WarpedKid02
11-24-2002, 05:55 PM
What To Expect in 2003:
There has also been some detail released by the NPPL on what teams can expect from the new 7-man series. The ‘Clean up’ program will be backed up by trained Refs and Equipment Scrutineers that will be flown to each event, instead of having to source referee’s at the location of each tournament and giving them rudimentary schooling. This has been the difficulty with the consistency of the Pro reffing since its inception and has been caused in no small part by the lack of available funds required to finance the levels of expenditure needed to pay for the flights and travelling expenses of the more experienced Pro Referee’s. Good refs can be and have been found, but if these refs are only used at their local event they do not gather the experience necessary to enforce the rules properly, and the whole process must be repeated at the location of the next event with no guarantee of success.
Each of the NPPL Super 7’s events will be held in a quality venue with floodlights to allow games to start later and run into the evening. There are plans to allow more teams into the finals, where a new knockout format will take place on a ‘Centre Court’ arena. The NPPL 7-man Series will kick off in February 2003 and a complete schedule of locations and dates for the entire series are to be announced in the middle of December. The NPPL has already secured considerable industry support which will guarantee increased prize packages for all divisions. For example, Pro teams will compete for a minimum first place cash prize of $20,000 at each event, plus a Pro Series Champions prize of $15,000. Amateur, Novice and Rookie teams will compete for prize packages totalling $40,000, $30,000 and $20,000 respectively.
Another exciting development is the link to the European Millennium Series. Points from specific European events will count in the NPPL series, and vice versa, to entice more European teams to come over and try their skills in a 7-man format. Fewer European teams are making the trip over to the U.S. due to the standard of events they get at home. Higher quality venues and grass playing surfaces are a requirement in the Millennium series, and this requirement must and will be applied to the NPPL Super 7’s in order to globalise a higher standard of event. It is also being considered that NPPL and Millennium membership could be combined, so that members of one series can travel to play in the other, and enjoy membership benefits of both series without paying another membership fee.
There has also been some detail released by the NPPL on what teams can expect from the new 7-man series. The ‘Clean up’ program will be backed up by trained Refs and Equipment Scrutineers that will be flown to each event, instead of having to source referee’s at the location of each tournament and giving them rudimentary schooling. This has been the difficulty with the consistency of the Pro reffing since its inception and has been caused in no small part by the lack of available funds required to finance the levels of expenditure needed to pay for the flights and travelling expenses of the more experienced Pro Referee’s. Good refs can be and have been found, but if these refs are only used at their local event they do not gather the experience necessary to enforce the rules properly, and the whole process must be repeated at the location of the next event with no guarantee of success.
Each of the NPPL Super 7’s events will be held in a quality venue with floodlights to allow games to start later and run into the evening. There are plans to allow more teams into the finals, where a new knockout format will take place on a ‘Centre Court’ arena. The NPPL 7-man Series will kick off in February 2003 and a complete schedule of locations and dates for the entire series are to be announced in the middle of December. The NPPL has already secured considerable industry support which will guarantee increased prize packages for all divisions. For example, Pro teams will compete for a minimum first place cash prize of $20,000 at each event, plus a Pro Series Champions prize of $15,000. Amateur, Novice and Rookie teams will compete for prize packages totalling $40,000, $30,000 and $20,000 respectively.
Another exciting development is the link to the European Millennium Series. Points from specific European events will count in the NPPL series, and vice versa, to entice more European teams to come over and try their skills in a 7-man format. Fewer European teams are making the trip over to the U.S. due to the standard of events they get at home. Higher quality venues and grass playing surfaces are a requirement in the Millennium series, and this requirement must and will be applied to the NPPL Super 7’s in order to globalise a higher standard of event. It is also being considered that NPPL and Millennium membership could be combined, so that members of one series can travel to play in the other, and enjoy membership benefits of both series without paying another membership fee.