American Indoor Soccer League

Summarize Timeline Fact Check

Founded in 2002, the AISL's headquarters were in West Springfield, Massachusetts, but the media relations office was in Cleveland, Ohio. The circuit positioned itself as a minor league and did not intend to compete with top-level indoor soccer.^[1]

The league's inaugural match featured the Massachusetts Twisters defeating Connecticut Academica, 9–6, on January 4, 2003.^[2] Four teams, Connecticut Academica, Massachusetts Aztecs, Massachusetts Twisters and New Hampshire Storm, played a six-match regular-season schedule in 2003, from January through March, followed by semifinal and final matches. The Canadian World Cup All-Stars, based in Laval, Canada were associated with the league but not eligible for the playoffs. Games played by league members against this team, frequently called Montréal, were friendlies and did not count in the league standings. The Aztecs finished the regular season 6–0 and won the championship with a 9–6 victory over Academica in front of a home sellout crowd on March 29, 2003.^[3]

Late in 2003, the AISL announced it had secured several investors for expansion franchises and that, in order to prepare for the expanded league, the AISL would resume play for its second season in 2004–05.^[4]

Only the Twisters returned for the 2004–05 season, and statements by the league indicating the number of teams would swell precipitously did not come to fruition. The Cincinnati Excite, Detroit/Windsor Border Stars and New Mexico Storm were added as expanion teams, leaving the league's size at four teams.^[5] The Border Stars beat the Excite for the league title.^[6]

The 2005–06 season started with promise, starting with six teams, but the New Mexico Storm and Detroit-Windsor Border Stars decided not to play in the AISL just before the season got under way. The decision of the Border Stars came very late; the AISL had already released a schedule that included them along with a yet to be named expansion team in Chicago.^[7] Ultimately, the Chicago expansion team, which played its home games near Rockford, Illinois, was simply called Team Chicago. The Memphis Mojo joined the league during the 2005–06 season, and played a limited schedule but were not eligible for the AISL championship until 2006–07. Games against the Mojo in 2005–06 counted in the standings. Later in the season, another expansion club, the Rockford Thunder, began competing. Like the Mojo, the Thunder were not a league member and not eligible for the AISL championship, but games against them counted for their opponents in the standings.^[8] The Excite won the final game of the AISL regular season at Massachusetts, beating the Twisters, 11–2, to finish 6–1 with the regular-season championship.^[9] There was no postseason in 2006.^[10]

In 2006, the league announced the membership of the Canton Crusaders,^[11] but the team's membership was revoked after the ownership was unable to fulfill its financial obligations. The New York Hampton Surf also joined the league.^[12] The team was initially named the New York Empire but changed its name before the start of the season. Team Chicago and the Memphis Mojo did not return for the 2006–07 season. The Rockford Thunder were admitted to the league as a full member, giving the league four teams. The Twisters finished first in the regular season and defeated the Excite in the championship game. The crowd of 1,920 was a new AISL attendance record.^[13]

The AISL added the Northern Illinois Rebels^[14] and Tulsa Revolution^[15] for the 2007–08 season, while announcing the Hampton Surf franchise had been terminated.^[16] The Thunder changed their name to the Rockford Rampage. Cincinnati and Massachusetts returned, giving the league an all-time high five teams. However, the Revolution played an abbreviated schedule and were not eligible for the AISL championship.^[17] The Rampage finished first in the regular season and then defeated the Twisters in a rematch of the previous season's championship game.^[18]

In 2008, with the Cincinnati Excite going on hiatus, and the Massachusetts Twisters and Rockford Rampage moving to the National Indoor Soccer League, the 2008–09 campaign was canceled. On December 23, 2008, all news stories were dropped from the website.

Like many other indoor soccer leagues, the AISL also had their own variations on the generally-followed indoor soccer rules. Some of these variations were:

• A point system that consisted of 1, 2, and 3 point goals, depending on how far away from the net the shot was taken.
• No three lines rule.
• One timeout per half per team.
• Similar to the MSL, a goalkeeper could "...not use his hands when team-mate passes the ball back. Only after a shot from the opposing team, can you pass back to the keepers hands inside your third line. ( Rebounds, etc...) No direct pass back to keeper outside the third of field to hands."^[19]
• The clock did not stop unless the ball went out of play in the last two minutes of the fourth quarter.

• Connally Edozien formerly of the Nigeria national team's youth system and New England Revolution. Edozien has played in the USL with the Rochester Raging Rhinos and is on contract with the Carolina RailHawks FC.
• Oscar Albuquerque current owner of the Rockford Thunder franchise played for Canada's 1980 Olympic qualifying team and in the National Professional Soccer League.
• Dayton O'Brien formerly with the University of Memphis, O'Brien was drafted by the Columbus Crew in 2006. O'Brien signed with the Memphis Mojo for the 2006/2007 season.
• Everson Maciel of the Western Mass Pioneers signed with the Massachusetts Twisters for the 2006/2007 season after a good season in the USL Second Division earned Maciel a spot on the USL 2 All League Team.
• Michael Todd of the New York Surf was selected by the Kansas City Wizards in the first round of the 2007 MLS Supplemental Draft.
• Gary Flood of the New York Surf was also selected in the 2007 Supplemental but in the second round by the New England Revolution.

• Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL)