Sports league
Encyclopedia
League is a term commonly used to describe a group of sports team
s or individual athletes that compete
against each other in a specific sport
. At its simplest, it may be a local group of amateur
athletes who form teams among themselves and compete on weekends; at its most complex, it can be an international professional
league making large amounts of money and involving dozens of teams and thousands of players.
, or series
. This is especially common in individual sports, although the term "league" is sometimes used in amateur individual sports such as golf
.
The term "league" is also sometimes applied to competitions that would more traditionally be called tournaments, such as the UEFA Champions League
, which is organized with multiple small round-robin competitions followed by a single elimination tournament to choose an overall winner.
, as with the National Football Conference
and American Football Conference
in the National Football League
, or the Eastern and Western Conferences of the National Basketball Association
and National Hockey League
. The NFL's "AFC" was formed largely from the remnants of the American Football League
, though it also contains three original NFL teams and three expansion teams.
Baseball has a unique nomenclature, with "Major League Baseball
" the name of the overall grouping of 30 teams in two "major leagues," the American League
and the older National League
. These are titled leagues rather than conferences for several reasons. The National League predates the American by 25 years and was considered a "major" league in comparison to its early competitors, and in a sense it simply extended this recognition to the AL, the only league of similar financial clout. In addition, the leagues played no interlocking schedule of any kind until 1995, and then added only a small amount of interleague play
, with the main AL-NL competition occurring between their champions in the World Series
. Thus the two leagues played mostly separate competitions within the larger framework of MLB. Finally, until 2000, they were actually separate legal entities, unlike the conferences of other leagues. Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan has a similar history, with the Central League
and Pacific League
not originally founded together.
Due to this naming custom, it is common to use slightly different terms to discuss MLB. Where someone might refer to "the best quarterback
in the league" and be understood to mean the overall NFL, a similar mention of "the best outfielder
in the league" is almost always a reference to the American or National League, and "all of baseball" or similar is used to denote the larger status. Each of the major leagues also has its own set of awards to recognize the separation between the two, which means there are two MVPs, two Cy Young
winners, etc. And since its name is constructed differently--a description of the status of two leagues rather than the title of one--it is common to hear "MLB" without "the" attached to it, as in "the most home runs in MLB this year," since one would not say "the Major League Baseball."
In all four of the major North American sports, regardless of whether the subsets are called "league" or "conference," they each have their own subsets, all of which are called "divisions." These are geographically based, and teams play their divisional opponents more than any others, especially in the NFL and MLB.
In other parts of the world, and especially in association football, where promotion and relegation
is common, the term "league" may be used to refer both to a league system
, a group of leagues that are tied together in a hierarchical fashion by promotion and relegation, and to the individual leagues within the league system. For example, the Football League in England
and the Bundesliga
in Germany
are both association football league system
s.
A league championship may be contested in a number of ways. Each team may play every other team a certain number of times in a round-robin tournament
. Usually, teams play equal number of games or matches at their own stadium and at other teams', because home advantage is a major factor in many sports. When teams competing for a tournament championship do not play the same teams the same number of times, it is known as an unbalanced schedule.
In such a set-up, the team with the best record becomes champion, based on either a strict win-loss-tie system or on a points system where a certain number of points are awarded for a win, loss, or tie, while bonus points might also be added for teams meeting various criteria. Many leagues also use playoffs, where after teams compete in a regular season in a league format, the top teams (possibly determined by conference or division) advance to the playoffs. In some such leagues having the best regular season record is relatively unimportant, though top-seeded teams in some leagues, such as the NFL, can gain byes to later rounds of the playoffs, and teams finishing with the best records usually have the advantage of playing the weakest teams that have advanced to the playoffs.
, the main goal of the entrants is to win individual purses, and there is little or no ranking or competition outside of winning certain major races. A small amount of league organization may be imposed on these non-league sports by way of a series or tournament
tying several individual events together, such as the Triple Crown
.
