Play-offs to expand to six teams?

Money Money Money

I seem to recall a team with negative goal difference got into one of the play-offs (maybe non-league) recently. I accept goal difference is not related to points entirely, but we could have teams that lose more than they win if you go down to 9th.

I have absolutely no problem with expanding the play-offs to six teams ... as long as it's done properly with as much advantage given to the higher-ranked sides as possible.

The problem with the National League fixturing last season was that the final round of regular-season matches were played on Bank Holiday Monday, 5th May and the first round of play-off matches weren't until 14th/15th May with the semi-finals (when the top two ranked sides joined the fray) on 20th and 21st May. That meant that York (2nd) and Forest Green (3rd) hadn't played a game for over a fortnight ... and both lost.

If this is the format you're going to have you need to make it as tough as possible for the lower-ranked sides so if the last round of matches are played on the Saturday you play the first round of play-off matches the following midweek with the semi-finals the following weekend. That way the bottom four-placed sides have to play Saturday-midweek-Saturday whereas the top two can play Saturday-Saturday and have a little more recovery time.

The AFL has employed an eight-team play-off system since the mid-90s with the current format used since 2000.

The original version had 1st v 8th, 2nd v 7th etc in Week 1 with the two lowest-ranked losers eliminated and the two highest-ranked winners progressing to Week3, one win away from the Grand Final and the other four teams playing in Week 2 for the right to progress to Week 3. The anomaly with this format was that if there upsets in all four matches the teams that finished 3rd and 4th would be eliminated and the 5th and 6th-placed sides would have qualified for the Preliminary Finals ... which was harsh as it gave no reward for finishing higher.

The current format has the top four play each other in Week 1 (1st v 4th, 2nd v 3rd) with the winners qualifying for the Prelim Finals in Week 3 and the losers playing in Week 2 against the winners of the sudden-death finals (5th v 8th, 6th v 7th).

From 2000 to 2015 the winners of the Grand Final came from the top four i.e. those who had the double-chance in Week 1 (i.e. you could lose your first game but not be eliminated) and you hardly saw a top-four side get eliminated in "straight sets" i.e. lose the Qualifying Final in Week 1 and the Semi-Final in Week 2.

In 2016 the League decided to have a bye week between the end of the regular season and the start of Finals to try and stop finals-bound sides resting lots of players in the last round. Since then two sides have won the Premiership from outside the top four: Western Bulldogs in 2016 (their first title since 1956 and hot on the heels of Leicester's Premier League title leading to the commentators calling it the Year of the Underdog) and Brisbane last year. In addition, top four sides have gone out in straight sets nine or ten times in this time.

What this seems to point towards is that the extra time off before the play-offs start hinders the higher-ranked sides ... and last year's NL play-offs followed this with Oldham (5th) and Southend (7th) getting to the final.

What's the point?
To make it more exciting? To give more teams a chance? 
Just get rid of parachute, sorry, I mean trampoline, money.

Don’t like this idea. Really my preference would be to get rid of the play offs altogether and revert back to top 3 get promoted. It’s already a nonsense that a team in 3rd could finish streets ahead of 4,5 and 6 below them, yet one of them can get promoted instead via the knockout games.

KingKinsella said:

Why limit it to 6??
I'd say let 24 clubs play each other home and away collecting points and the highest 3 get promoted.

Stupid idea - would never work...

Don't like the idea of Play-Offs going down to 8th. Personally I would change the format. 5th v 6th, 4th v 5th/6th - Winner plays 3rd at Wembley
It won't happen however.

jimmymelrose said:

What's the point?
To make it more exciting? To give more teams a chance? 
Just get rid of parachute, sorry, I mean trampoline, money.

IMHO it would have the opposite effect