Federation of the Single Sun

by **The Single Sun** » Thu Nov 14, 2024 5:35 am

The Federation of the Single Sun is a multinational football association charged with overseeing the top levels of club football in Qusmo and Sanford.

Qusmo and Sanford both have history in football, particularly in club football, but neither country’s sporting infrastructure is strong enough to support an IFCF-caliber top-flight league on its own. As these two nations are close geographically - both being located in Pavola, within the region of Rushmore - representatives from major clubs in both nations decided to create a combined top flight. The Federation of the Single Sun aims to give new opportunities to domestic players, provide exposure to different styles and philosophies of football, improve competition and quality of play, allow clubs to experience IFCF football, and spread the benefits of IFCF revenues to clubs throughout the pyramid to create stronger, healthier football ecosystems from grassroots to elite professionals - and to ensure both countries share in all these benefits.

Qusmo and Sanford may be two very different nations in some ways, but at their heart, Qusmi’y and Sanfordans alike are united under a single sport, a single dream, and a single sky. Welcome to the Federation of the Single Sun.

by **The Single Sun** » Fri Nov 15, 2024 9:35 am

by **The Single Sun** » Fri Nov 15, 2024 12:37 pm

For its first season, the Federation of the Single Sun will oversee two senior leagues: the first-tier League of the Single Sun and the second-tier League of the Silver Moon. The Federation of the Single Sun will also have various degrees of oversight over Qusma cup, Sanfordan cup, super cup, Qusma third-tier, and youth competitions - the Cup of Qusmo, the Cup of Sanford, the Pavolan Super Cup, Pug Qusma, and the League of Emerging Galaxies, respectively - in coordination with the responsible single-nation governing bodies in Qusmo and Sanford. The Federation of the Single Sun also sponsors the Copa del Este, a semiregional competition for the best clubs in eastern Rushmore which did not qualify for the Confederación Rushmori de Fútbol Copa de Campeones.

Both leagues solely administered by the Federation of the Single Sun will feature eight Qusma clubs and four Sanfordan clubs, comprising twelve clubs total per league. Each league’s season will be broken into separate phases: the initial phase, the winter phase, the quad phase, and the playoff phase.

In the initial phase, each club will play every other club in the league twice - once at home and once away. This will result in twenty-two matches total per club, and clubs’ position in the table after the conclusion of the initial phase will be their initial ranking, which is relevant for seeding purposes for the remainder of the season.

In the winter phase, both leagues will take an extended break. This allows time for players to rest, and it affords a window for quad phase scheduling to be finalized, to allow enough time for both clubs and their fans to make logistical, travel, and ticket arrangements. It also allows clubs to participate in national cup competitions while their league is on break. Clubs in each nation participate in two separate cup competitions, each administered by their respective national associations. Fuzpon Qusma oversees the Cup of Qusmo, while the Sanford Soccer Association oversees the Cup of Sanford.

The Cup of Qusmo features forty Qusma clubs: eight from the League of the Single Sun, eight from the League of the Silver Moon, and twenty-four from Pug Qusma, which is a third-tier competition which does not include Sanfordan clubs and is not administered by the Federation of the Single Sun. The competition is an unseeded, single-elimination knockout competition with six rounds in total. The thirty-two clubs from the League of the Silver Moon and Pug Qusma enter in the first round, and the eight clubs from the League of the Single Sun enter two rounds later, in the octofinals. Each round is a single leg. All pairings and home assignments are random, except for the final, which is staged at Qusmo’s national stadium, Mastad Qusma.

The Cup of Sanford features eight Sanfordan clubs: four from the League of the Single Sun and four from the League of the Silver Moon. All clubs enter in the quarterfinals. The competition is a seeded, single-elimination knockout competition with three rounds in total. The defending Cup of Sanford champion is seeded first, followed by the remaining League of the Single Sun clubs, seeded by their initial ranking, and then followed by the remaining League of the Silver Moon clubs, also seeded by their initial ranking. Each round is staged over two legs, except the final, which is a single match hosted by the higher-seeded club. There is no reseeding, but the higher-seeded club hosts the second leg of each quarterfinal and semifinal fixture.

