National Forum

League Finals or Relegation/Promotion Playoffs?

(Oldest Posts First)

Would a relegation/promotion playoff against the second last team in the division versus the second top team in the next division down be a better option than what exists currently? Only the top team would go up and bottom team go down automatically. Opinions? (Obviously this would suit my own county's position at present but it's not why I'm posting).
Advantages would be:
1) The "League Final" might have a lot more bite to it with much more at stake than bragging rights.
2) Sometimes there is a lot of talk that teams are not ready for the leap up. The weaker of the two promoted teams would have to beat a higher ranked team so would be a good indication of where they're at.
3) Relegation a lot of the time goes to score difference with 3 or 4 teams tied on the same points. It would give a team another chance.

Hardtimes (Cavan) - Posts: 1056 - 29/03/2017 14:58:25    1972797

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Replying To Hardtimes:  "Would a relegation/promotion playoff against the second last team in the division versus the second top team in the next division down be a better option than what exists currently? Only the top team would go up and bottom team go down automatically. Opinions? (Obviously this would suit my own county's position at present but it's not why I'm posting).
Advantages would be:
1) The "League Final" might have a lot more bite to it with much more at stake than bragging rights.
2) Sometimes there is a lot of talk that teams are not ready for the leap up. The weaker of the two promoted teams would have to beat a higher ranked team so would be a good indication of where they're at.
3) Relegation a lot of the time goes to score difference with 3 or 4 teams tied on the same points. It would give a team another chance."
The 2nd bottom team has had 7 chances to pick up points, why do they deserve yet another one?

CastleBravo (Meath) - Posts: 1643 - 29/03/2017 15:52:45    1972818

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Let me guess - if Cavan win on Sunday they would avoid relegation in your scenario? Without even looking at the table, I am confident this is true!!

Pinkie (Wexford) - Posts: 4100 - 29/03/2017 16:12:32    1972832

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It would be nice if we had a league. Playoffs just kill the whole concept of one. They also eat into the fixture list that the GAA are looking to condense. No better starting point than scrapping the whole playoff idea.

SaffronDon (Antrim) - Posts: 2385 - 29/03/2017 17:06:07    1972853

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Replying To Pinkie:  "Let me guess - if Cavan win on Sunday they would avoid relegation in your scenario? Without even looking at the table, I am confident this is true!!"
And we wouldn't have got promoted last year without beating Cork. So what's your point?

Hardtimes (Cavan) - Posts: 1056 - 29/03/2017 17:11:13    1972856

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Replying To SaffronDon:  "It would be nice if we had a league. Playoffs just kill the whole concept of one. They also eat into the fixture list that the GAA are looking to condense. No better starting point than scrapping the whole playoff idea."
The playoff would replace the current league final which sometimes can be cagey enough affairs with teams not showing "their full hand" for Championship. With promotion at stake all that goes out the window and there are no extra games to the current schedule.

Hardtimes (Cavan) - Posts: 1056 - 29/03/2017 17:14:52    1972860

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Replying To CastleBravo:  "The 2nd bottom team has had 7 chances to pick up points, why do they deserve yet another one?"
Second top has 7 chances to gain top spot. The penalty for not doing this is another game to secure promotion. Same argument.

Hardtimes (Cavan) - Posts: 1056 - 29/03/2017 17:18:17    1972862

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Replying To Hardtimes:  "Second top has 7 chances to gain top spot. The penalty for not doing this is another game to secure promotion. Same argument."
Now that's a leap , take a maths equation apply it to two different scenarios and declare they are the same when in fact they are not.
Poor play and performance shouldn't be rewarded, its amazing so many on here go on about the advantages top teams have and here we have an idea to bail them out again should they come unstuck.

Damothedub (Dublin) - Posts: 5193 - 29/03/2017 17:51:35    1972869

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Replying To Hardtimes:  "The playoff would replace the current league final which sometimes can be cagey enough affairs with teams not showing "their full hand" for Championship. With promotion at stake all that goes out the window and there are no extra games to the current schedule."
all that really does is make your actual league games less important because you can get a bail out in the playoffs. I think the current structure is too long and chopping the playoffs and making it an authentic league competition would be a step in the right direction. We already have a playoff competition, its called the AI Championship, why do we need another?

