[Football] Unfair EFL play-offs

[Seat Stealer]

Just sitting watching the IPL cricket semi-finals. The top four teams qualify for the semi-finals. However, 1st place in the normal league plays 2nd place with the winner progressing to the final. The 3rd v 4th play off, allows that winner, to play the loser of 1st v 2nd for a place in the final. I know that a similar format exists in the non-league football pyramid, encompassing 6 teams.

I reviewed the last 24 Championship tables and noted only 9 teams placed in third qualified for the Premiership (37.5%). Placed 4th = 6 qualifiers (25%). Placed 5th = 5 Qualifiers (20.8%) & finally 6th placed = 4 Qualifiers (16.7%). On the 15 occasions that the 3rd placed team failed to qualify, they averaged a 6 point margin between themselves and the eventual qualifier. With a high of 14points. ( Sunderland v Sheff Utd 2024/25).

Personally I think that the play-offs should be changed, to the IPL Cricket format or possibly give the higher placed team, a 1 goal start in each play-off tie. Thus reflecting reflect their superior season.

Anyone got any thoughts on this? If so, do you think it's currently fair or is there a better way?

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

I would expand it to 6 teams

Top 2 in po straight into the semis - 2 legs

3-6 play a one off game with the highest seeded team at home

3 v 6

4 v 5

 

[PascalGroß Tips]

Just sitting watching the IPL cricket semi-finals. The top four teams qualify for the semi-finals. However, 1st place in the normal league plays 2nd place with the winner progressing to the final. The 3rd v 4th play off, allows that winner, to play the loser of 1st v 2nd for a place in the final. I know that a similar format exists in the non-league football pyramid, encompassing 6 teams.

I reviewed the last 24 Championship tables and noted only 9 teams placed in third qualified for the Premiership (37.5%). Placed 4th = 6 qualifiers (25%). Placed 5th = 5 Qualifiers (20.8%) & finally 6th placed = 4 Qualifiers (16.7%). On the 15 occasions that the 3rd placed team failed to qualify, they averaged a 6 point margin between themselves and the eventual qualifier. With a high of 14points. ( Sunderland v Sheff Utd 2024/25).

Personally I think that the play-offs should be changed, to the IPL Cricket format or possibly give the higher placed team, a 1 goal start in each play-off tie. Thus reflecting reflect their superior season.

Anyone got any thoughts on this? If so, do you think it's currently fair or is their a better way?

Not sure about further down the pyramid - but it doesn't work like that in the National League South, for example.

1st place - promoted automatically
2nd and 3rd - go straight through to semi final stage
5th plays 6th with the winner playing the team that came 2nd in one semi final
4th plays 7th with the winner playing the team that came 3rd in the other semi final
Winners of each of the semi finals then play in the Play Off Final.

At no stage does a team that has lost (the losing team from 1st and 2nd in your example) get another chance.

Play offs were introduced to keep the league 'interesting' later in the season. If you're going to keep play offs, I think the current way works.

 

[PascalGroß Tips]

I would expand it to 6 teams

Top 2 straight into the semis - 2 legs

3-6 play a one off game with the highest seeded team at home

3 v 6

4 v 5

So the team that actually wins the league still has to enter a play off and therefore might not get promotion

 

[Kojakker]

The only tweak id make is to remove penalty shootouts. They are needed in cup competitions as there is usually no obvious way to decide who progresses in the event of a draw. For the playoffs, we have an entire 46 game season which shows which of the two teams was better.
To ignore that in favour of a round of penalties seems incredibly harsh on the takers, one of whom is going to miss a kick that potentially causes people to lose their jobs.
It won’t change because penalties equals drama equals viewers, but it would give fairer recognition to teams finishing higher in the table.

 

[HangletonGull]

Nop don’t change it format works every one knows the rules before that start , all this let’s tweek this change that no just leave it alone

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

Just sitting watching the IPL cricket semi-finals. The top four teams qualify for the semi-finals. However, 1st place in the normal league plays 2nd place with the winner progressing to the final. The 3rd v 4th play off, allows that winner, to play the loser of 1st v 2nd for a place in the final. I know that a similar format exists in the non-league football pyramid, encompassing 6 teams.

I reviewed the last 24 Championship tables and noted only 9 teams placed in third qualified for the Premiership (37.5%). Placed 4th = 6 qualifiers (25%). Placed 5th = 5 Qualifiers (20.8%) & finally 6th placed = 4 Qualifiers (16.7%). On the 15 occasions that the 3rd placed team failed to qualify, they averaged a 6 point margin between themselves and the eventual qualifier. With a high of 14points. ( Sunderland v Sheff Utd 2024/25).

Personally I think that the play-offs should be changed, to the IPL Cricket format or possibly give the higher placed team, a 1 goal start in each play-off tie. Thus reflecting reflect their superior season.

Anyone got any thoughts on this? If so, do you think it's currently fair or is their a better way?

Often the third placed team has either been in or could have been in the top two, missing out is a massive downer. 6th place is often a team scrapping into the position often in good late form.

 

[PascalGroß Tips]

The only tweak id make is to remove penalty shootouts. They are needed in cup competitions as there is usually no obvious way to decide who progresses in the event of a draw. For the playoffs, we have an entire 46 game season which shows which of the two teams was better.
To ignore that in favour of a round of penalties seems incredibly harsh on the takers, one of whom is going to miss a kick that potentially causes people to lose their jobs.
It won’t change because penalties equals drama equals viewers, but it would give fairer recognition to teams finishing higher in the table.