In the quad phase, each league will be divided into three quads of four clubs each: the Qusma championship quad, the Qusma relegation quad, and the Sanfordan quad. The top four Qusma clubs in the initial rankings will play in the Qusma championship quad. The bottom four Qusma clubs in the initial rankings will play in the Qusma relegation quad. All four Sanfordan clubs will play in the Sanfordan quad. Each club will play every other club in its quad twice in the quad phase - once at home and once away. This will result in six matches total per club.

Each league’s final table will be determined by combining clubs’ results from both the initial and quad phases, for a total of twenty-eight matches. No club which played in the Qusma relegation quad can be ranked above any club which played in the Qusma championship quad. Aside from this exception, clubs will be placed on the final table according to their points, then head-to-head points, then head-to-head goal difference, then overall goal difference, then overall goals scored, then overall wins, taking all league matches into account at an equal weight from both the initial and quad phases. If any ties remain, they will be broken by clubs’ initial ranking. The club which finishes the season atop the final table of the League of the Single Sun will be awarded the Federation Shield.

In the playoff phase, the season concludes. First, the champions of the Cup of Qusmo and the Cup of Sanford contest the Pavolan Super Cup. Next, some League of the Single Sun and League of the Silver Moon clubs participate in promotion and relegation playoffs, while other League of the Single Sun clubs participate in national championships. Finally, matches will be played to decide the champions of each league and of the Federation of the Single Sun as a whole.

The Pavolan Super Cup is contested by the champions of the Cup of Qusmo and the Cup of Sanford. It is a single-match competition hosted at a neutral site selected before the season begins. The Pavolan Super Cup may be hosted outside Qusmo or Sanford, both to provide a more truly neutral venue and to help promote Qusma and Sanfordan football, and some of their biggest clubs, to international audiences.

The Sanfordan Playoff is contested by the fourth-ranked Sanfordan club in the League of the Single Sun final table and the top-ranked Sanfordan club in the League of the Silver Moon final table, hosted by the League of the Single Sun club. The League of the Single Sun Relegation Playoff is contested by the seventh- and eighth-ranked Qusma clubs in the League of the Single Sun, hosted by the higher-ranked club. In both these playoffs, the winner will play in the League of the Single Sun the following season, while the loser will play in the League of the Silver Moon.

The League of the Silver Moon Relegation Playoff is contested by the seventh-ranked Qusma club in the League of the Silver Moon final table and the winner of the Pug Qusma Playoffs, hosted by the League of the Silver Moon club. The winner will play in the League of the Silver Moon the following season, while the loser will play in Pug Qusma. The League of the Silver Moon IFCF Playoff is contested by the second-ranked Qusma and second-ranked Sanfordan clubs in the League of the Silver Moon final table, hosted by the higher-ranked club.

The Qusma National Championship is contested by the top-ranked and second-ranked Qusma clubs in the League of the Single Sun final table, hosted by the higher-ranked club. Similarly, the Sanfordan National Championship is contested by the top-ranked and second-ranked Sanfordan clubs in the League of the Single Sun final table, hosted by the higher-ranked club. The winners of each of these matches will be named the national champions of Qusmo and Sanford, respectively.

The League of the Silver Moon Championship will be contested by the top-ranked Qusma and top-ranked Sanfordan club in the League of the Silver Moon final table. The League of the Single Sun Grand Championship will be contested by the champions of the Qusma National Championship and the Sanfordan National Championship. Both league championships will be hosted by the higher-ranked club. The winner of each match will be named champions of their league. The winner of the League of the Single Sun Grand Championship will additionally be named grand champions of the Federation of the Single Sun.

The Federation of the Single Sun sets squad restrictions for the League of the Single Sun and the League of the Silver Moon only. Squad restrictions in all other competitions are governed by their respective primary governing bodies. In both the League of the Single Sun and the League of the Silver Moon, rosters must be composed of at least twenty-five and at most thirty players, including at least two goalkeepers and at least eleven U21 players. At most six foreign nationals are allowed. This includes three non-Rushmori players, four non-Pavolan players, and five players who are neither Qusma nor Sanfordan nationals. In the event a player holds multiple nationalities, only their most favorable nationality will be considered for the purposes of the foreign player cap.