Even in team sports that normally use a traditional league format, some teams often exist outside of any league; these teams are generally known as barnstorming
teams and either schedule games against local professional or amateur competition or bring their own competition, such as the barnstorming Harlem Globetrotters
did when they toured with the Washington Generals
. As with the Globetrotters, barnstorming teams sometimes emphasize spectacle over athletic competition.
In Europe, the term "cup competition" is used to describe single elimination or knock-out tournaments, where the pairing of teams in each round is determined by a "draw" (see for example, the FA Cup in England), to distinguish it from league competition, in which every club in the league or division plays the other teams a pre-determined number of times in a season, usually on a home and away basis.
Further, in England, the term non-league football
is used for historical reasons to describe association football teams that play in organized leagues, but not in the Football League or Premier League, the two highest levels of competition in that sport in that country.
Independent baseball
is used similarly in the United States to describe baseball
teams that play in leagues other than those sanctioned by Major League Baseball
. These teams do play in leagues and should not be confused with barnstorming teams that play truly non-league schedules.
, the rankings mean little and the major competition is to crown a champion in a title fight.
In other sports, the rankings and leaderboards gain importance when they are used in seed
ing tournaments. In some cases, as in NASCAR
or the PGA Tour
, points are assigned to individual competitions and the resulting points are used to determine a champion at the end of each season. While not usually referred to as "leagues," these season-long competitions with set events are very similar to league structures in team sports.
. This organization is still used in many team sports around the world.
One potential drawback of this simple double round-robin format is that the number of teams in the league determines the schedule. Larger leagues may not be able to play as many games as such a system would require, and smaller leagues may want more games. One solution is to play an unbalanced schedule, with some teams playing additional games against some other teams; this is the way Major League Soccer
has traditionally been scheduled, with the additional games being played against local rivals. Some leagues also break the league into subunits, often known as "divisions" and "conferences," each of which may itself play a balanced or unbalanced schedule.
Team
A team comprises a group of people or animals linked in a common purpose. Teams are especially appropriate for conducting tasks that are high in complexity and have many interdependent subtasks.A group in itself does not necessarily constitute a team...
s or individual athletes that compete
Tournament
A tournament is a competition involving a relatively large number of competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:...
against each other in a specific sport
Sport
A Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree...
. At its simplest, it may be a local group of amateur
Amateur sports
Amateur sports are sports in which participants engage largely or entirely without remuneration. Sporting amateurism was a zealously guarded ideal in the 19th century, especially among the upper classes, but faced steady erosion throughout the 20th century with the continuing growth of pro sports...
athletes who form teams among themselves and compete on weekends; at its most complex, it can be an international professional
Professional sports
Professional sports, as opposed to amateur sports, are sports in which athletes receive payment for their performance. Professional athleticism has come to the fore through a combination of developments. Mass media and increased leisure have brought larger audiences, so that sports organizations...
league making large amounts of money and involving dozens of teams and thousands of players.
Synonyms
In many cases, organizations that function as leagues are described using a different term, such as conference, leaderboardLeaderboard
Leaderboard is a series of golf simulation video games that was developed by Bruce and Roger Carver, and published by Access Software.-Summary:thumb|left|Teeing off on the first hole ....
, or series
Playoff format
There are several different Playoff formats used in various levels of competition in sports and games to determine an overall champion. Some of the most common are the single elimination, the best-of- series, the total points series, and the round-robin tournament.-Single elimination:A Single...
. This is especially common in individual sports, although the term "league" is sometimes used in amateur individual sports such as golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
.
The term "league" is also sometimes applied to competitions that would more traditionally be called tournaments, such as the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
, which is organized with multiple small round-robin competitions followed by a single elimination tournament to choose an overall winner.
Leagues and league systems
"League" and its synonyms may be used to encompass either a single competition or a related group of competitions. In the United States, leagues are often divided into subdivisions on historical or geographical lines. These may be referred to as conferences or divisionsDivision (sport)
In sports, a division is a group of teams who compete against each other for a championship.-League system:In sports using a league system , a division consists a group of teams who play a sport at a similar competitive level...
