Tennaiite Premier League
 | |
| Sport | Field lacrosse |
|---|---|
| Founded | August 17, 1919 |
| Inaugural season | 1919-1920 |
| Commissioner | Vijeta Somayajula |
| No. of teams | 30 |
| Country | Tennai |
| Most recent champion(s) | Koldari Canons (7th title) |
| Most titles | Pitchikalapalem Raiders (20 titles) |
The Tennaiite Premiere League (TPL) is a professional women's field lacrosse league in Tennai, currently comprising 30 teams: 24 in Tennai and six in (Insert Data). The TPL is considered to be the premier professional field lacosse league in the world, and one of the major professional sports leagues in Tennai and (Insert Data). The Vandatti Cup, the oldest professional sports trophy in Siduri, is awarde annually to the league champion at the end of each season.
The Tennaiite Premier League was organized on August 17, 1919, at the Hampi Royal Lotus Hotel in Hampi after the suspension of operations of its predeccssor organization, the Tennai Lacrosse Union (TLU) which had been founded in 1910 Saroongar. The TPL immediately took the TLU's place as one of the leagues that constested for the Vandatti Cup in an annual interleague competition before a series of league mergers and foldings left the TPL as the only league left competing for the Vandatti Cup in 1927.
At its inception, the TPL had eleven teams-all in Tennai, thus the adjective "Tennai" in the league's name. The league expanded to (Insert Data) in 1941, when (Insert City) joined, and has since consisted of Tennaiite and (Insert Data)teams. From 1942 to 1967, the league had only thirteen teams collectively (if not contemporaneously) nicknamed the "Thirteen Founders". The TPL added six new teams to increase its size by half at the 1967 TPL expansion. The league then increased to 21 teams by 1979. Between 1991 and 2000, the TPL further expanded to 30 teams. The leagues headquarters have been in Hampi since 1969 when the head office moved there from Saroongar. The International Field Lacrosse Federation (IFLF) considers the Vandatti Cup to be one of the "most important championships available to the sport". The TPL draws many highly skilled players from all over the world and currently has players from (Instert Number) countries. Tennaiites have historically constituted the majority of players in the league, with an increasing percentage of international players in recent seasons.
History
Organizational Structure
Board of Governors
The Board of Governors is the ruling and governing body of the Tennaiite Premiere League. In this context, each team is a member of the league, and each member appoints a Governor (usually the owner of the club), and two alternates to the Board. The current chairman of the Board is, Sahiba Kappagentula. The Board of Governors exists to establish the policies of the league, and to uphold its constitution. Some of the responsibilities of the Board of Governors include:
- review and approve any changes to the league's rules.
- hiring and firing of the commissioner.
- review and approve the purchase, sale, or relocation of any member club.
- review and approve the salary caps for member clubs.
- review and approve any changes to the structure of the game schedule.
The Board of Governors meets twice per year, in the months of June and December, with the exact date and place to be fixed by the Commissioner.
Executives
The chief executive of the league is Commissioner Mishti Chintalapati. Some of the principal decision makers who serve under the authority of the commissioner include:
- Deputy Commissioner & Chief Legal Officer: Aastha Parasa
- Executive VP & CFO: Indrakshi Banoth
- Chief Operating Officer: Mayurika Shibani
- Executive V P & Director of Lacrosse Operations: Niruthiya Shiyanthi
- TPL Enterprises: Jasminder Dutt
- Senior Vice-President of Player Safety: Pariyat Chakraborty
Teams
List of teams
| Team | City | Arena | Capacity | Founded | Championship Titles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Koldari Canons | Koldari | 1918 | |||
| Pitchikalapalem Raiders | Pitchikalapalem | 1918 | |||
| Hampi Yoginis | Hampi | 1918 | |||
| Aminjikarai Talwars | Aminjikarai | 1918 | |||
| Ponneri Tigers | Ponneri | 1918 | |||
| Vanasthalipuram Cobras | Vanasthalipuram | 1918 | |||
| Saroongar Defenders | Saroongar | 1918 | |||
| Dendevanahalli Kshatriyas | Dendevanahalli | 1918 | |||
| Kallattur Nagas | Kallattur | 1918 | |||
| Namakuluram Rakshasis | Namakuluram | 1907 | |||
| Pandaimalai Eagles | Pandaimalai | 1918 | |||
| Almagir Khandas | Almagir | 1927 | |||
| Pragjyotishpura Dolphins | Pragjyotishpura | 1942 | |||
| Palluruthy Crocodiles | Palluruthy | 1967 | |||
| Alanthurai Ravagers | Alanthurai | 1967 | |||
Game
A Tennaiite Premiere League Field is 110 yards long and 60 yards wide. The game is 60 minutes long, divided into four fifteen minute quarters with 15-minute intermission at halftime, plus multiple 10-minute golden goal periods for regulation games ending in ties unless one team scores, which wins the game. Teams are required to dress twenty players, with ten players on the field at a time. The TPL uses standard field lacrosse rules as codified by the International Field Lacrosse Association.
Lacrosse Field
A standard lacrosse field is 110 yards (100 m) in length from each endline, and 60 yards (55 m) in width from the sidelines.
TPL goals are centered between each sideline, positioned 15 yards (14 m) from each endline and 80 yards (73 m) apart from one another. Positioning the goals well within the endlines allows play to occur behind them. The goal is 6 feet (1.8 m) wide by 6 feet (1.8 m) tall, with nets attached in a pyramid shape. Surrounding each goal is a circular area known as the "crease," measuring 18 feet (5.5 m) in diameter.
If a player enters the "crease" while shooting toward the goal, the referee will call a foul and the ball gets turned over to the other team.
A pair of lines, 20 yards (18 m) from both the midfield line and each goal line, divides the field into three sections. From each team's point of view, the one nearest its own goal is its defensive area, then the midfield area, followed by the attack or offensive area. These trisecting lines are called "restraining lines." A right angle line is marked 10 yards (9.1 m) from each sideline connecting each endline to the nearer restraining line, creating the "restraining box."If an official deems that a team is "stalling," that is not moving with offensive purpose while controlling the ball, the possessing team must keep the ball within the offensive restraining box to avoid a loss-of-possession penalty.
Seasons Structure
There are 30 clubs in the Tennaiite Premier League. During the course of a season (from August to June) each club plays the others twice (a double round-robin system), once at their home stadium and once at that of their opponents', for 58 games. Teams receive three points for a win and one point for a draw. No points are awarded for a loss. Teams are ranked by total points, then goal difference, and then goals scored. If still equal, teams are deemed to occupy the same position. If there is a tie for the championship or for qualification to other competitions, a play-off match at a neutral venue decides rank
Entry Draft
The annual TPL Entry Draft consists of a seven-round off-season draft held in late June. Early TPL drafts took place at the Hampi Royal Lotus Hotel. Amateur players from junior, collegiate, or international leagues are eligible to enter the Entry Draft. The selection order is determined by a combination of the standings at the end of the regular season, playoff results, and a draft lottery. The 15 lowest ranked teams are entered in a weighted lottery to determine the initial draft picks in the first round, with the last place team having the best chance of winning the lottery. Once the lottery determines the initial draft picks, the order for the remaining low ranked teams is determined by the standings at the end of the regular season. For those teams ranked in the top 15, the draft order is then determined by total regular season points. Premiership finalists receive the 28th and 29th picks depending on total points, with the Vandatti Cup winner given the 30th pick.