Source
r/soccer•
eldenv

Premier League Play-Offs, or: how we can have the craziest run in you've ever seen

Unlike many other competitions, the Premier League does not use head-to-head results between teams to separate those who finish level on points.

League position is determined simply by points, then goal difference, then goals scored.

If teams are still level, and a final position needs to be determined for the title, relegation or European qualification, then a Play-off will be organised.

Rule C.17 from the Premier League Handbook says:

If at the end of the Season either the League Champions or the Clubs to be relegated or the question of qualification for other competitions cannot be determined because two or more Clubs are equal on points, goal difference and goals scored, the Clubs concerned shall play off one or more deciding League Matches on neutral grounds, the format, timing and venue of which shall be determined by the Board.

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We currently have a tight title race, and a tight top 4 race, and its not impossible for results to fall such that City and Liverpool, or any of the following four, finish level on points, GD and goals.

To prove the case, I came up with a set of results that would give the ideal Play-off situation.

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https://i.redd.it/k4muuhq7e4q21.png

What on earth would happen if four teams finished level for the two final Champions League spots? Two individual matches and the winner of each are is considered 3rd and 4th? A series of eliminators? Can you imagine the scenes if we had a one-off match between Liverpool and City to determine who won the league?

It would be carnage - and hopefully, in this banter era that we live in, it will come true.

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Posted Apr 3, 2019, 9:50 PM UTC

8228
AsshatVik:Tottenham_Hotspur:•

Arsenal and Spurs both losing 0-5, nah, it won't come true.

42
qwertygasm:Leicester_City_FC:•

The less likely scenario is Spurs drawing another game.

21
ExtinctLikeNdiaye•

Spurs will lose 6-1 and bottle the possibility

7
AsshatVik:Tottenham_Hotspur:•

UNSUBSCRIBE WITH EXTREME PREJUDICE

5
[deleted]•

[deleted]

1
Haroun04:Chad:•

I was thinking why they don't take Goals conceded as a tie breaker after goals scored then it dawned on me...

37
[deleted]•

[deleted]

1
moob9:Liverpool:•

one-off match between Liverpool and City to determine who won the league

Man, that would be great. If we'd won, of course.

34
OPdoesnotrespond:Tottenham_Hotspur:•

Also, why stop at tiebreakers for 1st and 3rd?

If Man City win the FA Cup, 7th becomes the last qualifier for Europa League. Why not some tiebreakers for 7th? :)

Now that’s maximum carnage.

Edit to add:

I’m sure can find a scenario to get five clubs tied for 7th! Wolves, Watford, Leicester, Everton, and West Ham.

16
tickub:Thailand:•

Let's add tiebreakers to the last relegation spot while we're at it.

17
OPdoesnotrespond:Tottenham_Hotspur:•

Holy shit. Didn’t even consider that.

3
jammy-git•

The 38-game season was just the group stages for the knock-out competition at the end.

3
IIIredditorIII:Arsenal:•

This nearly happened between Chelsea and Arsenal a couple years ago.

Old article:https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/22537372

12
OPdoesnotrespond:Tottenham_Hotspur:•

A two way tie for third—nothing happens. Both teams are considered tied and since both go straight to the group stage, there’s nothing to determine. But even if a match were to be played it’s a one-off so no real intrigue.

A four way tie for third is interesting: like OP said, would it be two matches paired off, with the winners moving on? (I’d vote for a full-on World Cup style 3 match round robin, but I doubt the powers that be would go for it.)

But the most interesting scenario is a three way tie for third. How in the hell do you make that fair? Would you just draw one of the three to await the winner of the other two? Or would you do A vs B and B vs C and A vs C? (Even that’s a little unfair: A gets a nice break between matches.)

But the real answer is: a tiebreaker match or matches is just not going to happen.

11
dump_user5000:Liverpool:•

It needs to be a tie breaker for 3rd because it affects how much you can how much a team earn UEFA's prize, according to your position; and also your pot placement in the group stage selection (although the latter is more dependent on UEFA Coeffient)

1
OPdoesnotrespond:Tottenham_Hotspur:•

I’m sure UEFA would just split the 3rd and 4th place allocation between the two of them.

Last I remember it was like 20M for 3rd and 10M for 4th so they’d both get 15M.

Pot placement is entirely done by coefficients.

9
pm_me_ur_breakfast1•

I have no source on this but I doubt the difference between 3rd and 4th is £10m

1
OPdoesnotrespond:Tottenham_Hotspur:•

It was a few years ago. I remember thinking that 40M for 1st, 30M for 2nd, 20M for 3rd, and 10M for 4th were some nice round numbers when I saw them.

This was just one of the pots of CL money, not the full amounts clubs get with all of the various pots and performances and such.

4
qwertygasm:Leicester_City_FC:•

1 point from our last 3 games.

No thank you, I'll take less carnage please.

7
hubristank:Minnesota_United_FC:•

man city banging 5 v spurs and then sputtering out for the rest of the season with 1-0 results while liverpool would need to score 22 goals in 6 games... really puts the goal difference into some perspective :P

2
vadapaav:Liverpool:•

#Why?

1
outroversion•

Same kinda posts every year. It will NEVER happen.

1
TomZanetti:Liverpool:•

Probs will one day

1
vlx_d•

Kinda wish PL did a Champs League-esque playoff system between the top 8 teams at the end of the season

-1
FridaysMan:Liverpool:•

Why? The FA cup and League cup are there, if the top 8 are so good they'd usually fill the quarters.

2
vlx_d•

Yeah, but no one takes the cups seriously. Provides some excitement to the end of the season

1
FridaysMan:Liverpool:•

I doubt anyone would take the playoffs seriously either, it's more games that cuts into their preseason and summer breaks, or disrupted by internationals. There's no space in the calendar and it risks making a moneyball league

3
vlx_d•

Agreed, just love the feel of playoffs at the end of a season lol

1