One Qusma club will be promoted and one Qusma club will be relegated between the League of the Single Sun and the League of the Silver Moon. One or two Qusma clubs will be promoted and one or two Qusma clubs will be relegated between the League of the Silver Moon and Pug Qusma. At most one Sanfordan club may be promoted and at most one Sanfordan club may be relegated between the League of the Single Sun and the League of the Silver Moon. No Sanfordan clubs may be relegated from the League of the Silver Moon.

The loser of the League of the Single Sun Relegation Playoff will be relegated to the League of the Silver Moon. Additionally, the loser of the Sanfordan Playoff will either be relegated to or remain in the League of the Silver Moon.

The top-ranked Qusma club in the League of the Silver Moon final table will be promoted to the League of the Single Sun. Additionally, the winner of the Sanfordan Playoff will either be promoted to or remain in the League of the Single Sun.

The eighth-ranked Qusma club in the League of the Silver Moon final table will be relegated to Pug Qusma. Additionally, the loser of the League of the Silver Moon Relegation Playoff will either be relegated to or remain in Pug Qusma.

The top-ranked club in the Pug Qusma final table will be promoted to the League of the Silver Moon. Additionally, the winner of the League of the Silver Moon Playoff will either be promoted to or remain in the League of the Silver Moon.

Pug Qusma is Qusmo’s third-tier league, with promotion to and relegation from the League of the Silver Moon. It is the top league based entirely in Qusmo, and it is administered primarily by Fuzpon Qusma, but it is affiliated with the Federation of the Single Sun. It will feature twenty-four clubs in total. Each club will play every other club in the league once, resulting in twenty-three matches total per club. The champions of Pug Qusma will be promoted to the League of the Silver Moon the following season.

The second- through fifth-ranked clubs in Pug Qusma will participate in the Pug Qusma Playoffs. The second-ranked club will host the fifth-ranked club and the third-ranked club will host the fourth-ranked club in the Pug Qusma Playoff Semifinals, and the higher-ranked semifinal winner will host the lower-ranked semifinal winner in the Pug Qusma Playoff Final. The second round winner will advance to the League of the Silver Moon Relegation Playoff against the seventh-ranked Qusma club in the League of the Silver Moon. The winner will play in the League of the Silver Moon the following season, while the loser will play in Pug Qusma.

No single youth football league is the sole league encompassing the whole of Qusmo, Sanford, or the Federation of the Single Sun. Instead, youth teams in Qusmo and Sanford play in one of several subnational leagues within their own nation, and the best-performing teams participate in playoffs to determine the champions of their league, their nation, and the Federation of the Single Sun.

Qusma youth football has traditionally been based upon the youth academies of professional clubs, while Sanfordan youth football has traditionally been based upon high school teams unaffiliated with professional clubs. Both nations’ own unique models remain in place, and local and national championships remain paramount, which reduces travel times, travel costs, and other burdens for clubs and young players alike. At the same time, the Federation of the Single Sun helps coordinate with national authorities to ensure young players in both nations can compete in a single, unified, and fair championship. Principal among those rules is the fact that players must be nineteen or younger at the beginning of any given season, whether playing in a Qusma youth academy or a Sanfordan high school team.

Fuzpon Qusma Pugy Juzuna are a collection of four youth leagues: Pug Jzeca, Pug Refora, Pug Serana, and Pug Tumata. Each league features ten teams, and team membership is assigned on the basis of geography. No league is higher or lower than another, and there is no promotion or relegation between leagues. Each team is a U19 affiliate of a Qusma club playing in the League of the Single Sun, the League of the Silver Moon, or Pug Qusma. Each team will play every other team in its league twice - once at home and once away - resulting in eighteen matches per team. The three top-ranked teams in each league will qualify for Puk Juzuna. The top-ranked team in each league will qualify automatically for the Puk Juzuna Quarterfinals.

Within each league, the second-ranked team will host the third-ranked team in the Puk Juzuna First Round. The top-ranked team will host the first-round winner in the Puk Juzuna Quarterfinals. Each Puk Juzuna Quarterfinal winner will be named champions of their Pug Juzuna. The champions of Pug Jzeca and Pug Tumata will contest one Puk Juzuna Semifinal, hosted at Mastad Trewa in Trosoc, and the champions of Pug Refora and Pug Serana will contest the other Puk Juzuna Semifinal, hosted at Mastad uni·q in Atlem. The Puk Juzuna Final will be contested by the two semifinal winners and hosted at Mastad Qusma in Qanz. The winners of the Puk Juzuna Final will be named U19 champions of Qusmo.

