The D1 men’s softball league is undergoing a transformation this year. The reform is based on a simple observation: the 2025 D1 was dominated by two powerhouses, Nice and Évry Courcouronnes, while the D2 offered a pool of competitive clubs seeking a more structured framework. The merger aims to stabilize the championship, raise the overall level, and give emerging clubs real visibility.

A Season Structured in Three Acts

The championship brings together eight teams, engaged in a three-phase journey that sets the pace for the sports year. The first stage, called the qualification phase or the first phase of the regular season, divides the clubs into two groups of four. Each team plays six games, organized over three days, with a demanding format: two seven-inning games per day. The games are played mainly on Sundays, at 11 am and 1:30 pm, with a strict 45-minute interval. However, flexibility is allowed: clubs can request the Federal Sports Commission (CFS) to schedule a game on Saturday afternoon, subject to lighting and seasonal hours.

At the end of this first phase, teams are ranked according to their win ratio, a key criterion that will serve as a thread throughout the championship.

A Ranking Phase that Redistributes the Cards

The second stage, the ranking phase, introduces a new dynamic. The top two teams from each group qualify for the High Pool, while the bottom two join the Low Pool. Each of these pools plays a mini-season of three days, i.e., six games per team, again in a double seven-inning format.

This intermediate phase is crucial: it determines not only the finalists but also the final order of the teams that do not qualify for the final phase. Again, the win ratio is the deciding factor.

A Best-of-Five Final to Crown the Champion

The final stage, the French Men’s Softball Series, pits the top two teams from the High Pool against each other. The final is played in a best-of-five format, spread over two weekends. The first weekend takes place at the home of the lower-ranked finalist, the second at the home of the higher-ranked team, giving a clear sporting advantage to the most consistent team of the season.

The final championship standings reflect this structure: the champion and runner-up occupy the top two spots, followed by the teams from the High Pool and then the Low Pool, according to their respective win ratios. Beyond the national title, the French champion will represent France in the European club competitions the following season.

Two Groups to Launch the Season

The new D1 opens with a first phase in two balanced groups, mixing old elite teams and ambitious promoted teams.

Group A

• Rouen Huskies
• Pharaons d’Évry‑Courcouronnes
• Bandits de Nogent
• Paris Université Club

Group B

• Cavigal de Nice
• Grizzlys de Grenoble
• Stade Toulousain
• Cobras de Contes

This division immediately highlights several dynamics: a Group A where Évry must confirm against a rising Rouen, and a Group B where Nice is the favorite but must compose with opponents capable of creating a surprise.

Express Portrait of the Eight Protagonists

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Nice (2025 D1 Record: 14–4): the benchmark. Offensive power, experience, consistency. Cavigal remains the team to beat.

Cavigal de Nice enters the 2026 season with some notable changes, starting with the departure of their coach, which has deeply modified the organization of training sessions. The off-season also saw several players end their careers, but the group quickly strengthened with the arrival of a Guatemalan pitcher, a Breton player, and the return of Cyril Grimaldi, a well-known figure in the club.

The new championship format is welcomed with enthusiasm. After a season with only four teams, the opening to more opponents brings a breath of fresh air. The group would have liked a larger volume of games, but is already pleased to be able to evolve in a richer framework and to play a new Supercup, a highly anticipated event.

In terms of ambitions, Nice changes nothing: keeping its two titles remains the stated objective. Cavigal knows that the task will be arduous and that the season will fly by, especially since Évry-Courcouronnes has strengthened and nurtures a spirit of revenge. The Nice team is eager to meet its rivals again and defend its status with the same intensity as last year.

A champion team, lucid, and ready to start the battle again.

Évry‑Courcouronnes (2025 D1 Record: 14–4): the other giant of 2025. Solid, structured, formidable in key moments.

The 2026 season opens with a revamped roster. The club must cope with the absence of its iconic third baseman, Charmelo Reyes, and the departure of reinforcements Johantan Berg and Frédéric Hartoin. But recruitment has responded: thanks to Pessac’s withdrawal, Lucas Mangle and Vincent Ferreira join the group, while Olivier Rollin strengthens the staff and is expected to appear at bat.

On the national level, the new two-group format reflects a men’s softball in transition. The federation has relaxed its requirements to adapt to a limited number of teams, at the cost of a lower overall level.

Sportingly, the ambitions are clear: aim for the double. After a first season in D1 where the group narrowly missed the national title and the Challenge final, the experience gained and targeted reinforcements fuel a confident ambition.

For Guillaume Jouhanneau, the team’s manager, 2026 must be the year when promises become results. The message is simple: the team is ready to take a step forward.

Stade Toulousain: after a break in 2025, the team returns to D1.

The Tigers of Stade Toulousain return to Division 1 in 2026 with a strengthened roster. Sébastien Neumann returns after the 2025 sports break, while Valentin Foulon, who arrived from Pessac, joins the rotation as a JFL pitcher, a profile actively sought after by the club.

The Toulouse staff welcomes the new two-group championship format, co-constructed with the Federal Softball Commission, which finally responds to the realities of men’s softball. Placed in a tough group with Nice, Contes, and Grenoble, the Tigers say they are ready and confident.

