IFF Event Schedule Proposal

European Floorball International League (EFIL) - New Competition Structure

Negatives of Current Proposal

  • Bottom ranked or new members only get an official event every 4 years
  • Top 12 teams are as good as locked into a perpetual cycle of qualification directly to major events without any effort
  • Bottom 13 teams will have extremely few opportunities to play against higher ranked (8-12) for a very long time. Skill gap from 12 to 13 will widen
  • System does not scale well - new members will be added to European challenge which at some point will be too large for the members in that category to host resulting in likely limitations on number of teams qualifying to that event.
  • Hosting of new European Challenge may be an issue since most usual hosts are within top 12 and event is quite large (12 teams+).
IMAGE SUGGESTION 1: Current System Flow Diagram

Show a timeline/flowchart illustrating:
• Top 12 teams in a closed loop (EC → WFC → EC)
• Bottom 13+ teams isolated, only playing every 4 years
• Large gap between rank 12 and 13
• Arrows showing limited upward mobility
• Use red/orange colors to indicate problems

New Proposal

  • Ensures there is an official IFF event every 2 years minimum
  • Introduces transparent ranking system which enforces spots in European Championship / World Championship have to be earned with results
  • Makes it theoretically possible for bottom 13 teams to climb up ranking ladder and playing tougher opponents given from proven results
  • Creates smaller IFF events that can be handled by any members that register to the competition. Being able to host should be a requirement to register.
  • Opens up for new members to prove themselves either in European Challenge which should be open for any team if there are spots free and hosts can manage. If unproven members or members that are not ready for the next step show good results it may act as a carrot to improve organisation to enable them to qualify for the EC or WFC
IMAGE SUGGESTION 2: New System Flow Diagram

Show a dynamic ladder/pyramid structure:
• Multiple tiers (Groups A, B, C, D) with promotion/relegation arrows
• EFIL rounds every 2 years (Feb/May)
• Teams moving up/down based on performance
• EC/WFC qualification paths from rankings
• Use green/blue colors to show positive flow
• Include visual representation of "earn your spot" concept
Teams 1-12 qualify to EC
Teams 13+ qualify to Challenge
Promotion/Relegation every round

European Floorball International League (EFIL)

Every two years either on February or May International weekend a round of games are played.

Members have to meet organisation's requirements to organise a 4 team event which may take four training + competition games to be eligible to register to the event. As well have to accept terms on own responsibility towards LOC (see section x).

Group Structure

Registered members are divided into groups based on their current European Floorball Ranking. Groups of four are created as long as there are enough members, if a group becomes less than three one member from group above is moved to create two groups of three.

Examples:
  • 8 Registered Members: 2 groups of 4
  • 9 Registered Members: 3 groups of 3
  • 10 Registered Members: 1 group of 4, 2 groups of 3
  • 11 Registered Members: 2 groups of 4, 1 group of 3
  • 12+ Registered Members: Multiple groups following the same pattern
IMAGE SUGGESTION 3: Group Structure Visualization

Show examples of group formations:
• Visual representation of 8, 9, 10, 11 member scenarios
• Boxes/circles representing groups
• Numbers showing group sizes
• Arrows showing promotion (↑) and relegation (↓)
• Color coding by ranking tier

Promotion and Relegation

Each round is considered a European Floorball Ranking round. For each group, the first place team is promoted to the league above and the last place team is demoted down one.

Examples:
  • A team ranked 1-4 places last → now ranked 5
  • A team ranked 5-6 places first → now ranked 4
  • A team ranked 5-6 places last → now ranked 7

Points system/tie breakers for each round for each group will follow current rules used in WFCQ.

Qualification to Major Events

On a year preceding the European Floorball Championship and European Challenge, participants in each event are decided based on ranking from last ranking round.

  • Team 1-12: Qualifies directly to the European Championship
  • Team 13+: Qualifies directly to the European Challenge
  • New members: May sign up for the European Challenge given that hosts can handle the extra member. European Floorball league members have priority.

European Floorball Championship and Challenge are considered European Floorball Ranking rounds.

In every cycle, a team in each category can advance or drop multiple spots depending on performance, placing them in a higher or lower group in the European Floorball Leagues next round.

IMAGE SUGGESTION 4: Ranking Ladder with Promotion/Relegation

Show a dynamic ranking ladder:
• Vertical ladder with positions 1-25+
• Color zones: Top 12 (EC qualification), 13+ (Challenge qualification)
• Arrows showing movement up/down
• Multiple cycles showing how teams can climb/fall
• Highlight examples of teams moving multiple positions
• Include timeline showing "every 2 years" frequency
Top 12: Direct EC Qualification
13+: Challenge Qualification

Examples: Old vs New System

Example 1: Low Ranked Team (Underperforming)

I'm a low ranked European team and I do not perform well

In Old System:

2029 Participate in European Challenge, place 6th or lower
2033 Participate in European Challenge, place 6th or lower

Result: An underperforming low ranked European team will only get a chance to play an official IFF event that has an effect on their ranking every 4 years.