, as with the National Football Conference
National Football Conference
The National Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the American Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL.-Current teams:Since 2002, the NFC has comprised 16 teams,...
and American Football Conference
American Football Conference
The American Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the National Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL....
in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
, or the Eastern and Western Conferences of the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
and National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
. The NFL's "AFC" was formed largely from the remnants of the American Football League
American Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
, though it also contains three original NFL teams and three expansion teams.
Baseball has a unique nomenclature, with "Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
" the name of the overall grouping of 30 teams in two "major leagues," the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
and the older National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
. These are titled leagues rather than conferences for several reasons. The National League predates the American by 25 years and was considered a "major" league in comparison to its early competitors, and in a sense it simply extended this recognition to the AL, the only league of similar financial clout. In addition, the leagues played no interlocking schedule of any kind until 1995, and then added only a small amount of interleague play
Interleague play
Interleague play is the term used to describe regular season Major League Baseball games played between teams in different leagues, introduced in . Before the 1997 season, teams in the American League and National League did not meet during the regular season...
, with the main AL-NL competition occurring between their champions in the World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
. Thus the two leagues played mostly separate competitions within the larger framework of MLB. Finally, until 2000, they were actually separate legal entities, unlike the conferences of other leagues. Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan has a similar history, with the Central League
Central League
The or is one the two professional baseball leagues that constitute Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The winner of the league championship plays against the winner of the Pacific League in the annual Japan Series. It currently consists of six teams from around the country,The Central League...
and Pacific League
Pacific League
The or is one of the two professional baseball leagues constituting Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan. The winner of the league championship competes against the winner in the Central League for the annual Japan Series...
not originally founded together.
Due to this naming custom, it is common to use slightly different terms to discuss MLB. Where someone might refer to "the best quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
in the league" and be understood to mean the overall NFL, a similar mention of "the best outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
in the league" is almost always a reference to the American or National League, and "all of baseball" or similar is used to denote the larger status. Each of the major leagues also has its own set of awards to recognize the separation between the two, which means there are two MVPs, two Cy Young
Cy Young Award
The Cy Young Award is an honor given annually in baseball to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball , one each for the American League and National League . The award was first introduced in 1956 by Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick in honor of Hall of Fame pitcher Cy Young, who died in 1955...
winners, etc. And since its name is constructed differently--a description of the status of two leagues rather than the title of one--it is common to hear "MLB" without "the" attached to it, as in "the most home runs in MLB this year," since one would not say "the Major League Baseball."
In all four of the major North American sports, regardless of whether the subsets are called "league" or "conference," they each have their own subsets, all of which are called "divisions." These are geographically based, and teams play their divisional opponents more than any others, especially in the NFL and MLB.
In other parts of the world, and especially in association football, where promotion and relegation
Promotion and relegation
In many sports leagues around the world, promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season. Through it, teams are transferred between divisions based on their performance that season...
is common, the term "league" may be used to refer both to a league system
League system
A league system is a hierarchy of leagues in a sport, usually with a system of promotion and relegation between consecutive levels of the hierarchy. They are often called pyramids due to their tendency to split into an increasing number of regional divisions the further down the pyramid one descends...
, a group of leagues that are tied together in a hierarchical fashion by promotion and relegation, and to the individual leagues within the league system. For example, the Football League in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and the Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
are both association football league system
League system
A league system is a hierarchy of leagues in a sport, usually with a system of promotion and relegation between consecutive levels of the hierarchy. They are often called pyramids due to their tendency to split into an increasing number of regional divisions the further down the pyramid one descends...
s.
League organization
The common thread between all sports leagues is a structure that allows teams or individuals to compete against each other in a nonrandom order on a set schedule, usually called a "season," with the results of the individual competitions being used to name an overall champion.A league championship may be contested in a number of ways. Each team may play every other team a certain number of times in a round-robin tournament
Round-robin tournament
A round-robin tournament is a competition "in which each contestant meets all other contestants in turn".-Terminology:...
