Would leagues be more fun if...

Neil3030

Instead of a game-by-game award system of points for wins or draws and none for losses, aggregate goal difference was used to rank teams?

The way I'd see it, teams losing 5-0 would still have an incentive to scrape a game back to 5-2 or 5-3 and similarly, teams winning 4-0 would have an incentive to continue pressing for as many goals as possible.

One game could, theoretically, move a team from bottom of the league to the top!

Has this ever been trialled with soccer or indeed any other sport do you know?

keane2097

I'd say that would be well shít tbh

JPA

Football is about defence as well as attack.

stovelid

Excellent idea.

I could really see the likes of Portsmouth and Wolves slaughtering Chelsea, Arsenal and United in open, non-defensive games.

Daysha

It would make no sense. It's a far greater achievement for Hull to beat Chelsea 1-0, then say Man Utd beating Stoke 5-0, so why should it be United that gets the 4 more points?

DazMarz

Neil3030 wrote: »

Instead of a game-by-game award system of points for wins or draws and none for losses, aggregate goal difference was used to rank teams?

The way I'd see it, teams losing 5-0 would still have an incentive to scrape a game back to 5-2 or 5-3 and similarly, teams winning 4-0 would have an incentive to continue pressing for as many goals as possible.

One game could, theoretically, move a team from bottom of the league to the top!

Has this ever been trialled with soccer or indeed any other sport do you know?

Ehh... no...

Would reduce games to pissing affairs with formations like 2-2-6 or something mad like that with no emphasis put on defending well at all, simply turning games into free-for-all scraps as both teams hammer at the other's goal in an attempt to score more and more.

This system would favour the bigger sides, who have consummately skilled players: They will find it much easier to outscore opposition than lesser teams.

The reason a 4-0 or a 5-0 or something crazier like 7-2 scorelines are special and much-loved is because they are so rare and are a treat for the fans. Introducing a system such as the above would result in a plethora of 7-0's and mean that any such specialness is lost.

Not a good system, IMO.

Dont be at yourself

Would reduce games to pissing affairs with formations like 2-2-6 or something mad like that with no emphasis put on defending well at all, simply turning games into free-for-all scraps as both teams hammer at the other's goal in an attempt to score more and more.

Would it, though? I mean, the proposal is a system based on goal difference, not goals scored, so there would still be an emphasis on defense.

Morzadec

More exciting? Possibly
More fair/good for the game? No

DazMarz

Would reduce games to pissing affairs with formations like 2-2-6 or something mad like that with no emphasis put on defending well at all

Would it, though? I mean, the proposal is a system based on goal difference, not goals scored, so there would still be an emphasis on defense.

I reckon it would. Teams that would be underdogs, recognising that they need to score-score-score would not place any emphasis upon defence, knowing that no matter how well they defend, the favourites should devastate them and to counteract this, they would just opt for all-out-attack and Route 1 football the whole time. I think it would be awful for the game.

Spiritoftheseventies

I dont think the problem is with teams losing four or five nil to be honest.

The Davestator

I think the rugby points system is good. Winning bonus points for scoring 4 ore more tries, losing bonus points etc.

Could be used in addition to the 3 points for a win system I think

Galvasean

They do something similar in pre season tournaments (Amsterdam and Emirates). It's kind of fun for a pre season tourney, having the bottom team able to win it in the last game, but I'd say it would end up messy in a full season league. The gap between the big teams and the small teams would end up getting even wider.

GLaDOS

I disgree with 99% of suggestion to make the game more "entertaining", this is no exception. While less entertaining, a small team nicking a 1-0 win against a big team is arguably more difficult than a big team beating a small team 4-0. Would just widen the gap between the big (rich) clubs and the small ones. (Edit: Hivemind)

adamski8

DazMarz wrote: »

I reckon it would. Teams that would be underdogs, recognising that they need to score-score-score would not place any emphasis upon defence, knowing that no matter how well they defend, the favourites should devastate them and to counteract this, they would just opt for all-out-attack and Route 1 football the whole time. I think it would be awful for the game.

They wouldnt need to "score-score-score" as you put it. they could just defend-defend-defend and say only lose 1 or 2 nil on average but might finish mid table compared to a teams that lose by more goals.

I think a big problem would be near the end of the season you would still get teams with nothing to play for playing a team near the top of the table and instead of giving them the 3 points could give up ten goals

stovelid

The crux of this is that it's the low-scoring aspect that many - including me - actually like. The intrigue, technique and build-up involving games that may not even end up with a goal in them. And the unexpected pleasure of games that do result in lots of goals.

For the same reason, I've never really liked relatively high-scoring games such as GAA or Rugby half as much.

Entertainment doesn't have to mean some marketing-jizz concept of constant gratification. Football is delayed gratification and far better for it.

baalthor

It would be inherently unfair.

Under the current system, lets say we have two teams who have played six games each as follows:

Team 1: Played 6, Won 5, Lost 1: 15 points
Team 2: Played 6, Won 1, Lost 5: 3 points

Under the OP's system:
We could have the same win/loss ratio for each team but lets say Team 1's lost game was 6-0 while Team 2's won game was also 6-0. Lets say all other games were 1-0.

Then:
Team 1: F:5, A:6 GD: -1
Team 2: F6, A:5 GD: +1

So Team 2 is ahead of Team 1 despite losing 4 more games!
I can't see that being acceptable ...

Also there would be a big incentive for skullduggery at the end of the season; with teams knowing they needed to score x amount of goals against weak and financially strapped opponents. This is what was alleged to have happened on the last day of the 85-86 season of the old Yugoslav league.

But hey, maybe it would be exciting to see Portsmouth surprisingly winning the Premiership on the last day of the season due to a shock 80-0 win over Hull:D