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Narodna Divizia 1 (Drevstran)

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Narodna Divizia 1
ND1 logo.png
FormerlyHonors League
SportGridiron Football
Founded1955
Inaugural season1956
No. of teams16
Country Drevstran

The National Division I or ND1 is a Drevstranese Professional Gridiron Football club competition that exist in its current form since 1955 and is organised by the Drevstran Gridiron Federation ('Gridsov'). There is promotion and relegation between the ND1 and the next level down, the National Division 2. Each year, the winner of the competition is presented with the Bretnian Shield, so named after one of the early indo-european tribes who inhabited Drevstran before Tervingia.

The exact format of the ND1 has been changed, modified, and tweaked multiple time throughout its existence. Since Professionalism was fully adopted in 1991, the competition happens in two phases: a Group Stage involving all sixteen teams and the Play-Offs involving the eight best clubs of the season.

Since teams who compete in the ND1 are regularly involved in international competitions such as the BGL, as Salary cap has been put into place to maintain the competitiveness of smaller clubs. Similarly, the number of international players allowed in each club is regulated. The salary cap has been in place since the professionalisation of the Division in 1991 and, since 1997, match the caps in place in the BGL or in Ottonia.

Format and Structure

The ND1 is contested by sixteen professional Gridiron clubs throughout Drevstran. Every club contests 30 games during the regular season. For scheduling purposes, the season is divided into two halves, a Spring and Autumn Halves, with the team at home in the first half of the season on the road in the second. The aim of this division is to limit the risks of injuries for players, a constant worry in Gridiron football. There are also breaks during the season for Belisarian club fixtures (the Belisarian Gridiron League).

The ND1 is organized by the Gridiron Professional League, the 'Profiliga', which runs the professional rugby leagues within Drevstran (ND1 and ND2). There is a promotion-relegation system between the ND1 and the ND2. only the lowest-placed club in the table after the regular season is automatically relegated to ND2. The playoff champion of ND2 is automatically promoted, while the next-to-last ND1 club and the playoff runner-up of ND2 play each other to determine which club will be in ND1, and which will be in ND2 the following season.

The Knock-out phase, or Playoff, of ND1 is made of three phases, with the eight best ranked clubs of the regular season reaching the quarterfinales, with the 1rst ranked team always facing the 8th ranked one, the 2nd the 7th, and so forth. The winners go to the semifinales, and then to the finales. The two clubs who lost in the semifinales also face one another in the "small finale" to determine the 3rd and 4rth best overall teams. ND1 playoffs are traditionally held in neutral sites with the finale at the Maximon Stadium in Angrast.

Clubs

Since the first edition of the 'Honor League' in 1956, a total of 74 clubs played in Drevstran' top division. Of the founding members only Pristlav GFC, Halvar Omnisport, and Nyugrataj GFC have played continuously with no relegation. Internationally, the most well known clubs are Saint George Stadium, the Valdavian Club, Pristlav GFC, Nyugrataj GFC, and Fergus Racing. The most titled team overall remain Nyugrataj, followed by Halvar Omnisport and the Fergus Racing on the podium.

Finales

Year Champion Score Runner-up Place Spectators
2015 Egvedy Cavalry 37-7 Mren Metro Maximon Stadium 60,000
2016 Saint George Stadium 23-13 Pristlav GFC Maximon Stadium 80,000
2017 Viz Rowing Club 23-20 Nyugrataj GFC Maximon Stadium 69,000
2018 Furyod GFC 21-15 Ebett GFC Maximon Stadium 65,000
2019 Fergus Racing 22-12 Valdavian Club Maximon Stadium 79,000
2020 Fergus Racing 24-20 Nyugrataj GFC Maximon Stadium 70,000
2021 Pyrovegy GFC 34-20 Pristlav GFC Maximon Stadium 68,000
2022 Nyugrataj GFC 14-7 Halvar Omnisport Maximon Stadium 74,000
2023 Fergus Racing 29-24 Valdavian Club Maximon Stadium 80,000

Media Coverage

Television represent a major source of revenues for the ND1 and is vital for its financial well-being. 1991 was a turning point for the ND1 as beside the full professionalization of the League it was also decided that broadcasting rights would be sold collectively instead of each club handling its own rights. The first TV Network to buy the rights to the ND1 games was Drev-Delph a sub-division of the Latin Delpha family of networks but more importantly a Pay-TV Broadcaster. Charging fans to watch Gridiron was at the time a near unheard of proposition that nonetheless managed to pay-off for the Division: Drev-Delph owners' strategy and the public' appetite for the game has seen the value of the ND1's TV rights soar.