Playoffs - I want to TINKER with them...

[Easy 10]

The current system has been in place since, what, 1986 ? Time for a change I reckons. One of the bugbears is always the fact that a team finishing 6th can triumph over a team finishing in 3rd, and a chasm in points between the teams can make stuff-all difference - the one (small) advantage being that the higher placed team gets the 2nd leg of the semi at home. Sooooo, hows about this.

1. Top 2 go up as usual. But the team finishing 3rd in the League gets a BYE to the Playoff Final.

2. The teams that finished 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th play off against each other. They play a one off match at the home ground of the higher placed team in the League. So the fixtures would be:

4th v 7th
5th v 6th

3. The winners of these one-off ties then play each other in another one-off match, again at the home ground of the higher placed team, for the right to face that 3rd placed team in the Playoff Final.

Yes, ultimately you could now end up with a 7th placed team beating the team that finished 3rd, but at least all the way through, this method recognises and gives home advantage to the teams who have finished the season higher in the table than their Playoff opponents.

The 3rd placed team has had maybe a couple of weeks rest before playing the Final, again a nice advantage, but by keeping the games down to a single legged jobbie it means only 2 games are played by the others instead of 4, so its not excessively exhausting for them either.

It also extends the "excitement" of the season by making an additional Playoff spot available.

What says ye ?

 

[seagullondon]

No. Leave it how it is.

Its not really right for a team who finish 7th to have a chance to go up ahead of a team who are 3rd and could have been just a handful of points from automatic promotion

 

[Scoffers]

Not for me thanks!

 

[deletebeepbeepbeep]

It's fine as it is, dont more then half of teams finishing thrid go up anyway?

 

[The Large One]

If it doesn't get round the primary issue of the possibility of 6th beating 3rd in a 'winner-takes-all' mash-up, I see no reason to change it.

If you're looking to stack the cards in favour of the 3rd place team, have the final at the home of that team, not a neutral venue.

Or better still, do away with the play-offs, and automatically promote the 3rd place team, like it used to be done. And ought to be.

 

[Easy 10]

Its not really right for a team who finish 7th to have a chance to go up ahead of a team who are 3rd and could have been just a handful of points from automatic promotion

But they'd have had to have battled their way through tough away ties at teams who finished higher than them in the table, so to an extent, they've earned their shot in the Final after that, no ?

 

[8ace]

I quite like the idea, give it a go I say.

 

[Easy 10]

If it doesn't get round the primary issue of the possibility of 6th beating 3rd in a 'winner-takes-all' mash-up, I see no reason to change it.

If you're looking to stack the cards in favour of the 3rd place team, have the final at the home of that team, not a neutral venue.

Or better still, do away with the play-offs, and automatically promote the 3rd place team, like it used to be done. And ought to be.

I'd never scrap the Playoffs, you just can't beat them for drama.

And I certainly wouldn't want the Final to be played at the home ground of the 3rd placed team, as so many fans would miss out on a MASSIVE day out at Wembley or wherever, which would be a great shame. A poxy away allocation for a Playoff Final would be proper GUBBINS.

Don't dismiss it out of hand ! Quaid....Open your miiiiiind

 

[Simster]

But they'd have had to have battled their way through tough away ties at teams who finished higher than them in the table, so to an extent, they've earned their shot in the Final after that, no ?

It's much the same as they use in Rugby League isn't it? I prefer it.

Alternatively, they could more or less leave it exactly as it is, but with the caveat that if the higher place team wins the first match (away leg) then the home leg isn't played and they go straight through. I always thought this would represent an appropriately massive advantage.

 

[Finchley Seagull]

It's much the same as they use in Rugby League isn't it? I prefer it.

Alternatively, they could more or less leave it exactly as it is, but with the caveat that if the higher place team wins the first match (away leg) then the home leg isn't played and they go straight through. I always thought this would represent an appropriately massive advantage.

I quite like that idea. The problem with teams having two weeks off before a play off final is that while it gives them a break, it can also mean they lose their sharpness which ironically can give an advantage to the side who have come through two games to get there. Also if third and fourth are level on points and miles clear of 5th, 6th and 7th, then is it fair on the fourth place team.

I think the format should generally stay as it is with slight tweaks like Simster's idea or the semi finals only being over one leg at the higher placed team's ground. I definitely wouldn't get rid of the play offs though. It is the most exciting couple of weeks of the season, even if you aren't involved it can be so dramatic (remember that Charlton vs Sunderland play off final)!

 

[Easy 10]

It's much the same as they use in Rugby League isn't it? I prefer it.

Alternatively, they could more or less leave it exactly as it is, but with the caveat that if the higher place team wins the first match (away leg) then the home leg isn't played and they go straight through. I always thought this would represent an appropriately massive advantage.

Kind of, except Rugby League include the League CHAMPIONS in the Playoff Final, which is bloody ridiculous having to win another match against a lower-placed team in order to be officially crowned "Champions". Thats a joke.

Not sure I like your idea of cancelling the 2nd leg if the away team wins the 1st leg though. You're talking about organising ticket sales for a match that might not even take place ? Mmmmnah.

 

[brakespear]

Everybody but the third place team should have to put out their reserve team

 

[DTES]

You know what, I like it. You, Sir Easy, are a clever man.

 

[Spider]

What about changing it so that the 6th placed team plays the 5th, then the winner of that plays the 4th placed team, then the winner of that plays the 3rd placed team. Sounds silly, but to me it gives a decent advantage to the higher teams by gradually removing the amount of one-off "pot-luck" matches they have to play.

 

[keaton]

Kind of, except Rugby League include the League CHAMPIONS in the Playoff Final, which is bloody ridiculous having to win another match against a lower-placed team in order to be officially crowned "Champions". Thats a joke.

QUOTE]

I'm not sure about in Rugby League but in Union it's the only sensible option

 

[Simster]

Kind of, except Rugby League include the League CHAMPIONS in the Playoff Final, which is bloody ridiculous having to win another match against a lower-placed team in order to be officially crowned "Champions". Thats a joke.

Only because there are more teams in the play-offs. And anyway, how is that more of a joke than the 3rd placed team going through any sort of play-off for the right to the 3rd promotion spot? Your idea is just a spin-off from the Super League idea.

Not sure I like your idea of cancelling the 2nd leg if the away team wins the 1st leg though. You're talking about organising ticket sales for a match that might not even take place ? Mmmmnah.

You're not seriously telling me that this ticket sales issue for a 2nd leg are an insurmountable problem in this day and age? They've been doing this for YEARS in MLB, the NHL and the NBA where they have play-offs of 7 game series - meaning up to 3 games are not actually played.

 

[Easy 10]

You know what, I like it. You, Sir Easy, are a clever man.

Not at all. I just have too much time on my hands.

 

[Bold Seagull]

3rd is 3rd, if you can't finish in the top 2, then get on with the play off's and win your place in the final. Bad enough that 6th place has a chance of going up let alone 7th!

 

[The Large One]

I'd never scrap the Playoffs, you just can't beat them for drama.

And I certainly wouldn't want the Final to be played at the home ground of the 3rd placed team, as so many fans would miss out on a MASSIVE day out at Wembley or wherever, which would be a great shame. A poxy away allocation for a Playoff Final would be proper GUBBINS.

Don't dismiss it out of hand ! Quaid....Open your miiiiiind

So... the play-offs exist mainly as money-spinners, and not necessarily to ascertain which is the best team to have deserved promotion (i.e. the team which finished THIRD)...?

Are you Crodonilson in disguise?

 

[crodonilson]

By the time all of those games have been played the 3rd place side won't have played for about 3 weeks while the other side would be battle hardened after it's other games.