The tentative schedule for the 2009 French Elite League season is set. Like in 2008 eight teams will compete in a round robin format in the regular season with 28 games on 14 game days, starting on March 29. The seven teams from Rouen, Senart, Montpellier, Savigny, Toulouse, La Guerche and Clermont-Ferrand return and welcome the MONTIGNY COUGARS as new club in the league. The 20-time French champion Paris UC finished in eighth place in the 2008 season and gets relegated into the second division in France.
Similar to this year, the top four teams advance into a playoff phase in a round robin format. However this time each club starts with a clean 0-0 record and plays three games a weekend (one on Saturday, two on Sunday) in a round robin format. The best two teams reach the best-of-five championship series. The third and fourth ranked club also play a best-of-five series to determine third place in the final standings.
The four bottom-ranked clubs after the regular season compete in a round robin playdown phase on three weekends (two games). The eighth-ranked team after this round gets relegated into the Nationale 1 league (second division in France).
The 2009 regular season starts on March 29th and lasts until August 30th. The playoff/playdown round is scheduled for weekends September 5/6, 12/13 and 19/20. The championship series takes place on the first two weekends in October.
Baseball Events with French Teams in 2009:
March 29 to August 30: Regular Season Elite League, 14 Game Days, 28 Games
March 30 to April 4: ROUEN and SENART to miss first two game days due to European Cups
April 7 to 11: MLB Academies Tournament in Toulouse
April 11 to 13: International Youth Tournament in Le Thillay
May 1 to 3: Little League Qualifier
May 21 to 24: Challenge de France
June 26 to 28: Prague Baseball Week
July 24 to 26: International Tournament in Rouen
August 3 to 9: European Championships Juniors In Bonn, Germany
September 5 to 20: Playoffs/Playdowns Elite League, Round Robin Format
October 3 to 11: French Finals, Best-of-Five
Elite League Teams in 2009:
Rouen Huskies (2008 Champion)
Templiers Senart
Savigny Lions
Montpellier Barracudas
Stade Toulouse
La Guerche Hawks
Arvernes Clermont-Ferrand
Montigny Cougars