Sanford High School Interscholastic Activities and Athletics Association Soccer is a collection of ninety-four high school football teams, divided into six classes and fourteen conferences. Each team is affiliated with a public or private high school and is composed of players from its student body. No high school team is directly affiliated with a professional club, nor are any high school players permitted to sign a contract with or play for any professional club.

Every class except Class B is divided into two conferences, which each feature seven teams, for a total of fourteen teams per class. Class B is divided into four conferences, which each feature six teams, for a total of twenty-four Class B teams. Classes are assigned on the basis of school enrollment, and conferences are assigned on the basis of geography. The Metro and Sanfordan Conferences are in the Open Class. The Southeastern and North-Central Conferences are in Class AAAA. The Eastern and Western Conferences are in Class AAA. The Northern and Southern Conferences are in Class AA. The Highway and Inland Conferences are in Class A. The Central, Riverfront, Northwestern, and Northeastern Conferences are in Class B.

With the exception of Class B, each team will play every other team in its conference twice - once at home and once away - resulting in twelve matches per team. The six top-ranked teams in each conference will qualify for their Class Playoffs. The two top-ranked teams in each conference will qualify for their Conference Semifinals. Within each conference, the third-ranked team will host the sixth-ranked team and the fourth-ranked team will host the fifth-ranked team in the Conference Wild Card Round. Then, the top-ranked team will host the fourth- or fifth-seeded wild-card winner and the second-ranked team will host the third- or sixth-seeded wild-card winner in the Conference Semifinals.

Each Conference Championship will be hosted at a designated neutral site. The Metro and Southern Conference Championships will be hosted at Overland Stadium in Sanford Falls. The Sanfordan and Northern Conference Championships will be hosted at the Checkerboard in Derry. The Southeastern and Highway Conference Championships will be hosted at Young Field in Sanford Falls. The North-Central and Eastern Conference Championships will be hosted at Lowe Green in Mundt. The Western and Inland Conference Championships will be hosted at Citizens Bank Field in Granite City.

The winners of each Conference Championship will be named champions of their conference. Each Class Championship will be contested by the champions of that class’s two conferences, and each match will be hosted at the ValleyDome in Red Stream. The winners of each Class Championship will be named national champions of their class.

Due to the differing numbers of teams and conferences in Class B, its playoffs are conducted differently. In Class B, each team will play every other team in its conference twice - once at home and once away - resulting in ten matches per team. The four top-ranked teams in each conference will qualify for their Class Playoffs.

Within each conference, the top-ranked team will host the fourth-ranked team and the second-ranked team will host the third-ranked team in the Conference Semifinals, and the Conference Championship will be hosted at a designated neutral site. The winners of the Conference Championship will be named champions of their conference. The Central and Riverfront Conference Championships will be hosted at Riverside Park in Lewiston. The Northwestern and Northeastern Conference Championships will be hosted at Discovery Archeodome in McGovern.

The winners of the Central and Riverfront Conferences will contest one Class B Semifinal, and the winners of the Northwestern and Northeastern Conferences will contest the other Class B Semifinal. The two semifinal winners will contest the Class Championship. The Class B Semifinals and Class B Championship will be hosted at the ValleyDome in Red Stream. The winners of the Class B Championship will be named Class B national champions.

The Federation of the Single Sun jointly oversees the League of Emerging Galaxies, a joint Qusma-Sanfordan youth championship, with Fuzpon Qusma and the Sanford High School Interscholastic Activities and Athletics Association. The League of Emerging Galaxies is a twenty-four-team single-elimination playoff tournament based on teams’ performances in their subregional youth leagues: Fuzpon Qusma Pugy Juzuna and Sanford High School Interscholastic Activities and Athletics Association Soccer, respectively.

