Are the play-offs a lottery?

[boris]

I don't think they are. Let's face it, if I had a one-in-four chance of winning the jackpot I'd buy a lottery ticket every fucking week.

[scooter]

Not a lottery but it still strikes me as unfair that a team finishing 12 points behind second place ( as York potentially could are given a second chance.

[Dr Bob]

Not a lottery but it still strikes me as unfair that a team finishing 12 points behind second place ( as York potentially could are given a second chance.

Except play-offs are not about fairness. In a horizontal structure, such as American football, they offer a way of channelling equally matched teams from across different Divisions into an end of season final, but in a sport with a vertical league structure, it is only about money.

[GodalmingYellow]

Not a lottery but it still strikes me as unfair that a team finishing 12 points behind second place ( as York potentially could are given a second chance.

This is tre, but the play offs are about which is the lesser of two evils:

a) Someone not finishing second getting promotion, or
b) Many teams seasons effectively ending in February or March, with the combined disadvantage that with little to play for they take it easy when other teams, possibly including the 2nd place team, had tougher games against them.

Without the play offs, if you miss out on 2nd place by a small goal difference, or even by a small points margin, and the 2nd place team had an easier game against a mid-table side with nothing to play for, whereas your side had a tough game whilst the mid-table team had something to play for, that's hardly an equitable system either.

Personally, I prefer having the play offs, especially as the margin between 2nd and 5th isn't often that huge, as it effectively extends the season right to the end with the vast majority of clubs involved in either potential promotion or relegation.

[slappy]

Not a lottery but it still strikes me as unfair that a team finishing 12 points behind second place ( as York potentially could are given a second chance.

This is tre, but the play offs are about which is the lesser of two evils:

a) Someone not finishing second getting promotion, or
b) Many teams seasons effectively ending in February or March, with the combined disadvantage that with little to play for they take it easy when other teams, possibly including the 2nd place team, had tougher games against them.

Without the play offs, if you miss out on 2nd place by a small goal difference, or even by a small points margin, and the 2nd place team had an easier game against a mid-table side with nothing to play for, whereas your side had a tough game whilst the mid-table team had something to play for, that's hardly an equitable system either.

Personally, I prefer having the play offs, especially as the margin between 2nd and 5th isn't often that huge, as it effectively extends the season right to the end with the vast majority of clubs involved in either potential promotion or relegation.

Let's hope you are now more optimistic about the chances of seeing Oxford United play at Wembley in your lifetime.

[GodalmingYellow]

Not a lottery but it still strikes me as unfair that a team finishing 12 points behind second place ( as York potentially could are given a second chance.

This is tre, but the play offs are about which is the lesser of two evils:

a) Someone not finishing second getting promotion, or
b) Many teams seasons effectively ending in February or March, with the combined disadvantage that with little to play for they take it easy when other teams, possibly including the 2nd place team, had tougher games against them.

Without the play offs, if you miss out on 2nd place by a small goal difference, or even by a small points margin, and the 2nd place team had an easier game against a mid-table side with nothing to play for, whereas your side had a tough game whilst the mid-table team had something to play for, that's hardly an equitable system either.

Personally, I prefer having the play offs, especially as the margin between 2nd and 5th isn't often that huge, as it effectively extends the season right to the end with the vast majority of clubs involved in either potential promotion or relegation.

Let's hope you are now more optimistic about the chances of seeing Oxford United play at Wembley in your lifetime.

I certainly am now much more optimistic. So much so tht I might have to change my gripe to &quotNever see OUFC win at Wembley&quot....

[Snake]

In this particular lottery we are the 2nd favourites of four.

And before anyone goes banging on about bookmakers I think they have this one spot on.

http://www.oddschecker.com/football/non ... /promotion

[Sackcloth Ox]

In this particular lottery we are the 2nd favourites of four.

And before anyone goes banging on about bookmakers I think they have this one spot on.

http://www.oddschecker.com/football/non ... /promotion

Hmm, not sure.

[Snake]

In this particular lottery we are the 2nd favourites of four.

And before anyone goes banging on about bookmakers I think they have this one spot on.

http://www.oddschecker.com/football/non ... /promotion

Hmm, not sure.

Underneath your sackcloth you have a suit of golden amour, just like the rest of Us.

I might see you at R&ampD, York or (you just never know) @ the “W

[SmileyMan]

I managed to not get a single number across five lines of the lottery last night. Not sure if that's an omen.

If we get through the two-legged effort with a brace of good performances then I think we'll win at Wembley, even against Luton. I just hope we don't succumb in the second leg again. That would be too fucking depressing for words.

[John Byrne's Underpants]

I just hope we don't succumb in the second leg again. That would be too fucking depressing for words.

Not so much losing it but the manner in which we lost it. I could've handled a beating better.

With improved recent performances, I'm feeling a lot more optimistic now. We've got as good a chance as any of the other 3 teams, even Luton. I've even bought my home leg ticket, even though I said I wouldn't this time after the Exeter debacle

[Geoff]

I've always had mixed feeling about the play-offs. Maintaining a competitive end to the season versus fifth place team being promoted. On balance I'm just in favour but would be more so if the conditions were slanted in favour of the team finishing second.

This is how it should work. Fifth placed team plays fourth, with the fourth team playing at home as a reward for finishing higher. One leg only. The winner plays third place at their home ground. The winner playing the second placed team at Wembley. Simples!

[boris]

This is how it should work. Fifth placed team plays fourth, with the fourth team playing at home as a reward for finishing higher. One leg only. The winner plays third place at their home ground. The winner playing the second placed team at Wembley. Simples!

I like that (apart from the &quotsimples&quot bit). Can it be backdated to 2007?

[Myles Francis]

This is how it should work. Fifth placed team plays fourth, with the fourth team playing at home as a reward for finishing higher. One leg only. The winner plays third place at their home ground. The winner playing the second placed team at Wembley. Simples!

Isn't this how they do it with Northern egg-chasing?

[SmileyMan]

A bubblesort league? Slow and inefficient in general.

Now an RB-tree binary chop sort league, that would be over in a matter of weeks!