Unifying 9-Man With Nations Top Tourneys
One Network, Multiple Organizations

Starting this July 2008, The MCFFU and USSSA will select a few of the top tournaments across the country and offer national points, ranking and seeding for all participating teams at NO COST to the tournament directors or organizations hosting these events.  These events will count towards the 9-man World Championships, where ONLY the top percentage of teams (TBD) will qualify each year. 

Teams can now attend traditional tournaments as usual and receive points on a national level that will not only allow for an more accurate national and power ranking format based on a teams’ performance in major tournament play, but will also allow recognition to the organizations hosting these events without the requirement of affiliation.

These tournaments will be classified as “Adopted ”; meaning that they were selected by the MCFFU/USSSA to provide national points and rankings for participating teams.  These events are NOT affiliated with the MCFFU/USSSA and are not eligible for any MCFFU/USSSA incentive programs or benefits. 

NOTE: Sanctioned events are eligible to partake in all MCFFU and USSSA incentive programs and benefits.  Contact the MCFFU for more details.

Tournament Selection Process:

Tournaments will be selected based on the date, time of existence, location and/or popularity among 9-Man teams.  (All tournaments will not be selected and multiple tournaments can be run in the same month if offered in different regions.  Ex. St. Louis and NJ can be hosted during the SAME month and/or weekend)

The purpose of selecting just one tournament in each state or region to award points and rankings for is to prevent any team from accumulating multiple points without having to travel out of state and encouraging teams to support out-of-state events, which in return will benefit everyone involved. 

All teams will have an equal opportunity to accumulate the necessary points to qualify for the 9-Man Flag Football World Championships.

Want to add a tournament in a vacant spot?  Contact the MCFFU/USSSA at mcffu@mcffu.com

The World Championships:

The World Championships is NOT designed to be an open tournament; teams MUST qualify and ONLY a select number of teams will be eligible to compete in the FFWC. 

This provides more value to both the World Championships and the select independent tournaments on the schedule leading to the WC.  The ultimate goal is to have each state represented in the WC by their best team and players.

Teams will experience the best competition from across the country from teams who have earned their way into the WC based on their on-field performance, operate under managed rosters, compete on top facilities, have "REAL-TIME" game times, more benefits via our national sponsors and more national recognition.  

Teams Qualifying for the World Championships:

Teams will qualify and be seeded in the World Championships based on their overall finish at the conclusion of the “SEASON”, which will end each March and begin in April – immediately following the WC. 

The World Championships will be based on a team’s “Total Point Accumulation and their Overall Record” at seasons end in “Adopted” or “Sanctioned” events. 

The MCFFU/USSSA and our sponsors and partners are responsible for all WC awards and prizes to the top finishers of the WC. 

NO ORGANIZATION OR INDEPENDENT TOURNAMENT DIRECTOR IS REQUIRED TO BE AFFILIATED WITH THE MCFFU/USSSA IN ANY WAY SHOULD THEIR TOURNAMENT BE SELECTED AS AN ADOPTED FOR POINTS - offering a paid bid is at the discretion of the hosting director.

1. Highest point totals from the Select NIT’s played as a team during the season comprise the World Championship Standings. These standings are used to determine the top 9-Man Eligible and 8-Man Eligible teams in the US, and qualify them for the Flag Football World Championships.
2. Points are based on the MCFFU/USSSA National Point Scale.
3. Points for the National Championship events are worth approximately 50% more. Those events are currently VA Beach (VA), Biloxi (MS) and Las Vegas (NV).
4. In the event of a tie between two or more teams with accumulated points, the following criteria will apply:
   • Records head-to-head during the season between the tied teams.
   • Overall winning percentage in NIT play.
   • Tournament wins
   • Coin flip (if necessary).

NOTE: All “ADOPTED”, non-sanctioned events are subject to being removed from the FFWC schedule at anytime by the MCFFU/USSSA.

FFWC Rosters:

Qualifying teams will be able to update their rosters with players from non-qualifying teams from within their respective state upon qualifying.  This will provide more quality to the games and everyone associated with the WC: (National sponsors, partners and competing teams).

All affiliated MCFFU/USSSA events will require an “official” on-line roster to be printed and presented in order for a team to participate.  Non-affiliated events will exercise their own in-house roster control; check with the tournament director. 

However, should a team qualify by participating in ONLY “Adopted” events, they must have their roster on-line via the USSSA prior to participating in the WC - NO EXCEPTIONS.

All rosters will be maintained on-line at the USSSA Official Web Site.  Once a teams’ roster has been posted, it can be updated at anytime leading up to an event.   

The On-line Team Roster will allow: 

• 24 hour access to update
• Players secured by teams for the WC early in the season
• Provide coaches with the ability to release a player
• Provide coaches with the ability to pick-up any non-roster player before the given deadline
• Teams to increase their roster limit based on their total point accumulation

The On-line Team Roster will NOT allow: 

• Players to be on multiple rosters
• Players on a (Pro) team roster to drop down to compete on a lesser level during national competition
• Teams to exceed the roster limit
• Last minute, non-registered pick-ups

Purpose for the New Format FFWC:

The purpose of this New Union Tournament Series is as follows:  

• Allow EVERYONE to be included into a single network WITHOUT having to forfeit over any funds, relinquish any authority or forgo identity of any involved.
• Eliminating market saturation by having too many “MAJOR” tournaments in any given area.
• Allow teams to clearly follow a tournament circuit without having to fully commit to any organization.
• Increase tournament numbers by supporting listed tournaments
• Prevention of organizations working against one another to attract teams.

ALL TOURNAMENTS WILL BE RESPECTED EQUALLY and each tournament will have the opportunity to take advantage of some of the national program the MCFFU/USSSA has to offer (contact the MCFFU for details “IF” interested in our programs – PROGRAMS ARE NOT MANDATORY, OPTIONAL ONLY and may only be utilized with sanctioned events). 

NOTE: All tournament bids, prizes, awards, etc are up to EACH individual tournament director and/or organization hosting the tournament in question; not the MCFFU/USSSA.   

What’s offered Through the FFWC Circuit: 

• TRUE National Rankings based on performance; updated immediately on-line
• National Power Rankings based on strength of schedule in tournament play
• Teams and Players select tournament schedule to be supported
• Roster Control System; preventing team jumping on the national circuit
• Equal Opportunity for ALL tournaments to be promoted
• Ability for each organization and/or tournament director to remain independent, while working in unison.
• The ability for all involved to take advantage of the programs developed by NIKE, Impact Sports, MCFFU and USSSA if they so choose.
• Diverse tournament experiences under multiple organizations
• Unifying organizations, tournament directors and tournaments to offer teams more WITHOUT any organization or Tournament Director having to commit.
• The selection of any credible tournament that is NOT conflicting with other major events regional to be added to the FFWC schedule.
• Lastly, a positive step in the right direction 

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