey La RaZa
    New Jersey Ironmen
    Philadelphia Kixx
    Rockford Rampage

    I feel a little deja-vu... weren't these teams in a league (MISL), just 2 or 3 years ago?
     
  6. GoStorm

    GoStorm Member

    Oct 24, 2008
    hloy moly - are you going to open a can of worms
    Tht is true in theory but the powers to be have decided against that because they do not get along
    there ae a lot of answers to making indoor successful & having more teams but this is indoor soccer and that would make sense if you did it another way
    all you can do now is wait and see each year what indoor soccer has to offer
    although you have picked a good team to go & see as the Wave will be very strong this year
     
  7. WiscFan

    WiscFan Member

    Nov 14, 2005
    Fond du Lac, WI
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    So basically indoor soccer suffers because the guys with the money can't play nice? The fans of these teams must be considered some the most die hard fans out there. Not knowing year-in-year-out if they will even have a team to support. Crazy.

    Also is the American indoor game that different from futsal?
     
  8. wlamar3

    wlamar3 Member

    Sep 14, 2008
    Harrisburg
    The biggest difference is that futsal is played on a basketball court and indoor as we know it is played in a hockey rink. There are no walls in futsal and the walls used for indoor as considered inbounds. I've only seen short clips of fulsal, so this is only my opinion, it is closer to the pure game of soccer, whereby the indoor game is a hybrid. I love indoor soccer but I could enjoy futsal also I'm sure.
    That being said, I would imagine the size of the fields and the size of the nets and the much smaller ball used in futsal would make a necessary change in the style of play. To see some play try:
    http://www.futsalcanada.ca/index.php/multimedia/video

    To see some indoor play any the NISL website has a short video on the front page near the bottom of the page. http://nislnet.com/
     
  9. DavidP

    DavidP Member

    Mar 21, 1999
    Powder Springs, GA
    Futsal used to be played on a basketball court, but "officially," it's now played on a team handball court (FIFA took the basketball-size court dimensions, and called them the "national court" size, and made new dimensions for the handball court, or the "international court" size; basically, just putting a center circle on the handball court, and taking away the nine-meter arc). That move by FIFA effectively took the US and Canada out of the running, since you can probably count on one hand, the smaller arenas which could accommodate a team handball court. Plus, the bigger court has slowed the game down a lot, which adds fuel to its detractors' complaints that it is slow and boring like outdoor soccer. And, I do have to say they have a point.
     
  10. GoStorm

    GoStorm Member

    Oct 24, 2008
    and there are some short clips on youtube.com
    and yes because the guys with the cash do not get along - the fans suffer
    and yes there are die hard fans that accept the buffet of items that are put out each year
     
  11. DallasHammster

    Jun 18, 2007
    DALLAS!!!
    Club:
    FC Dallas
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    One other thing you forgot (besides mentioning Texas Outlaws or DFW Tornados) is that PASL is a two-tiered league, being the PASL-Pro and PASL-Premier (semi-pro), which is why there are so many PASL teams. American indoor soccer (or arena soccer, as the PASL likes to call it) is easily more exciting and higher scoring than futszzzzzzzz...
     
  12. Indoor Alter Ego

    Indoor Alter Ego New Member

    Nov 4, 2008
    Baltimore
    Was 3 and now there is 2.

    Seems like you listed the wrong PSAL teams, you missed all the PSAL-SemiPro teams.
     
  13. GoStorm

    GoStorm Member

    Oct 24, 2008
    and the chicagoland area has the ultimate soccer league with 7 or 8 teams
    I am thinking this may be my fan outlet for indoor soccer
    a few bucks to see a game - open seating - and guys who are hungry to play
    and there is a team about 10 minutes away from me
    and there is no drama yet with this league
    just good old fashion indoor soccer
     
  14. Indoor Alter Ego

    Indoor Alter Ego New Member

    Nov 4, 2008
    Baltimore
    And you may see a few familiar faces on the team the Storm's owner will be fielding.
     
  15. GoStorm

    GoStorm Member

    Oct 24, 2008
    they had pre-season games at the sports zone on Sunday morning and yes there were a few familiar faces - including some Tormenta players
    Morad was there watching - we sat with him & Ian Bennett - he was there as a spectator
    Their goalie looked real good and there were some good games
    like I said - this may be my new outlet to watch
     
  16. Indoor Alter Ego

    Indoor Alter Ego New Member

    Nov 4, 2008
    Baltimore
    Did Morad or Bennett say where they planned on playing?
     
  17. GoStorm

    GoStorm Member

    Oct 24, 2008
    Bennett has signed with the Wave - he reports to wave in a couple of weeks
    Morad wants to stay in Chicago and not move so he is just playing locally
    he should sign up for the ultimate soccer league
    I would put him in the NASCAR finals on foot - he can run
     
  18. GoStorm

    GoStorm Member

    Oct 24, 2008
    Here are the results of those games
    ultimatesoccerleague.com

    Lake County Tsunami 5 vs. 7 Inter Chicago

    Chicago Storm 3 vs. 2 Cruz Azul Chicago

    Deportivo Indiana 3 vs. 0 Rockford Victory

    and I can still wear my jerseys & t-shirts to the games
    and free parking
     
  19. Indoor Alter Ego

    Indoor Alter Ego New Member

    Nov 4, 2008
    Baltimore
    So the Wave have signed Bennet along with numerous other players yet don't have any listed on their roster on the website. Also I wonder what the contract they signed actually looks like? Is it an NISL contract or is it a contract directly with the Wave.

    Very strange stuff going on right now. This week hopefully will solve the weirdness once Ed Hale's building gets auctioned off.
     
  20. GoStorm

    GoStorm Member

    Oct 24, 2008
    no kidding - scary turn of events here
    but I am in chicago suburb and rampage games & Wave games were only going to be a few for me this year
    So to hop over to the sports zone in 5 minutes is nice
    Although it would be nice to go to a few NISL games
    the one after Thanksgiving I was planning on and possibly the NYE game
    I may have to ask Ian what the contract looked like
    The Wave have not updated their roster but in the news they state that they have signed players so they are at least moving forward with the hope of a league and if things go south well then that will be a bridge they will have to cross
    You know this could all have been solved years ago
     
  21. Indoor Alter Ego

    Indoor Alter Ego New Member

    Nov 4, 2008
    Baltimore
    Thanks for the info this sounded like some very competative indoor soccer and very evenly matched.

    Did the Storm have any former Storm players?
     
  22. Indoor Alter Ego

    Indoor Alter Ego New Member

    Nov 4, 2008
    Baltimore
    As long as Ed Hale is involved there will always be drama, distrust and fragmentation. The XSL could have been the answer but they had the wrong people running it and a bad single entity model.

    When Ed finally goes away for good maybe and just maybe Indoor can start rebuilding again.
     
  23. NSL2004

    NSL2004 Member+

    Jul 23, 2002
    Sounds like single point scoring unless they almost never score except for a rare 3 pointer.
     
  24. josh242

    josh242 Member

    May 30, 2008
    Denver
    Club:
    FC Sankt Pauli
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    The USL seems very similar to the regional divisions of the PASL-Premier. It would be cool if their champion competed in the PASL-Premier finals, and/or if their top teams competed in the US Arena Open Cup.
     
  25. GoStorm

    GoStorm Member

    Oct 24, 2008
    or if they just merged
    yes - single point scoring
    Storm players - Branko is player/coach
    other than that mostly Tormenta guys
    They were talking to Awadella we'll see
    Zebic was there & vladamir was there
     

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