SaffronDon (Antrim) - Posts: 2385 - 29/03/2017 17:52:40    1972870

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Football:
Keep the current system and add promotion-relegation playoffs between 3rd bottom and 3rd placed in the division below.

Hurling:
Top 3 1A and top team 1B into league semi-finals.

4th and 5th from 1A and 2nd and 3rd from 1B should enter round robin with top 2 qualifying for 1A of the following year.

The above will open up competitiveness between the divisions. If the lower division has a strong year, more will be promoted.

legendzxix (Kerry) - Posts: 7840 - 29/03/2017 18:00:53    1972874

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I think what it would mean though that the top teams would not try as hard if they knew that they would be safe even if they finished 2nd from bottom. they could put out all their big guns for the relegation playoff. To me a league is a league. leave it alone. The top team should be awarded the trophy . none of this "league final" nonsense.

s goldrick (Cavan) - Posts: 5518 - 29/03/2017 18:13:48    1972879

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Replying To Damothedub:  "Now that's a leap , take a maths equation apply it to two different scenarios and declare they are the same when in fact they are not.
Poor play and performance shouldn't be rewarded, its amazing so many on here go on about the advantages top teams have and here we have an idea to bail them out again should they come unstuck."
What maths equation are you talking about? It's the same point. Poor play and performance can still get you promoted- there are no absolutes. And in the last few years please point out where top teams would have been bailed out under that scenario. And I'm talking top teams.

Hardtimes (Cavan) - Posts: 1056 - 29/03/2017 18:19:10    1972880

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Replying To SaffronDon:  "all that really does is make your actual league games less important because you can get a bail out in the playoffs. I think the current structure is too long and chopping the playoffs and making it an authentic league competition would be a step in the right direction. We already have a playoff competition, its called the AI Championship, why do we need another?"
There's not that much between yo-yo teams so a playoff against a lower division team is by no means a bail out. You could argue that league games are more important because you cannot afford a slow start if you want to move up divisions.

Hardtimes (Cavan) - Posts: 1056 - 29/03/2017 18:23:18    1972883

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Replying To legendzxix:  "Football:
Keep the current system and add promotion-relegation playoffs between 3rd bottom and 3rd placed in the division below.

Hurling:
Top 3 1A and top team 1B into league semi-finals.

4th and 5th from 1A and 2nd and 3rd from 1B should enter round robin with top 2 qualifying for 1A of the following year.

The above will open up competitiveness between the divisions. If the lower division has a strong year, more will be promoted."
Good point on 3rd place, never thought of that. Could make it very interesting on last day of leagues and it definitely would mix it up well if the lower division has a strong year.

Hardtimes (Cavan) - Posts: 1056 - 29/03/2017 18:27:58    1972886

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Replying To Hardtimes:  "And we wouldn't have got promoted last year without beating Cork. So what's your point?"
My point is we all come up with a suit ourselves scenario, when it is ourselves who are impacted or would benefit from such a change.

Pinkie (Wexford) - Posts: 4100 - 30/03/2017 10:07:43    1973032

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Replying To Hardtimes:  "What maths equation are you talking about? It's the same point. Poor play and performance can still get you promoted- there are no absolutes. And in the last few years please point out where top teams would have been bailed out under that scenario. And I'm talking top teams."
I think you need to read my post again , I said an idea to bail out , should they come unstuck , you answered in the past tense , when in fact I didn't say it HAD happened

Damothedub (Dublin) - Posts: 5193 - 30/03/2017 10:14:35    1973034

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Replying To Hardtimes:  "Would a relegation/promotion playoff against the second last team in the division versus the second top team in the next division down be a better option than what exists currently? Only the top team would go up and bottom team go down automatically. Opinions? (Obviously this would suit my own county's position at present but it's not why I'm posting).
Advantages would be:
1) The "League Final" might have a lot more bite to it with much more at stake than bragging rights.
2) Sometimes there is a lot of talk that teams are not ready for the leap up. The weaker of the two promoted teams would have to beat a higher ranked team so would be a good indication of where they're at.
3) Relegation a lot of the time goes to score difference with 3 or 4 teams tied on the same points. It would give a team another chance."
Hard times says it all. How many chances do Cavan want or need

Muineachain76 (Monaghan) - Posts: 180 - 30/03/2017 10:49:58    1973049

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