. Usually, teams play equal number of games or matches at their own stadium and at other teams', because home advantage is a major factor in many sports. When teams competing for a tournament championship do not play the same teams the same number of times, it is known as an unbalanced schedule.
In such a set-up, the team with the best record becomes champion, based on either a strict win-loss-tie system or on a points system where a certain number of points are awarded for a win, loss, or tie, while bonus points might also be added for teams meeting various criteria. Many leagues also use playoffs, where after teams compete in a regular season in a league format, the top teams (possibly determined by conference or division) advance to the playoffs. In some such leagues having the best regular season record is relatively unimportant, though top-seeded teams in some leagues, such as the NFL, can gain byes to later rounds of the playoffs, and teams finishing with the best records usually have the advantage of playing the weakest teams that have advanced to the playoffs.
Alternatives to traditional league organization
While round-robin and modified round-robin competitions are the most common form of league organization, there are a number of ways to organize a sporting competition, almost all of which may be described as a "league". Many sports organizations fall on a continuum between a total lack of organization, as in a pick-up game, and a formal league such as is common at the highest level of professional team sports.Non-league sports
The simplest form of competition is to allow teams to play each other whenever they see fit. In some sports, such as horse racingHorse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
, the main goal of the entrants is to win individual purses, and there is little or no ranking or competition outside of winning certain major races. A small amount of league organization may be imposed on these non-league sports by way of a series or tournament
Tournament
A tournament is a competition involving a relatively large number of competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:...
tying several individual events together, such as the Triple Crown
Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
The Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing consists of three races for three-year-old Thoroughbred horses. Winning all three of these Thoroughbred horse races is considered the greatest accomplishment of a Thoroughbred racehorse...
.
Even in team sports that normally use a traditional league format, some teams often exist outside of any league; these teams are generally known as barnstorming
Barnstorm (sports)
Barnstorming in athletics refers to sports teams or individuals that travel to various locations, usually small towns, to stage exhibition matches....
teams and either schedule games against local professional or amateur competition or bring their own competition, such as the barnstorming Harlem Globetrotters
Harlem Globetrotters
The Harlem Globetrotters are an exhibition basketball team that combines athleticism, theater and comedy. The executive offices for the team are currently in downtown Phoenix, Arizona; the team is owned by Shamrock Holdings, which oversees the various investments of the Roy E. Disney family.Over...
did when they toured with the Washington Generals
Washington Generals
The Washington Generals are an American exhibition basketball team, best known for their spectacular losing streak in exhibition games against the Harlem Globetrotters.-History:...
. As with the Globetrotters, barnstorming teams sometimes emphasize spectacle over athletic competition.
In Europe, the term "cup competition" is used to describe single elimination or knock-out tournaments, where the pairing of teams in each round is determined by a "draw" (see for example, the FA Cup in England), to distinguish it from league competition, in which every club in the league or division plays the other teams a pre-determined number of times in a season, usually on a home and away basis.
Further, in England, the term non-league football
Non-league football
Non-League football is football in England played at a level below that of the Premier League and The Football League. The term non-League was commonly used well before 1992 when the top football clubs in England all belonged to The Football League; all clubs who were not a part of The Football...
is used for historical reasons to describe association football teams that play in organized leagues, but not in the Football League or Premier League, the two highest levels of competition in that sport in that country.
Independent baseball
Independent baseball
Independent baseball leagues are professional baseball organizations located in the United States and Canada. They are not operated in conjunction with either a Major League Baseball team or an affiliated minor league team. Being independent allows teams to be located close to major-league teams...
is used similarly in the United States to describe baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
teams that play in leagues other than those sanctioned by Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
. These teams do play in leagues and should not be confused with barnstorming teams that play truly non-league schedules.
Rankings and leaderboards
Individual sports often use an alternative type of league organization where competitors are ranked against each other. In the simplest cases, such as boxingBoxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
, the rankings mean little and the major competition is to crown a champion in a title fight.
