Should the play off system be scrapped?

I'm playing FIFA and my team just finished in the playoffs of League 1. I looked and my semi fixture and seen I'm playing Sheff Wed who finished TEN POINTS BEHIND ME.

This got me thinking, that's some bollocks. We've proved over 46 games that we are the better over the course of the league. And that's what it is, isn't it? A league? Saying the best of two teams should replace 2 of the 3 worst teams in the above league, but any of the four below those two could follow them sort of makes a mockery of the whole league system.

I believe the best 3 teams in the league should replace the 3 worst teams of the higher league.

Or why not have an opposite play off for relegation? So like in League 1 the teams who finish 18th-21st meet up in two semi finals. The two losers face each other in an ultimate loser final. The defeated team join the teams 22nd-24th in getting relegated to the league beneath them.

Thoughts?

Surely the league gets lots of revenue through the playoffs? I'm not sure, just a thought.

I like the relegation playoff idea. They have it in Germany and Scotland, I think.

InGlennyWeTrust wrote:Surely the league gets lots of revenue through the playoffs? I'm not sure, just a thought.

Money should not dictate which direction football takes.

In a good few years time this thread could be "Should the 39th game be scrapped?".

I agree with you that its unfair.. but I like it the way it is.

It would be nice. Forest always bottle it in the Play Offs. We would have been promoted in 09/10. Blackpool finished like 10 points behind us and only just made it to the Play Offs after a lucky end of season winning streak.

Exciting for the neutrals though. I always find all 3 leagues to produce some exciting games.

Yeah, it's like in US-Sports with regular season + playoffs etc which is rubbish, proper league system would be good.

It gives teams more things to play for but is unfair. What if a team has many key players injured for the play off games?

In the conference Shrewsbury finished 20 odd points behind us but got promoted and we didnt, meh.

In Spain they should, in the lower divisions up to the Segunda they can be very confusing and unfair on the teams, not in England though.

I always thought the playoff system was unfair, whether it be for promotion or relegation. After a whole season, the best teams should be promoted; not the team that is on good form in the last weeks of the season.

Gegilworld93 wrote:Yeah, it's like in US-Sports with regular season + playoffs etc which is rubbish, proper league system would be good.

fuck you the playoffs are awesome

Ridiculously unfair, its existence confuses me.

SBSP wrote:I like the relegation playoff idea. They have it in Germany and Scotland, I think.

No

Something's got to pay for the new Wembley.

I like it, means teams like Blackpool who maybe didn't have the squad depth to last the full season a chance to move up a division.

Scuba Steve wrote:

SBSP wrote:I like the relegation playoff idea. They have it in Germany and Scotland, I think.

No

Yeah they do.

Nooooooooooo they don't. What they do is totally different.

Does create a sense of enjoyment for the neutral, though also unfair for the team that finishes higher than another in the placements as they don't get much of a better/fairer deal.

No because a playoff system exist in some form in almost every other European nation in one form or another. Just last year a playoff system was started in the Segunda Division for promotion to La Liga. The only really messed up playoff is in the Segunda B Division (3rd tier) in Spain. That is because this league has 4 groups with no automatic promotion so you could possibly win all of your regular games slip up in the playoffs and not get promoted.

Scuba Steve wrote:Nooooooooooo they don't. What they do is totally different.

It's still considered a relegation playoff system though.

I think the play offs are good.

It makes the league more competitive....it means that maybe 10-15 more teams have a fighting chance of getting promoted....and this ultimately means that the best players are going to be crammed into the top 2 teams.

ahlycotc wrote:

Scuba Steve wrote:Nooooooooooo they don't. What they do is totally different.

It's still considered a relegation playoff system though.

I mean it's called it a playoff. But the teams aren't even from the same league.

Personally, I enjoy the play offs as it gives sides in mid table something to play for knowing that a good run of form can take them into the play offs. And to be honest, loads of teams will have nothing to play for after 25 games. m

I'd change the play off system to the following:

The team in 5th place will play the team in 6th place, at 5th places stadium in a one legged tie.
The winner of 5/6th place faces the team in 4th place, at 4th places stadium in a one legged tie.
The winner out of 4,5 and 6th place will face the team in 3rd place in the play off final.

This way the team in 6th place will have to win three matches to get promoted, where as the team in 3rd place only has to win one.

They should bring back Test matches

1st and 2nd in Lower League are promoted
1st and 2nd last in Higher League are relegated
3rd place in Lower League plays 3rd last in Higher League
4th place in Higher League plays 4th last in Higher League
And so on down to 6th

I've always thought that (at OP)

Seemed out of order that 3rd place does well to get 3rd then loses a playoff to someone that come 4th/5th etc.

Fuck that, the play-offs are class.

Play-offs are shit, a team who finishes 6th gets the chance to get promoted over the team who finishes 3rd (depending on the league). It's like giving the bronze medal to an athlete who finished 5th.

They should do that thing where the 3rd bottom team in the league above plays the 3rd top team in the league below and if the result depends they switch leagues.

No. Because the league is so big, towards the end of the season clubs are going to have nothing to play for, they'll be safe from the drop zone, but too far away from promotion. In order to keep the standard of games at an entertaining level, and ensure that teams keep playing their best teams etc. the play-offs are in. Otherwise we'll end up with teams seasons being effectively over with 5 or 6 games left sometimes.

Play-offs for titles though is stupid.

Hater.