Shaelic Football Championship

Shaelic Football Championship
Aviatau Sobrilécara

Current season, competition or edition: 2019 AVSO season
Sport	Shaelic football
Founded	February 3, 1972, Visis, Tiorpa
Commissioner	Ibro Kaðira
Motto	tbd Shaelic translation
Inaugural season	1972
No. of teams	16
Country	Shaelia
Most recent champion(s)	tbd (xxth title)
TV partner(s)	STV KH-1 Network 15 NALO
Official website	avso.sh

The Shaelic Football Championship (Shaelic: Aviatau Sobrilécara), almost universally known as AVSO, is the world's only professional Shaelic football league. It is comprised of 16 professionally-run teams from around the country, each located in a major city or urban area. AVSO is the highest level of competition in Shaelic football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American and Canadian football. Through the AVSO Council (Camiša Sobrilécara, called CASO), AVSO also serves as the sport's governing body, and is responsible for controlling the development of the game, including rules and regulations for the sport. AVSO is the most popular major sports league in the country, ahead of ice hockey's AVILU, association football's GANILIGA, and baseball's JINZX.

Shaelic football is also played at developmental level such as the National Shaelic Football Development League and Western Shaelic Football Development League, at the semi-professional/senior level such as the Senior Level Shaelic Football Association (ZÉRASO), at the scholastic level such as University Sport Association and Scholastic Shaelic Football Organization, and at an assortment of recreational leagues and tournaments.

History

Main article: History of Shaelic football

The Shaelic Football Championship (AVSO) formed on February 16, 1972, shortly after the conclusion of the 1971 sobriléca season, when eight of the largest, most prestigious teams in the country broke away from the 40-year old Jeða Baeobiae (regional league system) to form a new fully professional nationwide league. This new national league was owned by the individual teams through the holding company Aviatau Sobrilécara KLT, known as AVSO (SFC). Each team paid š10 million to AVSO to join the league. As a result of these defections, the regional system was thrown into chaos and it desperately tried to reconstitute itself throughout the mid-to-late 70s. Teams folded, changed leagues, and adjusted as best they could to the breakaway fallout.

AVSO Expansions

Since AVSO's inception, there have been four, two-team expansions, bringing the league to its present day total of 16 teams.

Year	Teams
1979	Kira Sibérayam, Zékiezu Laeurlaurum
1987	Arsaebia SFC, Puesa Suriyim
1993	Būora Sianaram, Dæšu Artéteram
2001	Lupaða Astebrelaram, Niti Gédcoheram

All the expansion teams were newly-formed organizations, much like modern sports franchises, and having no history in the Jeða Baeobiae. This was part of the agreement reached with the regional league system that AVSO would not poach any more existing teams.

Ilaes Atzavégzi, a lawyer from Visbadina, was appointed by the team owners as the first AVSO Commissioner on February 19, 1972.

List of Commissioners

Five people have served as AVSO Commissioner since the league's founding in 1972.

1. Ilaes Atzavégzi (1972-1983)
2. ... (1984-1986)
3. ... (1986-1999)
4. ... (2001-2015)
5. Ibro Kaðira (2016 - present)

Corporate structure

League Organization

National Media

All national media deals (print, broadcast, radio, etc.) are negotiated by AVSO on behalf of the member clubs.

All member clubs share equally in any such revenue streams

Local Media

Member clubs can negotiate their own local media deals

Digital Delivery Platform

League-wide digital delivery deals are negotiated through AVSO.

Member clubs can freely establish and monetize their own networks and digital delivery platforms, provided any agreement doesn't infringe upon existing league-negotiated deals

All such deals are subject to AVSO review before becoming binding

Roster rules for Senior Level Shaeilc Football Association

• All players must be 18 years or older by the time of the upcoming season's first preseason scrimmage
• Any player who signs a professional contract will lose their eligibility to play in DONAZ (university football)
• Roster Restrictions

1. Three players on roster from other designated regions
2. Ten players on roster from foreign countries (USA, Canada, etc.)

