Leagues

Leagues are MFL's season-long competition format. All clubs, leagues, and divisions fall under the governance of a single body: the International Metaverse Football Federation (IMFF). As the user base grows, other federations may emerge and divide the MFL universe into regions or continents, much like in the real world.

In an effort to prevent match-fixing, users may be able to enter multiple teams into a Division, but not within the same League.

Format

Each league uses a double round-robin format, with teams in each league playing the others twice, once at their home stadium and once at their opponent's. Teams receive three points for a win and one point for a draw. A defeat results in no points being awarded. Teams are ranked by total points, then by goal difference, and lastly by goals scored.

In order to keep the ecosystem lively, and for new users to be able to jump into the action fairly quickly, seasons span around six real-world calendar weeks.

Structure

The IMFF has a pyramidal structure with multiple divisions. Each division is made up of leagues containing 12 teams.

The Diamond league sits on top of the pyramid and hosts just twelve teams. It is both a league and a division of its own. As such, it is a select group that many will aspire to join.

Each division comprises twice as many leagues (and teams) as the one above it.

The pyramid of divisions

This structure will be re-evaluated at the beginning of each season to account for changes in the active userbase. New divisions may be created as the user base expands. When that is the case, newly created clubs will have to climb their way up from the lowest divisions.

Participation Requirements

There is a minimum OVR rating requirement in each division for the players on the squad. Note that FIVE players per team are exempt from reaching this requirement. This means that if the minimum is 83, up to 5 players on each team can have an OVR rating below that.

Division	Minimum OVR (5 players exempt)
Diamond	83
Platinum	80
Gold	77
Silver	72
Bronze	68
Iron	64
Stone	58
Ice	N/A

Promotion & Relegation

Consistency and Rivalries

In MFL, most leagues have 12 teams. Starting from Season 1, those clubs will have a straightforward path for moving up or down the league pyramid, and will face familiar foes each season, remaining in the same league season after season unless they get promoted or relegated. This consistency helps build rivalries, creating a competitive and engaging environment.

When promotion or relegation happens, teams know which league they’ll be going to next, providing a clear path. For example, the winners of League 1 and 2 will move up to League 1 in the division above, while winners of League 3 and 4 will move up to League 2.

Paths to promotion and relegation

MFL uses a promotion and relegation system, meaning teams will be moved between divisions based on their performance during the previous season. Except for Diamond League teams, which cannot be promoted, and teams in the lowest division, which cannot be relegated, there are three possible outcomes: promotion, relegation, or remaining in the same division.

Click on the tabs below to learn more about the promotion and relegation system in the IMFF.

Promotion

• First place teams from each league are automatically promoted to the division above.

• If you place second, you’ll go into a Direct Playoff against a team that also finished 2nd in a different League of the same Division. – Win the Direct Playoff, and you go up. – If you lose the Direct Playoff, you can still get promoted. For that, you’ll need to win two extra playoff rounds.

• If you place third, there’s still hope. You’ll need to win three playoff rounds to make it happen and be promoted to the upper echelon.

Relegation

• The bottom three clubs in each league will drop to the division below.

• Teams in 9th place will fight for survival in their Division during a Playoff Round (Playoff Round 3 in the image above).

The promotion system is crucial to keeping the game exciting and competitive. An average of 1.75 teams will be promoted to the higher division using this system. On the other hand, an average of 3.5 teams will be relegated to the lower division.

Edge Cases & FAQ

What are the promotion and relegation rules for leagues with fewer than 12 participants?

Leagues with 10 or 11 teams will see less teams be relegated. In an 11-team League, the bottom two teams (10th and 11th) will be relegated, with the 9th-placed team going into a playoff round. In a 10-team league, only the bottom team (10th), will be relegated, with the 9th-placed team going into a playoff round.

Doesn’t this mean there will be fewer relegations than promotions initially

It does! After Season 1, more teams will move up than down, causing the upper tiers of the pyramid to fill up ahead of Season 2.

What happens if a club is inactive or does not register for the season?

• Failed to register: Clubs (including Club Licenses) that do not register are automatically relegated to a lower division at the start of the season. This prevents unregistered clubs from being sold as a higher-tier club during the season.

• Too many forfeits: Clubs with more than 5 forfeits over the course of a season will not be eligible for rewards.

• Exhausted players: If a club fields over 5 players below 60% energy, they will forfeit the match.

Please note that any agents owed revenue share by teams that forfeited rewards will still receive $MFL for their players' contracts.

What happens if an owner has multiple clubs in the same Division?

Just have we have done until now, they will be placed in different Leagues within the Division.

What happens if an owner has multiple clubs in the same League due to promotion and relegation?

If two clubs from the same owner end up in the same league, we will: a- If applicable, move the club to a different league than initially planned by the league system b- If that’s not possible, the club that was set to be promoted won’t be, with the next club in the standings going up instead.

What if a Club fails to register for the season? Do their contracts get canceled?

• Clubs that sign at least one contract during the current season's Transfer Window will retain their active contracts, even if they fail to register for the season. If such clubs have more than 18 players under contract, they will be automatically registered for the season at the end of the registration period.

• Clubs that do not register and have players under contract from previous seasons—whether through multi-season contracts or auto-renewals—will have those contracts canceled, provided the club owner and the agent(s) are different users.