Norwegian playoffs

[Eric the Half a Bee]

Long time sufferers of my posts will know I have a very soft spot for Aalesund FK as it's a place I visit occasionally and have a number of friends. They are trying to get back into the top flight and, despite ballsing up an automatic promotion spot, have gone into the playoffs.

This is how it works.

3rd vs 6th
4th vs 5th

One off games where the home team is the side that finishes highest.

The winners of those games play a one-off game where, again, the home team is the side that finishes highest.

The winner of that plays 2 legs against the side that finishes one place above the relegation zone in the top flight.

Does this sound like a system that is more favourable towards the team that finishes highest? Is it fairer?

Over to you.

[life on mars]

Long time sufferers of my posts will know I have a very soft spot for Aalesund FK as it's a place I visit occasionally and have a number of friends. They are trying to get back into the top flight and, despite ballsing up an automatic promotion spot, have gone into the playoffs.

This is how it works.

3rd vs 6th
4th vs 5th

One off games where the home team is the side that finishes highest.

The winners of those games play a one-off game where, again, the home team is the side that finishes highest.

The winner of that plays 2 legs against the side that finishes one place above the relegation zone in the top flight.

Does this sound like a system that is more favourable towards the team that finishes highest? Is it fairer?

Over to you.

Its sounds so confusing, why not make it simple like ours, good luck to mighty Aalesund FK,though.

[the other bob wilson]

Its sounds so confusing, why not make it simple like ours, good luck to mighty Aalesund FK,though.

Seems perfectly sensible and I'd rate it a fairer system than ours.

[William Treseder]

Isn’t that what they’ve been doing in Scotland for yrs?

[Harry Monk]

The original League format was the 3 below auto promotion and the one who finished 1 place above auto relegation from the league above. I always though this was a good way of doing it. But of course, unlike the Norwegian system, they were two legged games and then a final. The Norwegian system sounds good.

[CopenhagenBlue]

The original League format was the 3 below auto promotion and the one who finished 1 place above auto relegation from the league above. I always though this was a good way of doing it. But of course, unlike the Norwegian system, they were two legged games and then a final. The Norwegian system sounds good.

It's what we now have in Denmark between the Superliga and Division 1. I would say it's fair, and if the team gets relegated from the top flight, they can hardly complain too much, as they will have had about 3 chances to save themselves before, which is exactly what happened to a team I follow Silkeborg IF last season. Same as the Bundesliga 1 & 2 relegation/promotion play off I think?

[Brian]

Long time sufferers of my posts will know I have a very soft spot for Aalesund FK as it's a place I visit occasionally and have a number of friends. They are trying to get back into the top flight and, despite ballsing up an automatic promotion spot, have gone into the playoffs.

This is how it works.

3rd vs 6th
4th vs 5th

One off games where the home team is the side that finishes highest.

The winners of those games play a one-off game where, again, the home team is the side that finishes highest.

The winner of that plays 2 legs against the side that finishes one place above the relegation zone in the top flight.

Does this sound like a system that is more favourable towards the team that finishes highest? Is it fairer?

Over to you.

I've always said that the play offs should give some sort of advantage to the sides finishing higher. Maybe a one-goal advantage or the team finishing lower goes out in the event of the draw. The Norway system seems a decent solution but I'm not sure I like the play off against the team nearly relegated.

I like the play offs, but there can be a massive points difference between 3rd and 6th, and seems unfair to me that a side scraping in to them starts on a level playing field to one that may have just missed out on autos, and maybe 18 points in front of 6th place.

Unless it affects Leeds, in which case it's perfectly fine.

[lardy]

I've always said that the play offs should give some sort of advantage to the sides finishing higher. Maybe a one-goal advantage or the team finishing lower goes out in the event of the draw. The Norway system seems a decent solution but I'm not sure I like the play off against the team nearly relegated.

I like the play offs, but there can be a massive points difference between 3rd and 6th, and seems unfair to me that a side scraping in to them starts on a level playing field to one that may have just missed out on autos, and maybe 18 points in front of 6th place.

Unless it affects Leeds, in which case it's perfectly fine.

Interesting ideas, but I think it would lead to the higher placed team parking the bus for as long as they can. The playoffs aren't perfect but most of the time the matches are full of tension and excitement.

Reducing to one leg and home advantage to the higher team would be enough for me. I actually wouldn't fiddle with the playoffs too much. They work well as it is. We've had them for 30 years so I can't go along with the 'unfair' comments that always come up.

[CopenhagenBlue]

Interesting ideas, but I think it would lead to the higher placed team parking the bus for as long as they can. The playoffs aren't perfect but most of the time the matches are full of tension and excitement.

Reducing to one leg and home advantage to the higher team would be enough for me. I actually wouldn't fiddle with the playoffs too much. They work well as it is. We've had them for 30 years so I can't go along with the 'unfair' comments that always come up.

Me neither. Everyone knows before the start of the season the state of play. Play offs are great, especially when watching as a neutral, knowing full well from experience the anguish going through both sets of fans. That Blackpool final was hard to take, but the QPR one was just incredible.

[Eric the Half a Bee]

I've always said that the play offs should give some sort of advantage to the sides finishing higher. Maybe a one-goal advantage or the team finishing lower goes out in the event of the draw. The Norway system seems a decent solution but I'm not sure I like the play off against the team nearly relegated.

I like the play offs, but there can be a massive points difference between 3rd and 6th, and seems unfair to me that a side scraping in to them starts on a level playing field to one that may have just missed out on autos, and maybe 18 points in front of 6th place.

Unless it affects Leeds, in which case it's perfectly fine.

If anything, finishing 6th can be more of an advantage than finishing 3rd. If you can get an advantage in the home leg, park the bus in the second leg and play on the break. Not too many deficits are recovered in the playoffs. Home advantage first or second? I'd love to be home first.

[Des Parrot]

Long time sufferers of my posts will know I have a very soft spot for Aalesund FK as it's a place I visit occasionally and have a number of friends. They are trying to get back into the top flight and, despite ballsing up an automatic promotion spot, have gone into the playoffs.

This is how it works.

3rd vs 6th
4th vs 5th

One off games where the home team is the side that finishes highest.

The winners of those games play a one-off game where, again, the home team is the side that finishes highest.

The winner of that plays 2 legs against the side that finishes one place above the relegation zone in the top flight.

Does this sound like a system that is more favourable towards the team that finishes highest? Is it fairer?

Over to you.

I've always preferred this version, with clubs from both divisions involved

[The Bob Banker Spanker]

I’d quite like this method for the Championship.

3rd place team automatically in the final which is at their home ground.

5th vs 6th one leg

4th vs winner of the previous game one leg

Then the winner of that plays away to 3rd for the final.

Less games (3 as opposed to the 5 we have now) and probably a fairer system.
Money rules though, why change it to make it fairer on the higher placed team?

[B. Oddie]

The quality of Norwegian football isn't 'arf bad.

Generally speaking, in comparison I'd say it's somewhere between the Championship and League One. Bearing in mind that our Championship these days is full of talent and the top half could easily be the bottom eight in the Prem.

[lardy]

I’d quite like this method for the Championship.

3rd place team automatically in the final which is at their home ground.

5th vs 6th one leg

4th vs winner of the previous game one leg

Then the winner of that plays away to 3rd for the final.

Less games (3 as opposed to the 5 we have now) and probably a fairer system.
Money rules though, why change it to make it fairer on the higher placed team?

That might actually help the other teams. The 3rd place team would have a couple of weeks without a game. At the end of the season, that's tough for them, losing sharpness. Especially as the opposition would come in on a high.