How feasible will American styled playoffs be in European leagues?

[Huyton Layne]

Even in MLS the schedule is not balanced so a playoff is understandable.... but the team that finishes with the most points gets a trophy (the Supporters’ Shield) and they go into the North American version of the Champions League along with the MLS Cup winner. So both achievements are rewarded.

Probelm is that the glory and reputation are backwards. The supporters shield is a blatant naming after the pointless charity shield and doesn't get all over TV like the MLS Cup does.

 

[BlueStevie35]

...the only change I would make is for the team that finishes 3rd bottom in the Premier League to be included in the Championship promotion play-offs.

Like in Scotland, the second bottom team in the Prem goes into a 4 team playoff with the 2nd, 3rd and 4th placed teams in the Championship, 2nd bottom Championship with 2nd-4th in League One, 2nd bottom League One with 2nd-4th League Two and bottom of League Two with the winner of a playoff of the league winners of the two non league divisions, the Highland and Lowland leagues

 

[ilikecheese]

While I wouldn't be in favor of it, I suppose money at the end of the day would be the deciding factor.

If people filled stadiums and watched on TV, I could definitely see leagues adopting a playoff system.

 

[mmmmsnouts]

Once upon a time baseball had a balanced schedule and the World Series was the only playoffs and was used because the leagues were completely separate. Now baseball has a crazy amount of playoffs because of money

The baseball playoffs are not nearly long enough to determine the best team. I don’t even get worked up because it’s all luck and fate at that point. Baseball would actually be a great candidate for a European schedule. Each team plays all the others home and away in three-game series. 176 games, no playoffs, best record decides the champion, use tiebreakers as needed.

This, of course, will never happen because Fox and ESPN need the Yankees and Red Sox to play their customary 50 games a year against each other.

 

[Eggs]

Like in Scotland, the second bottom team in the Prem goes into a 4 team playoff with the 2nd, 3rd and 4th placed teams in the Championship, 2nd bottom Championship with 2nd-4th in League One, 2nd bottom League One with 2nd-4th League Two and bottom of League Two with the winner of a playoff of the league winners of the two non league divisions, the Highland and Lowland leagues

..yep. I just feel the team finishing third bottom deserves a crack at staying up more than the team finishing 6th in the Championship deserves a crack at going up.

 

[Rook]

you don't need playoffs. You need roster caps and a serious overhaul of the transfer and loan system.

If you want playoffs make the UEFA cup straight knockout and also boot the C-league losers out of it.

 

[NEWSWEETTOFFEE]

Belgian league.

Yes, it is called play-off, just like in Bosnia, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Wales, Scotland and every other league with mini-league at the end, but it isn't US knockout style play-off which you suggest (Interesting proposition. They mentioned it in Germany few times as a means of making it more difficult for Bayern.).

 

[NEWSWEETTOFFEE]

you don't need playoffs. You need roster caps and a serious overhaul of the transfer and loan system.

If you want playoffs make the UEFA cup straight knockout and also boot the C-league losers out of it.

Yeah, how much players does Chelsea have? 100?

 

[Rook]

Yeah, how much players does Chelsea have? 100?

The prem is hawt garbage, but it doesn't have to be. There is a ton of good young talent floating around, talent that could be spread around the 4 leagues. And enough money in the league taht even a "cash strapped" club like Bournemouth can resign. Cap rosters at 25 w/ another 25 allowed at ages 16-22 (you get injuries in your senior squad, tough @#$% play the kids) and limit the loans to 3-5/year.

 

[WA Toffee]

Australia has play offs to decide the champions. This year Sydney won the league by 14 points, but lost one game yesterday to Melbourne so they will not be the champions. It's a farce.

 

[Toffee in Jandals]

I think play-offs should be brought to the English league and other top European leagues.

Many leagues in Europe, have adopted the American playoff styled nature in their top flight leagues, examples being the Belgian, Ukrianian, Greek and many smaller nations. The Belgian league, can be cited, as a prime example of a copy of the American system. I feel if there was a system, where a top 8 could be entered in a play-off format, for the league title, it'd be something refreshing and interesting. Let's be honest, this year, the PL was over by October, with City basically declared the winners, and last year it was the same with Chelsea. It was the same story in Spain, France and Germany, with Italy being the exceptions. If a play-off system was introduced, then the league will be interesting until the last minute. The Europeans have stuck to the old system and haven't evolved, compared with Americans. I think if play-offs were introduced, then the number of teams would have to be cut from 20 to around 15-16.

Would this be a great idea? I think it's what European league needs.

No, this would be a dumb idea.

 

[The binman chronicles]

Just a way to milk supporters for more cash. You also get more dead rubber games like say what utd did last year and Arsenal this. If they have a play off secured what is the point in trying? May as well rest players for the knockout games, thus teams could be relegated off the back of playing the top sides earlier in the season.

League is the league, cups are for knockout games. It would seriously turn me off football if it was ever brought in. Great if you are 4th and you win it but can you imagine us finishing 1st in the league then the RS who finished 4th are the ones listed as league champions that year due to them winning 2-4 games at the end of the season. Of course you can't as we aren't going to finish first anytime soon but the point remains. It's plain bonkers.

 

[ilikecheese]

Australia has play offs to decide the champions. This year Sydney won the league by 14 points, but lost one game yesterday to Melbourne so they will not be the champions. It's a farce.

Melbourne would disagree.

 

[WA Toffee]

Melbourne would disagree.

yep, I'm sure they are delighted that even though they finished in 4th place 25 points behind the leaders, they just have to win one more game to be called champions.

 

[ilikecheese]

yep, I'm sure they are delighted that even though they finished in 4th place 25 points behind the leaders, they just have to win one more game to be called champions.

Was the stadium full? Did people watch on TV?