Harsh.
Here’s how the Lades National Football League Division One table looks now with the group stages now complete.
Each of the eight teams played each other once in these group games.
With the group stages now complete, the competition turns to its semi-final stages. In a set-up like this, you would expect that the top four teams in the table would advance to the last four.
Not so, it seems. Donegal, who finished in fourth place in the competition haven’t qualified for the semis. Instead, fifth placed Galway will meet Dublin in that side of the draw. Mayo will meets six-in-a-row-seeking Cork in the other semi.
Donegal were level on points with Galway on 13 after the seven group games. What puts them ahead of Stephen Glennon’s side in the table was their superior score difference. Donegal, as can be seen on the above table, scored more and conceded less than Galway in the whole competition. Their score difference was 50 points better off than Galway’s.
But still, it is Galway who are advancing.
Galway and Donegal drew when they clashed in Glenfin in February. On that day, Donegal scored 1-13 to Galway’s 0-16.
So Galway managed 16 scores to Donegal’s 14 on that occasion. And that’s why Galway are getting through ahead of Donegal.
Rule 362(6) deals with the instances of equal points on the LGFA website.
(i) Where two teams only are involved, the placing will be determined as follows and in the order specified:
- The outcome of the head to head game between the two teams concerned will determine the placings.
- Should the head to head match between the two teams concerned have finished in a draw the team that finishes in the higher position will be the team that registered the highest number of points i.e. scores converted over the bar, in that head to head match
- Should the teams remain equal at this point the team that finishes in the higher position will be the team with the highest score difference throughout the league i.e. score remaining when all scores for team throughout the league are added together (points will have a value of one whilst goals will have a value of three) and all scores conceded are subtracted from that number.
- If the teams remain level after all the above has been applied, a Playoff will take place, only if teams fail to qualify for the semi-finals.
So, effectively, this is telling us that while a goal is worth three points in a game, when it comes down to it, it’s not really.
Would it not make more sense to see rule three, based on the score difference, applied?
