I know the purists out there will be advocating for a single table champion, but let's face facts; it is the US, and their going to have a play off. So right now you have 10 teams. You take the top 4 in points at the end of the season, and have your semis two leg aggregate format, then the final is a best of three game scenario (with the top goal scoring team awarded home field advantage). If the two teams are tied a game a piece after two then the final third game is played on neutral turf. In addition in the playoffs, and only in the NASL playoffs the old NASL style shootout is used as a tie breaker, no mini game. This would be a nice nod to NASL legacy, and set the league apart a little bit without tinkering with the rules in a major way.
A modified top six system would be cool. I love the "second chance" McIntyre systems in Aussie Rules and Rugby League to be honest. I'd go for something like this: Round 1 - A - 1st Elimination Final - 4 v 5 B - 2nd Elimination Final - 3 v 6 C - Qualifying Final - 1 v 2 2 - D - 1st Semi Final - Loser C v 2nd highest ranked winner from A, B E - 2nd Semi Final - Winner C v 1st highest ranked winner from A, B 3 - F - Preliminary Final - Loser E v Winner D 4 - G - Soccer Bowl - Winner E v Winner F
Ok. Post number one I dont like, it would make the league look MLS back in it early years, number one thing is to not drive away eurosnobs, with shoot-outs and 3 game series.. How about a simple 1-6 playoffs, single table ofcourse, and then each game be two game aggregate, and maybe the final as well should be two legged with the best seed getting homefield in the second leg.. Lets just make it simple, the USL was actually better than MLS because of the single table and play-off scenarios they had, but now tht they are gone, the NASL has to do the same and be better than the MLS with single table play-offs and NO SHOOT-OUTS, ties are a part of the worlds game.. lets keep it that way!!
Or how about this scenario sounds more exciting.. top 6 teams advance to next round where it is split into 2 groups: group A and Group B Group A consist of teams placed 1st, 3rd, 5th Group B consist of teams 2nd, 4th, 6th Round robin once so each team plays each other once 1st and 2nd place teams in their groups has two home games against lower seeds. 3rd and 4th place teams has one home game against lower seed and one away against high seeds. 5th and 6th place teams plays two away games against higher seeds first place in their groups advance to final where it is 2 leg home and away.. if its a tie, penalties... (Higher seeded finalist gets home field in second leg)
You guys are making my head hurt. Round 1 - 1 & 2 get byes, 3 v 6 & 4 v 5 in 2 game aggregate series Round 2 - 1 v lowest seed & 2 v the other team in 2 game aggregate series Championship - Three game series with highest seed getting home field advantage. In the first two rounds the higher seed chooses which game it wants at home. If aggregate is tied after two games, then standard overtime, and then a shootout.
I'm not suggesting doing away with ties, or bringing back the nightmarish old NASL point system. These would just be in place during the play offs. I wondered how long it would take a purist to have a cow on this thread. What I'm suggesting would only be used during playoff scenarios. Look at the way the Australian A-league does their playoffs. It is nothing like the European model. I'm not suggesting we don't have single table either. I personally like single table. In order to decide ties POST-season use the old style NASL shootout, and have a multigame series to decide the championship. You can still have your two game aggregate model for your semis with away goal rules. I just think the use of the shootout, and a multi game series would be a good way of acknowledging the past without majorly tinkering with the rules. During the regular season have your single table, have your ties, and have your 3, 1, 0 points sytem. I'm not saying we get rid of those. I'm strictly speaking playoffs here.
oh ok, I see. I get you but why three game series? just have two game series home and away and the advantage the higher seed would have is having the second leg at home.. it just that three games seem to long for a championship game to be decided with...
Not if it's decided after two games. Theorhetically the team with the higher playoff goal tally gets homefield advantadge. In the case of a tie it would go to regular season goals. So they get the first game on thier pitch. If they win then they have momentum going into the second match. If the teams tie at a game a piece after the second then and only then would you be looking at a third game tie breaker. That would be played on neutral turf of the NASL's choosing. It would be a wrinkle that would set NASL apart from MLS, and add an extra bit of tension to the Pro/Reg scenario being discussed on these boards. [Note: I'm also thinking long term here. More games means more advertising revenue to be had]
I'm not buying in to the whole neutral site for a lower division game. If some teams are only getting 5000 fans when they're at home, how are they going to get them to another city to watch a game? Besides if you get to the championship you should be rewarded with a home game for your fans.
I stand corrected. Still would want to see the above sitation even if there are 6 teams in it at the end.
That's how the Colombian Dimayor works, and it's always seemed like a good system to me. I'd rather just see four teams, though, with home and away semi-finals followed by home and away finals. Which leads to the question: He did, but I think it's too many. Anything where more than half of the teams make the playoffs cheapens the regular season.
Yeah, six teams will be a bit much for this first season, assuming we have a ten-team league. But I think it's safe to expect that NASL will most likely have at least twelve teams for its 2011 season, assuming it survives its first year. As long as it stays at six as the league expands, then we should be good. I like a six-team playoff based on a single table: Gameday 1: 3@6 and 4@5 Gameday 2: 6@3 and 5@4 Reseed aggregate winners Gameday 3: 4*@1 and 3*@2 Gameday 4: semifinal winners at pre-determined ground Everyone gets exactly one home game so tickets can start being advertised and sold early, and top seeds get benefit of byes. I like the McIntyre system, too, since I think it's fairer in terms rewarding teams who have played well, but it's not as good for pre-selling tickets.
A-League (I assume you mean Australia's Hyundai A-League) uses a four-team McIntyre system: A: 4@3 B: 2@1 C: wA@lB D: wC@wB
I agree. There's a reason for the regular season (besides making money), and letting more than half of the teams into the playoffs would make it less meaningful. What's wrong with a simple straight bracket? 4@1, 3@2, then winners play each other at the higher seed. Rewards better teams and their fans with home games and easy to follow. Sudden death OT. If NASL really does go with six teams, go NFL style, with top two seeds getting byes, 6@3 and 5@4, reseed in the second round with 4@1 and 3@2, and winners meet at higher seed. Again, simple.
Gotcha: - Two divisions of five teams each - Division winners play two game, home and home championship (no half the league making the playoffs) - Winner based on total goals. - After the last game, if no winner (i.e., ties in both games, or each team wins/loses by the same score, etc.), decide championship by either PKs or shootout, whichever the league decides (hopefully before the season starts ). Simple enough for ya?
Why not the stepladder system that WPS did last season? 1. #4 @ #3 2. Winner of 1 @ #2 3. Winner of 2 @ #1 Very simple to follow. It rewards regular season play. And the playoffs can be finished in 2 weeks.
Keep it simple 4@1, 3@2. Two game aggregate; tie-breaker away goals; if still tied PK's (NO SHOOTOUTS). Same in the two game final. Higher seeds play at home in the second game. Keep number in teams eligible for playoffs less than half of total number of teams in league. 4 in 10 team league; 6 in 14 team league, etc. Make the regular season worth something and not reward a team that gets hot at the end of the year and barely make a large playoff field that can keep their form up through the playoffs.