1978–79 Major Indoor Soccer League season

The 1978–79 Major Indoor Soccer League season was the first in league history and would end with the New York Arrows winning the first MISL title.

Recap
The league would begin with six teams and a 24-game schedule beginning in December 1978 and ending in March 1979. The top four teams would advance to a single-game semifinal and a best of three championship series. League attendance would average 4,453 per game.

Signs were good that the league would have a long-time presence. The early games drew strong crowds, as Philadelphia sold out the Spectrum for their opener, leading the league in attendance. The first expansion team was announced on December 13, nine days before the first game in league history, as the Buffalo Stallions were slated to start play in the 1979-80 season. 10,386 fans were in the Nassau Coliseum to see the Cincinnati Kids play the Arrows in the league's first game.

Despite finishing in a solid third place, Cincinnati folded after the season.

Schedule
The 1978–79 regular season schedule ran from December 22, 1978, to March 18, 1979. Each team played a schedule of 24 games.

Final standings
Playoff teams in bold.

Scoring leaders
GP = Games played, G = Goals, A = Assists, Pts = Points

Goalkeeping leaders
Note: GP = Games played; Min = Minutes played; GA = Goals against; GAA = Goals against average; W = Wins; L = Losses

Playoff scoring
GP = Games played, G = Goals, A = Assists, Pts = Points

Playoff goalkeeping
Note: GP = Games played; Min = Minutes played; GA = Goals against; GAA = Goals against average; W = Wins; L = Losses

League awards

 * Most Valuable Player: Steve Zungul, New York
 * Scoring Champion: Fred Grgurev, Philadelphia
 * Pass Master: Fred Grgurev, Philadelphia
 * Goalkeeper of the Year: Paul Hammond, Houston
 * Coach of the Year: Timo Liekoski, Houston
 * Championship Series Most Valuable Player: Shep Messing, New York