Alberta Major Soccer League
| Country | Canada |
|---|---|
| Confederation | CONCACAF |
| Founded | 1991 |
| First season | 1991 (1992 for women's) |
| Divisions | 1 |
| Number of teams | 8 |
| Level on pyramid | 4 |
| Promotion to | No |
| Relegation to | Local Tier 1 Senior Leagues |
| Domestic cup(s) | Canadian National Challenge Cup |
| League cup(s) | Mike Traficante Challenge Cup |
| Current champions |
Edmonton Scottish (June - August) |
| TV partners | No |
| Website | 2013 Site |
 2017 Alberta Major Soccer League season
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The Alberta Major Soccer League (AMSL) is the highest level of amateur soccer in Alberta. It is roughly level 5 on the Canadian soccer pyramid although the distinction between level's 3 - 5 are not necessarily in terms of the level of competition or skill. The champions of the League Cup, renamed the Mike Traficante Challenge Cup in 2008, go on to compete in the national senior men's and women's championships.
Founded in 1991, the AMSL consists of two divisions, the Men's Division of eight teams and the Women's Division of eight (the Women's Division was added in 1992). Every year since the league's founding, the champions of the league have gone on to compete for the Canadian National Challenge Cup (men) and the Jubilee Shield (women).
The AMSL is operated by the Alberta Soccer Association (ASA), the provincial governing body for soccer in Alberta. This has been at times a problematic arrangement, but it has stood up for the time that the league has been in existence. The various district associations in Calgary, Edmonton, Lethbridge and Red Deer fulfill some of the administrative functions that would normally be handled by such a league, and this has led to rules being interpreted differently for different teams in the same league. Districts other than Edmonton and Calgary can use their entire men’s or woman’s league program as “reserve teams”. Calgary and Edmonton clubs are expected to field reserve teams in the local tier 1 senior leagues. The teams to be entered into the AMSL for the following season shall be based on previous season league results and relegation-promotion games, unless accepted as an expansion team. Teams wishing to withdraw or enter the league must notify the ASA in writing before November 15 of each year and attend the fall planning meeting on the last weekend in November.
Mike Traficante Challenge Cup
This is a competition whereby the top 3 teams north (Edmonton, Red Deer, etc.) and south (Calgary, Lethbridge, etc.) compete for the League Cup. It has had various formats including south and north group winners advancing to a one-game final and seeded groups (based on league standings) with group winners advancing to a 1-game final. The League Cup cannot be challenged for by non-AMSL members even though it designates the Alberta Provincial Champion and Canadian National Challenge Cup representative. With 4 of the most populous of the 18 districts having teams in the AMSL; however, the majority of the soccer players in the province are represented.
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