In New System:

2029 Participate in European Floorball League against appropriate opponents, place last. Organisation and players gain experience.
2030 Participate in European Challenge against appropriate opponents but also get to experience tougher opponents, place last.
2031 Participate in European Floorball League again. Do not have to wait four years for the next chance.
IMAGE SUGGESTION 5: Timeline Comparison - Low Ranked Team

Side-by-side comparison:
• Left: Old system (sparse events every 4 years)
• Right: New system (regular events every 2 years)
• Timeline from 2029-2033
• Show event frequency difference
• Highlight "experience gained" in new system
Example 2: Fast Growing Low Ranked Team

I'm a low ranked European team with an up and coming generational shift with highly motivated and talented players

In Old System:

2029 Participate in European Challenge with young team (19-20), place 6th or lower
2033 Participate in European Challenge with improved team, easily place 1-5 (given 4-year wait didn't impact development)
2035 Participate in World Trophy, gain experience, do not qualify for World Championship
2037 Participate in European Challenge, place 1-5
2039 Participate in World Trophy, qualify for World Cup
2040 Participate in World Floorball Championship, meet top 12 nations for first time. Players now 30-31.

In New System:

2029 Participate in European Floorball League, advance to next level
2030 Participate in European Challenge, perform well, advance further
2031 Participate in European Floorball League, advance another level
2033 Participate in European Floorball League, play top 16 nations, advance to European Championship
2034 Participate in European Championship, gain experience. Players now 25-26.
2035 Participate in European Floorball League, maintain top 12 spot. Participate in World Trophy, qualify for WFC
2036 Participate in World Floorball Championship, perform better
2037 Participate in European Floorball Challenge, maintain spot, qualify for EC
2038 Participate in European Championship, qualify directly to WFC
2040 Participate in World Floorball Championship. Players at peak (30-31), place top 8 in the world.

Result: A team with new generation talent gains higher level experience four years earlier, increasing chances of becoming European or World Champion during their playing career.

IMAGE SUGGESTION 6: Career Progression Comparison

Show player career arc:
• X-axis: Years (2029-2040)
• Y-axis: Competition level (Local → Challenge → EC → WFC)
• Two lines: Old system (slow, delayed) vs New system (accelerated)
• Highlight key milestones
• Show age progression (19-20 → 30-31)
• Emphasize "4 years earlier" advantage
Example 3: Declining Association

I am a top 8 ranked team in Europe. Our team is aging and our youth program is non-existent or on the decline.

Old System:

2030 Participate in European Championship, place top 11, qualify directly to WFC
2032 Participate in World Championship, aging team keeps us in top 12
2034 Participate in European Championship, aging team keeps us in top 11
2036 Participate in World Championship, old players retired, young inexperienced team places below top 12
2037 Participate in European Challenge, young players gain experience for first time in 7 years

New System:

2030 Participate in European Championship, place top 11, qualify directly to WFC
2031 Participate in European Floorball League, aging team shows instability, demote to lower league (13-16)
2032 Participate in World Championship, aging team keeps us in top 12
2033 Participate in European Floorball League, drop to 17-20 league, do not qualify for EC
2034 Participate in European Challenge, young players play appropriate opponents. Took 4 years to reach appropriate level.

Result: The new system places teams faster at an appropriate level based on their team's performance.

IMAGE SUGGESTION 7: Ranking Decline Comparison

Show ranking trajectory:
• Y-axis: Ranking position (1-25)
• X-axis: Years (2030-2037)
• Old system: Gradual decline, sudden drop, delayed adjustment
• New system: Faster recognition of decline, quicker adjustment
• Highlight "appropriate level" concept
• Show how new system prevents skill gap issues
Example 4: Unlucky Top Nation

I am a top ranked top four nation with an extreme stroke of bad luck

Current System:

2030 Participate in European Championship, everybody gets sick/injured, place 12th
2031 Participate in World Trophy, everybody gets sick/injured, place last of European teams
2033 Participate in European Challenge, healthy team takes first spot easily
2035 Participate in World Trophy, healthy team qualifies to World Championship
2036 Participate in World Championship, become World Champion

New System:

2030 Participate in European Championship, everybody gets sick/injured, place 12th. Drop to Group C
2031 Participate in European Floorball League, get demoted to Group D (13-16), can still qualify for EC. Participate in World Trophy, place last
2032 Participate in European League, easily promoted back to Group C, advance to EC
2034 Participate in European Championship, become European Champion. Balance restored.
2035 Participate in European Floorball League Group A

Result: When a giant falls, recovery is two years faster than the current system, resulting in no title losses to an unlucky team.

IMAGE SUGGESTION 8: Recovery Timeline Comparison

Show recovery path:
• Starting position: Top 4
• Setback: Drop to 12th (bad luck)
• Recovery path: Old (6 years) vs New (4 years)
• Show how new system allows faster bounce-back
• Highlight "no title losses" benefit
• Use visual metaphor of climbing back up ladder
OLD SYSTEM
Sparse events, limited mobility
NEW SYSTEM
Regular events, dynamic rankings

Drag the slider to compare old vs new system

TODO

  • Mention More official events for referee training
  • Train observers
  • Suggest requirements for hosting (get help from western / italy / spain)
  • Should there be different requirements depending on what level the League is? i.e A and B requires level 2 minimum.
  • Timeline for event organiser requirements
  • Suggest observer duties (get help from Tamuz) / committee
  • Timeline for nominate/training observers