So you'd potentially get the team that finished higher in the league season just playing for a draw. Never going to happen.

 

[Kojakker]

So you'd potentially get the team that finished higher in the league season just playing for a draw. Never going to happen.

That’s their choice but quite a ballsy approach to take. Just invite the other team on for 90/120 minutes.

 

[PascalGroß Tips]

That’s their choice but quite a ballsy approach to take. Just invite the other team on for 90/120 minutes.

Irrelevant as your idea just isn't going to happen.

 

[Brian Munich]

In 15-16 it was very annoying that we finished 15 points ahead of Massive but for no tangible advantage. In fact, us having a potential promotion-winning game 6 days before while they had nothing to play for in their final regular-season game was a definite disadvantage and felt bloody unfair at the time.

However, the play-off system has proven to be very successful in providing drama and entertainment. At the end of the day that’s what sells tickets and gets people watching on telly - the whole purpose of professional sport. I can’t see the format being changed, and personally I really enjoy it every season.

 

[studio150]

Just wait until the PL American owners get the ideal of introducing play-offs to the PL

No league winners based on 38 game season, but

top 6 qualify for post season. with teams 7 to 10 playing one off game to qualify

then the 8 teams play each other once with the higher ranked team at home

Each game starting at 1am, to ensure prime time USA viewing

 

[drew]

Nop don’t change it format works every one knows the rules before that start , all this let’s tweek this change that no just leave it alone

Agree. System works and am against teams getting two bites at the cherry.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

So the team that actually wins the league still has to enter a play off and therefore might not get promotion

Teams 1 and 2 in the league go up automatically - sorry meant 1-2 in terms of po positioning

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Just wait until the PL American owners get the ideal of introducing play-offs to the PL

No league winners based on 38 game season, but

top 6 qualify for post season. with teams 7 to 10 playing one off game to qualify

then the 8 teams play each other once with the higher ranked team at home

Each game starting at 1am, to ensure prime time USA viewing

Only one us owner away from them having the 14 votes needed along side the middle east owners

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

I love the play offs, I think they're great but it is true that the third place team doesn't really get any advantage at all.

If they were to be changed this is the way I'd like to see it done.

The third place team goes straight to the final. Sixth plays away at fifth in a one of game, the winner of which then plays 4th away in another one off game. The winner of that then plays three in the final.

That way there's a clear advantage for finishing higher up the league. Three is straight in the final so is only one game away from promotion while fourth has two games plus home advantage for the semi, fifth and sixth have three games with fifth having home advantage for the quarter final. Three and four would both have the added benefit of being fresher as they'd get at least a few days extra rest on the teams below them.

 

[Man of Harveys]

I totally agree with the idea that the financial stakes between being in the Championship and the PL are far too high these days to reduce it to a bit of a short shoot out. Sure it’s exciting but it’s something that is too reminiscent of the late 80s when the playoffs were introduced, an era when the crowds and the game in general were really on their arses still. Anything that seeds it towards taking league positions into account as others have suggested above would be much fairer.

 

[US Seagull]

Just sitting watching the IPL cricket semi-finals. The top four teams qualify for the semi-finals. However, 1st place in the normal league plays 2nd place with the winner progressing to the final. The 3rd v 4th play off, allows that winner, to play the loser of 1st v 2nd for a place in the final. I know that a similar format exists in the non-league football pyramid, encompassing 6 teams.

I reviewed the last 24 Championship tables and noted only 9 teams placed in third qualified for the Premiership (37.5%). Placed 4th = 6 qualifiers (25%). Placed 5th = 5 Qualifiers (20.8%) & finally 6th placed = 4 Qualifiers (16.7%). On the 15 occasions that the 3rd placed team failed to qualify, they averaged a 6 point margin between themselves and the eventual qualifier. With a high of 14points. ( Sunderland v Sheff Utd 2024/25).

Personally I think that the play-offs should be changed, to the IPL Cricket format or possibly give the higher placed team, a 1 goal start in each play-off tie. Thus reflecting reflect their superior season.

Anyone got any thoughts on this? If so, do you think it's currently fair or is there a better way?

Honestly? Your percentages, ~37, ~25, ~20, ~17, sound about right. I don't see the unfairness at all.

 

[Braggfan]

There's nothing wrong with the current system. There's nothing unfair about finishing 3rd and not getting promoted. Put simply the team that finished 3rd weren't good enough to get automatic promotion. And if they can't win the playoffs they don't deserve to go up.

 

[Badger]

I love the play offs, I think they're great but it is true that the third place team doesn't really get any advantage at all.

If they were to be changed this is the way I'd like to see it done.

The third place team goes straight to the final. Sixth plays away at fifth in a one of game, the winner of which then plays 4th away in another one off game. The winner of that then plays three in the final.

That way there's a clear advantage for finishing higher up the league. Three is straight in the final so is only one game away from promotion while fourth has two games plus home advantage for the semi, fifth and sixth have three games with fifth having home advantage for the quarter final. Three and four would both have the added benefit of being fresher as they'd get at least a few days extra rest on the teams below them.

The problem with this approach is the team that finishes third won't have played a match for weeks. It might keep them somewhat fresh but they won't have played any competitive matches, which I would think is a disadvantage.