In other sports, the rankings and leaderboards gain importance when they are used in seed
Seed (sports)
A seed is a preliminary ranking that can be used in arranging a sports tournament. It is called a seed because of the analogy with plants where the seed might grow into a top rank at the end of that tournament, or might instead wither away...
ing tournaments. In some cases, as in NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
or the PGA Tour
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
, points are assigned to individual competitions and the resulting points are used to determine a champion at the end of each season. While not usually referred to as "leagues," these season-long competitions with set events are very similar to league structures in team sports.
Conferences and informal leagues
American college sports are traditionally organized into groups of teams known as "conferences." These conferences ordinarily keep league tables and crown champions within the conference, as other sports leagues do, but the individual school also schedule a certain number of "non-conference" games that are organized independently between two schools in different conferences, or between a conference team and a non-conference team. Also, national championships in some college sports are determined by a ranking or playoff system that is independent of the individual conferences.Round-robin sports leagues
Most major professional team sports play some form of round-robin schedule, where the goal is for each team to play a relatively balanced schedule with each other team in the league or in its league subdivision. Within this structure, there are a few significant differences between leagues, a few of which are set forth below.Single-table versus unbalanced schedule
The simplest way to organize a sports league, and still one of the most common, is in a double round-robin format where each team plays each other team twice, once at home and once away. This ensures that every team plays an equally difficult schedule and that no team has undue home field advantageHome Field Advantage
Home Field Advantage is a 2000 independent film starring Tony Award-winning actor Dan Fogler in the role of Charlie....
. This organization is still used in many team sports around the world.
One potential drawback of this simple double round-robin format is that the number of teams in the league determines the schedule. Larger leagues may not be able to play as many games as such a system would require, and smaller leagues may want more games. One solution is to play an unbalanced schedule, with some teams playing additional games against some other teams; this is the way Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
has traditionally been scheduled, with the additional games being played against local rivals. Some leagues also break the league into subunits, often known as "divisions" and "conferences," each of which may itself play a balanced or unbalanced schedule.
Cups, tournaments and playoffs
Many sports leagues also participate in a single-elimination tournament each year. In the United States, Mexico, and some other countries, these tournaments are commonly called "playoffs" and are played at the end of the season, with the teams qualifying for the playoffs based on their performance during the season. In Europe, "cup" competitions are more common, with all teams playing in a single-elimination tournament that takes place during and parallel with the regular season.See also
- League clubLeague clubLeague Club is a term used to refer to football clubs that are in one of the top professional leagues of a country. The club itself does not have to be professional and in some of the lower leagues of more minor footballing nations some clubs have become semi-professional in order to compete. The...
- League systemLeague systemA league system is a hierarchy of leagues in a sport, usually with a system of promotion and relegation between consecutive levels of the hierarchy. They are often called pyramids due to their tendency to split into an increasing number of regional divisions the further down the pyramid one descends...
- Promotion and relegationPromotion and relegationIn many sports leagues around the world, promotion and relegation is a process that takes place at the end of each season. Through it, teams are transferred between divisions based on their performance that season...
- Group tournaments
- Regulation of sportRegulation of sportThe regulation of sport is usually done by a regulatory agency for each sport, resulting in a core of relatively invariant, agreed rules. People responsible for leisure activities often seek recognition and respectability as sports by joining sports federations such as the International Olympic...
- List of professional sports leagues
- Professional sports league organizationProfessional sports league organizationProfessional sports leagues are organized in numerous ways. The two most significant types are a European model, characterised by a tiered structure using promotion and relegation to determine participation in a hierarchy of leagues or divisions and a North American model characterized by its use...
- Major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada
- List of college athletic conferences
- List of developmental and minor sports leagues
- List of high school sports conferences
- List of defunct sports leagues
- List of sports attendance figures
- List of attendance figures at domestic professional sports leagues
- Outline of sports#General sports concepts
Further reading
- Cain, Louis P. and Haddock, David D.; 2005; 'Similar Economic Histories, Different Industrial Structures: Transatlantic Contrasts in the Evolution of Professional Sports Leagues'; Journal of Economic History 65 (4); pp1116–1147