Promotion/Relegation Playoffs

callaway92

I know it isn't the most exciting topic but I was just curious nonetheless about why these actually are still around in football and if they are considered fair or not?

Not that I watched it, but it looks like Hibs will comfortably stay up in the Scottish Prem League taking a 2-0 lead into the second leg against Hamilton (who came second in their division).

Similar in Germany, Hamburg survived their relegation scare by winning on away goals against Greuther Furth (who came third in their division)

There are probably numerous other league that do this that I'm not aware of but these were the two that I know of anyway.

What is the benefit of the playoff over normal promotion/relegation?

The_Kew_Tour

Hibs target of winning the CL in 2016 is back on track

Oat23

callaway92 wrote: »

What is the benefit of the playoff over normal promotion/relegation?

Excitement. Extra revenue for the league/clubs.

Paully D

They're a load of bollocks aimed at ensuring if a bigger team somehow (like Hibernian in this situation, or Hamburg in Germany as mentioned) gets into relegation trouble that they've got an extra lifeline to stay up, which they usually will do considering they play against an (often far) weaker team in the playoff.

Cookiemunster

callaway92 wrote: »

I know it isn't the most exciting topic but I was just curious nonetheless about why these actually are still around in football and if they are considered fair or not?

Not that I watched it, but it looks like Hibs will comfortably stay up in the Scottish Prem League taking a 2-0 lead into the second leg against Hamilton (who came second in their division).

Similar in Germany, Hamburg survived their relegation scare by winning on away goals against Greuther Furth (who came third in their division)

There are probably numerous other league that do this that I'm not aware of but these were the two that I know of anyway.

What is the benefit of the playoff over normal promotion/relegation?

They don't always stay up. Hertha Berlin were beaten by Fortuna Dusseldorf in 2012 and Nurnberg relegated Energie Cottbus in 2010.

Personally I'd prefer to see straight 3 up 3 down (I don't like the football league playoffs either), but as said by Oat it's all about the money.

GLaDOS

Definitely not fair, but definitely exciting. Brings in the mulah.

ArmaniJeanss

Automatically relegating 2 from 12 would be a bit too many imo (would be a highter percentage than the EPL or La Liga or most other top flights).
And 1 from 12 would be too little.

Effectively 1.5 teams relegated seems a reasonable alternative.

dan1895

ScienceNerd wrote: »

Definitely not fair, but definitely exciting. Brings in the mulah.

How is it not fair? Everyone knows the rules before a ball is kicked at the start of the season.

ben.schlomo

In the Dutch Eredivisie/Eerste Playoffs this season both NEC and RKC Waalwijk were relegated.

Cookiemunster

ben.schlomo wrote: »

In the Dutch Eredivisie/Eerste Playoffs this season both NEC and RKC Waalwijk were relegated.

Now thats one fcuked up complicated play off system. The team that finished 16th in the second division was in the promotion play off!

GLaDOS

dan1895 wrote: »

How is it not fair? Everyone knows the rules before a ball is kicked at the start of the season.

In the sense that the best 3 performing teams over the season mightn't be the ones to get promoted

Omackeral

Dublin City FC (with their fanbase of circa 100) relegated Shamrock Rovers by this method going back a few years. Found that one a tad funny. Great system

Paz-CCFC

I think it's fair enough, provided the team in the higher league aren't given advantages by virtue of having played the past season in that higher league (eg, having a one legged tie at home or having the second leg at home). If anything, they should be put at a disadvantage, but having a coin-toss deciding home/away legs it is fair enough, too. It let's the lower league team test their abilities against the higher league team, too. If they're good enough, they'll probably win out, but if they get easily beaten against a team that finished second from bottom, they would be unlikely to do very well in that division. It doesn't really help anyone to have a team that's whipped week in, week out. Even though that's also possible with the champions (Athlone Town this season), it's fair to have at least one automatic place.

I quite like the play-off system in the Italian Serie B. You have the potential to have 8 teams in the play-off, but they must finish within 14 points of 3rd place. And 4th place has to be less than 9 points behind 3rd, otherwise 3rd is promoted automatically. It gives a fair opportunity to more of the league to qualify, whilst, at the same time, not giving a reprieve to teams who finished way behind 3rd.

dan1895

Paz-CCFC wrote: »

I think it's fair enough, provided the team in the higher league aren't given advantages by virtue of having played the past season in that higher league (eg, having a one legged tie at home or having the second leg at home). If anything, they should be put at a disadvantage, but having a coin-toss deciding home/away legs it is fair enough, too. It let's the lower league team test their abilities against the higher league team, too. If they're good enough, they'll probably win out, but if they get easily beaten against a team that finished second from bottom, they would be unlikely to do very well in that division. It doesn't really help anyone to have a team that's whipped week in, week out. Even though that's also possible with the champions (Athlone Town this season), it's fair to have at least one automatic place.

I quite like the play-off system in the Italian Serie B. You have the potential to have 8 teams in the play-off, but they must finish within 14 points of 3rd place. And 4th place has to be less than 9 points behind 3rd, otherwise 3rd is promoted automatically. It gives a fair opportunity to more of the league to qualify, whilst, at the same time, not giving a reprieve to teams who finished way behind 3rd.

Seems like a good compromise.