Season format

The official league season runs from May (drafts) though January (Play-offs, Shaelia Bowl). Each season, the league's 14 owners attend an annual meeting generally held in mid- to late-February in Bimi, Vesica. Likewise, the players' union meet at least once, usually in March or April. Then, in either late April or early May, the league and player representatives will hold at least one joint meeting around the middle of May.

Training camp

There are two separate training camps:

• Rookie Camp (Shaelic: Drea Fežaiešuru)
• Training Camp (Shaelic: Drea Arlara)

Rookie Camp

• Attended only by recently drafted players and/or undrafted players signed to a camp tryout contract
• No more than 24 drafted players and invitees
• Opens the first week of July
• Two week camp designed to assimilate new players into the league

Training Camp

• Opens third week of July each year
• All signed players and those free agents signed to camp tryouts

Shaelia Bowl

Main article: Shaelia Bowl

Known domestically as Bola Šaeleniri.

Teams

Western Quad

Eastern Division

Western Division

Players and compensation

Salary cap

As of 2020, the AVSO wage cap was approximately š34.5 million ($33.1 million USD) with an average player salary of š667,637 ($641,270 USD). The AVSO wage floor was approximately š31.05 million ($29.8 million USD), 90% of the wage cap.

Roster size and rules

Size

AVSO team rosters are organized into three administrative levels:

• a 44-player active game roster (all uniformed players on the field on game days)
• a 49-player team roster (active game roster + the injured reserve)
• a 56-player organization roster (team roster + practice squad)

Requirements

A team's roster must be comprised of a minimum of 30 native Shaelia-born players on active roster. No more than 14 "imports" (USA, Canada, etc.) may be on the active roster. No imports are allowed on practice roster. No more than five "imports" may be on the field at the same time.

Practice squad

Up to seven players may be placed on a team's practice roster. Each player on this squad earn š3,000 for every league week they are on the roster. This provides as maximum of š57,000 annually (19 weeks). Any team may sign a player from another team's practice roster. The team who currently owns the player's rights has the option to either sign player to the active roster (matching or exceeding the offer from the other team) or let him sign with the other team. If they release him, he must be assigned to the active roster of the signing team for the remainder of the season.

Injured reserve

Up to five players may be assigned to the injured reserve. There are three injured reserve designations that may be assigned to a player:

• Two-Game – player is eligible to return after two games
• Eight-Game – also known as a Half-season assignment. The player is eligible to return after eight games.
• Season – the player is ineligible for the remainder of the season
  • Concussions are automatically either an Eight-Game or Season assignment
  • All Two-Game assignments must be reviewed by the league office

Draft

• Teams ordered 1st-16th from worst finish to Shaelia Bowl Champion
• Only players between the ages of 21-26 are eligible for the draft
  • All players in the Senior Level Shaelic Football Association aged 21-26 are eligible for the draft
  • Special waiver exemption for a particularly talented player aged 20 is available from the league (rare to receive exemption)
  • Special waiver exemption available for players between the ages of 27-32, who have acquired "sponsorship" from a drafting team (each AVSO team can "sponsor" up to two players per year)
• Teams may trade cash for draft picks (must be reviewed and approved by league office)
• Teams may trade draft picks freely (to and from either draft)
• Players who are 21 or under on the day they were drafted have the option to return to their university team for one more season

Import draft

All eligible foreign players (mostly players from USA and Canada). Any player who is eligible for the NFL or CFL draft is eligible for the SFC Import Draft, regardless of nationality.

• Consists of three rounds
• Serpentine order (1st-16th, 16th-1st, 1st-16th)
• Held on the first Saturday of May each year
• Players who are signed to either an NFL or CFL team are not eligible to be drafted
• Rights to negotiate with a drafted player are retained for three years

National draft

• Shaelia native players only
• Consists of five rounds
• Fixed draft order (1st-16th each round)
• Held on the second Saturday of May each year
• Rights to negotiate with a draft player aged 20 or 21 retained for two years