Twelve teams from Qusmo and twelve teams from Sanford are eligible to participate: three each from Pug Jzeca, Pug Refora, Pug Serana, and Pug Tumata in Qusmo, and six each from the Metro Conference and Sanfordan Conference in Sanford. Puk Juzuna and the Sanford High School Interscholastic Activities and Athletics Association Soccer Open Class Playoffs each double as portions of the League of Emerging Galaxies. The League of Emerging Galaxies First Round is also referred to as the Puk Juzuna First Round and Conference Wild Card Round. The League of Emerging Galaxies Round of Sixteen is also the Puk Juzuna Quarterfinals and Conference Semifinals. The League of Emerging Galaxies Quarterfinals is also the Puk Juzuna Semifinals and the Conference Championships. The League of Emerging Galaxies Semifinals is also the Puk Juzuna Final and the Sanford High School Interscholastic Activities and Athletics Association Soccer Open Class Championship.

Puk Juzuna and the Sanford High School Interscholastic Activities and Athletics Association Soccer Open Class Playoffs have symmetrical tournament structures. Both competitions are four-round, twelve-team, single-elimination knockout tournaments, where brackets are fixed, no reseeding occurs, the higher seed hosts matches in the first two rounds, and the final two rounds are hosted at neutral sites.

The League of Emerging Galaxies Final will be contested by the Puk Juzuna champions and the Sanford High School Interscholastic Activities and Athletics Association Soccer Open Class national champions. The match will be hosted at a neutral site in Qusmo or Sanford. The location of the League of Emerging Galaxies Final will alternate between Qusmo and Sanford each season. The winners of the League of Emerging Galaxies will be named the youth champions of the Federation of the Single Sun.

Qusma and Sanfordan clubs will be eligible for international competitions through the Federation of the Single Sun. The Federation of the Single Sun will award entries in the following tournaments to its clubs on the basis of merit: the IFCF Champions League, IFCF Challengers Cup, CRF Copa de Campeones, FSS Copa del Este, IFCF Liga B Champions Trophy, and IFCF Rising Stars Cup.

The Federation of the Single Sun’s IFCF Champions League and IFCF Challengers Cup places will be awarded in the following priority order: Federation of the Single Sun grand champions, then national champions (Grand Championship runner-up), then Federation Shield champions, then Pavolan Super Cup champions, then cup champions (Pavolan Super Cup runners-up), if necessary. Anywhere from two to five spots, including at least one club from each of Qusmo and Sanford, may be filled in this way by prioritizing IFCF places for champions. If five independent clubs won these championships and the Federation of the Single Sun is entitled to only four entries in the IFCF Champions League and IFCF Challengers Cup, the cup champion which did not win the Pavolan Super Cup will not participate in either of these competitions. If additional IFCF Champions League or IFCF Challengers Cup places remain unfilled, they will be awarded in the order of League of the Single Sun final table. As such, at least one club from each nation will participate in either the IFCF Champions League or IFCF Challengers Cup.

The Federation of the Single Sun’s CRF Copa de Campeones place will be awarded to the Federation of the Single Sun grand champions. Its FSS Copa del Este places will be awarded to its two cup champions. Should one cup champion also be named grand champions of the Federation of the Single Sun, their place in the FSS Copa del Este will instead be awarded to the runners-up of their national cup. As such, one club from each nation will participate in the FSS Copa del Este.

The Federation of the Single Sun’s IFCF Liga B Champions Trophy places will be awarded in the following priority order: League of the Silver Moon champions, then the League of the Silver Moon Championship runners-up, then the IFCF Playoff winners. If one or two of these clubs are entitled to play in the IFCF Champions League or IFCF Challengers Cup due to winning their national cup, they would be replaced by the IFCF Playoff runners-up, then the next-highest club in the League of the Silver Moon final table, if necessary. As such, at least one club from each nation will participate in the IFCF Liga B Champions Trophy.

The Federation of the Single Sun’s IFCF Rising Stars Cup place will be awarded to the League of Emerging Galaxies champions. Should a Qusma club qualify for the IFCF Champions League group stage, its associated IFCF Rising Stars Cup entry will be taken by its youth affiliate. Should a Sanfordan club qualify for the IFCF Champions League group stage, it may designate a high school team affiliated with the Sanford High School Interscholastic Activities and Athletics Association to take its associated IFCF Rising Stars Cup entry.

by **The Single Sun** » Fri Nov 15, 2024 12:39 pm