1979–80 NASL Indoor season


The 1979–80 season was the North American Soccer League's first ever full indoor soccer season with playoffs. It began in November 1979 and the championship was decided in March 1980.

Overview

Only 10 of the 24 NASL member-teams chose to field a squad for the 12 game regular season and 6 team, 3 round playoffs.
The league decided to make several rule modifications from the NASL indoor tournaments and indoor friendlies of years past. The most obvious change was the goal. No longer 4 by 16 feet, the goals now measured a more proportionate 6.5 by 12, with a board or plexiglass panel above the cross bar instead of netting. Rather than being divided into three 20-minute periods as was done previously, or the more recent three 15-minute periods, the game now featured four 15-minute quarters with an extended halftime and short breaks and the end of the first and third quarters. These modifications were consistent with the rules of the competing Major Indoor Soccer League, which had begun operation in December 1978. Other changes included an extra referee at the bench to keep track of time penalties. Like most American sports, the clock would count down to 00:00 rather than up to "full time" as was done in association football. As before, there would be free substitutions, but players now had to touch the wall by their bench before a substitute player could come onto the playing floor. The floor dimensions remained, more or less 200 by 85 feet. Golden goal/sudden death overtime was used to settle games tied at the end of regulation. In the playoffs, 15-minute mini-games were used to decide series that were tied at one victory apiece. Indeed, two playoff series, including the Championship Final between Tampa Bay and Memphis, would need to be settled by means of a mini-game.

Regular season

W = Wins, L = Losses, GB = Games Behind 1st Place, % = Winning Percentage, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against, Avg Att = Average Home Attendance
Eastern DivisionWLGB%GFGAAvg Att
Atlanta Chiefs102–.83370465,069
Tampa Bay Rowdies842.66775645,910
Detroit Express753.58370693,937
Fort Lauderdale Strikers397.25058651,724
New England Tea Men2108.16752813,249

Western DivisionWLGB%GFGAAvg Att
Memphis Rogues93–.75065448,249
Minnesota Kicks841.66775529,562
Tulsa Roughnecks752.58363644,657
California Surf485.33371833,181
Los Angeles Aztecs2108.16756872,768

Regular season statistics

Scoring leaders

GP = Games Played, G = Goals, A = Assists, Pts = Points
PlayerTeamGPGAPts
David ByrneAtlanta12231157
Keith FurphyDetroit12211355
Laurie AbrahamsCalifornia12181753
Peter BaralićTampa Bay12211052
Iraj DanaifardTulsa12191048
Chris DangerfieldLos Angeles1215939
Mark LindsayCalifornia12131238
Wes McLeodTampa Bay12131238
Steve EarleTulsa12101838
Alan WilleyMinnesota1215636

Leading goalkeepers

Note: GP = Games played; Min – Minutes Played; Svs = Saves; GA = Goals Against; GAA = Goals Against Average; W = Wins
PlayerTeamMinSvsGAGAAW
John HouskaMemphis721172433.589
Victor NogueiraAtlanta637164393.6710
Tino LettieriMinnesota658165413.748
Nick OwcharukTulsa441134334.497
Željko BileckiTampa Bay684173544.748

Playoffs

Bracket

1st round

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Division Finals

If a playoff series is tied after two games, a 15 minute, tie breaker mini-game is played.

Championship Finals

*Memphis Rogues hosted Game 1 due to scheduling conflicts at the Mid-South Coliseum.

Championship match reports

1979–80 NASL Indoor Champions: Tampa Bay Rowdies