After their voluntary withdrawal from D1 in 2025, Toulouse was determined to return to national competition in 2026. Their objective is clear: succeed in the first phase to access the high pool. The club recalls that it was not included in the first version of the formula, due to a lack of sports rights despite its participation in the TQA.

Contes (2025 D1 Record: 4–14): a D1 regular, seeking a new cycle.

The Cobras de Contes approach the 2026 season with a logic of reconstruction led by Jean-Marc, the club’s manager-coach, supported by his daughter Manon, assistant coach. Two historical frameworks have ended their playing careers but remain involved with the group, while four 16-year-old youngsters join the senior roster, initiating the emergence of a new generation.

Stephan Mari also welcomes the decision of the FFBS sports commission to ease the conditions for engagement in Division 1, estimating that men’s softball is going through a fragile period. According to him, this reduced formula will allow clubs to play the season without fearing a general forfeit and offers a more adapted framework for relaunching the discipline.

If qualifying for the high pool remains a sports objective, Stephan insists on the club’s priority: building a stable, durable, and fully integrated roster.

Rouen (2025 D2 Record: 8–4): the best D2 team, dynamic, ambitious, ready to shake up the hierarchy.

The Huskies of Rouen enter 2026 with a solid foundation and a convincing 2025 season. With 8 wins for 4 losses, the Rouennais dominated their group thanks to one of the most effective attacks in the championship. Raphaël Bénard was the strong man of the season, showing an impressive .488 average and powerful hitting. Around him, René Maza Marquez, Robin Prouet, or Mathys Brouard multiplied high-level performances, giving the lineup a rare depth.

If the rotation sometimes suffered, it showed character. Mickaël Demanneville signed 6 wins and assumed his role as a leader on the mound, while Hacquard-Sierra and Prouet brought presence and combativeness. Defensively, Rouen could count on reliable players like Prouet, Demanneville, or Brouard, all authors of a very clean season.

With an explosive attack, a disciplined defense, and a young group that continues to progress, the Huskies arrive in 2026 with the ambition to confirm their status. A dangerous team, capable of striking hard and inviting itself into the race for the top spots.

PUC (2025 D2 Record: 6–6): regular, experienced, always dangerous in tight games.

The off-season was eventful but controlled: four players left the roster, replaced by Max, Melvine, Pierre, and Mattéo. The staff has also evolved: Enrique Villalba now handles fielding and batting, while Sébastien Nuzzo leads the pitchers’ training. A reorganization designed to gain precision and efficiency.

As for the championship, the new two-group format is a consensus. The result of collective work between clubs and the CFS, it responds to the financial and logistical realities of French softball. Shorter trips, more available rosters: a pragmatic model, hailed by all.

The objectives, however, are clearly stated. First, to secure one of the top two spots in the North pool to get a ticket to the French Challenge. The competition will be fierce: the Bandits de Nogent-sur-Marne are on the rise, the Pharaons remain the team to beat, and the Huskies, D2 champions in 2025, advance masked but dangerous. Then, aim for the national top 3. A challenge all the more significant since the South pool shows an impressive level: Nice, the title holder, Contes, more solid than ever, Grenoble, on the rise, and Toulouse, seductive in the pre-season.

« It’s going to be a very beautiful championship, intense from the first to the last game, » warns Matthieu Romero Larrea, confident in his group’s ability to respond.

Grenoble (2025 D2 Record: 5–7): progressing, capable of exploits.

The off-season took place in great stability for the men’s group. No major movement came to disrupt the roster, even if several players from the regional mixed group joined the team, bringing energy and welcome reinforcements.

The new championship format, organized in two groups, is met with interest. It allows for encounters with more teams while limiting costs and travel in the first part of the season, before facing opponents of a similar level in the second phase. A coherent and adapted organization.

On the sports level, the objective is clear: to continue to unite the group and aim for the top of the low pool. The team remains in a learning phase, but progress is constant and the mindset is solid. A season to build, learn, and establish itself durably in the competition.

Nogent (2025 D2 Record: 5–7): catchy, unpredictable, often involved in the most disputed matches.

The Bandits de Nogent enter 2026 with the image of an unpredictable and dangerous team. Their 2025 season, concluded with 5 wins for 7 losses, revealed a collective capable of exploits, carried by impressive individualities. Rafael Landaeta was one of the most dominant players in the championship, hitting .545 with 25 RBI, while Franck Pertuisot (.500) and Matthieu Escoutay (.400) brought valuable regularity. The dense and explosive lineup often put opposing defenses under pressure.

On the mound, Nogent had a more contrasting season, but Pertuisot and Notue Tatchum signed solid performances, keeping the team in the game despite sometimes severe statistics. Defensively, the Bandits could count on reliable players like Landaeta, Coquel, or Bizery, all authors of a clean and committed season.

With an attack capable of overturning any game and a group in full progress, Nogent enters 2026 with the ambition to establish itself durably in the race. A team to watch, always ready to surprise.

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A 2026 Season More Open Than Ever

With two former leaders, two clubs in reconstruction, and four teams from a competitive D2, the new Division 1 promises to be denser and more uncertain. The level gaps narrow, the playing styles intersect, and each day could reshuffle the cards.

Sébastien Dondé.

Thanks to the clubs, presidents, coaches, and players for their availability.