The qualification rounds for the European Junior Championships 2013 have been scheduled and the quest for Europe’s championship for 16- to 19-year olds will start with a first round qualification game between the Netherlands and Switzerland to be played in the Netherlands in the first half of 2012. In total 13 nations have entered their junior national teams into the competition. Three nations earn automatic berths for the final tournament, leaving three of the six starting spots at stake in the qualifying process.
Reigning European Junior Champion Austria and last year’s runner-up France will not have to take the burden of qualifying and are rewarded for their appearance in the final game at Seville 2011 with an automatic berth for the final tournament. As well is Russia, which is preparing to host the final tournament in the summer of 2013.
The winner of the Netherlands-Switzerland game will qualify for qualification round 2, which again will be held as a tournament, this time gathering four teams in Italy. The tournament has already tentatively scheduled for September 7-9 and will feature two semifinal games. Serbia will face Great Britain and Italy will square off with either the Netherlands or Switzerland. The winners of these two games will play the final game of the qualification tournament to advance to the last qualification stage. Qualification round 3 will feature three games, each with one of the three remaining spots in the final tournament at stake. As the third-placed team of EJC 2011 Sweden will host the winner of the round 2 tournament. Accordingly the fourth- and fifth-placed teams of Seville 2011 host the other two games of round 3: Germany will take on Spain and Denmark will battle Finland.
European Junior Championships are held every two years. Teams are formed by the best junior players of each country within the bracket of 16 to 19 years of age. The tradition of European Junior Championships dates back to 1992. The tournament in 2013 will be the 11th European Junior Championship. Starting this year EJC final tournaments have been switched to odd years to better accommodate a broadened global junior american football schedule. By winning three times in 1998, 2000 and 2008 Germany and Finland (1992, 1994, 1996) currently are holding the record for most EJC wins in tournament history. France won two titles 2004 and 2006), Russia one tilte (2002) and in the summer of 2011 Austria became the fifth nation to capture an European Junior Championships trophy.
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