When Is A League Not A League?

There is a world outside of football. There are footballs outside of football. It was while watching the final of a different kind of football that a thought crept inside your weary narrator’s mind. When is a league not a league and can football learn a few things from other sports?

While glued to the final of the United Rugby Championship, which was gloriously won by Irish side Munster to end a 12 year wait for a trophy, the idea of a grand final at the end of a league championship began to show its positive side, rather than seeming like a cop out that negates the importance of the rest of the league I began to understand what it can give to the game.

In footballing circles the idea of popping a cup style competition at the end of a long season is how the Americans do it – therefore it is not worth doing. It can render the long slog of a full league season to be utterly pointless when a team that finishes fifth in the standings can end up winning the league despite losing seven games, when the team that finished top of the table only lost once. This was the case in the URC where Leinster finished top with one loss, their country rivals Munster on the other hand had a horrendous season only just finishing fifth but managed to overcome the odds to win the tournament in the cup style finish.

But what the cup style finish adds to the tournament is a way to end the monopoly of one side winning year on year and having the league wrapped up with many games to spare. It keeps it interesting and shares the spoils around. That is not to say the MLS have it right in the states where in my humble opinion, too many teams qualify for the play-offs and it really does render the league format to be pointless. In the URC 8 of the 16 teams qualify for the playoff/cup style competition at the end – in the MLS that number is 18 of 34. Both have a similar percentage qualifying so it is difficult to see this happening in the Premier League anytime soon. But maybe the solution lies a little further afield in a very different sport – T20 Cricket.

Of all the league tournaments that include a cup finish the Indian Premier League Cricket has the most interesting way of dividing the teams at the end. It is gloriously effective in its simplicity. Basically, First plays Second. The winner goes into the final – but here is where the difference that makes all the difference occurs – the loser of this game then plays the winner of Third vs Fourth for the other spot in the final. This gives clear advantage to those that finish one and two but gives a chance to those that finish 3 and 4. A similar system is being trialled in the Canadian Premier League this year but again with far too many teams qualifying, but the whole idea keeps everything interesting until the end and makes sure the cream stays at the top but if a team a little further down hits form, anything is possible.

So is football for turning or are we to leave the leagues that aren’t leagues to the other footballs and sports of the world? It certainly would keep things interesting.