We’re looking forward to the return of competitive korfball and the return of the premier and promotional divisions of England Korfball very soon!
The competitions sub-committee has been working over the summer to come up with a plan in the unfortunate event that restrictions as a result of covid-19 cause the season to be delayed or curtailed. The CSC has consulted with premier and promotional divisions clubs on these plans.
The following are the series of scenarios that have been planned for. The committee is hopeful this can provide a basis for other leagues in the event of restrictions impacting on the season.
Flowchart
Summary
The CSC is planning for a full Premier Division season with 10 teams playing each other home & away. This will be 18 fixtures per team over 20 fixture weekends. We intend to start on 31st October and finish on 10th April.
As previously communicated, one team will be relegated at the end of the season from the premier division and one promoted from the Promo Divisions.
The CSC is planning for a full Promo Division season with 8 teams playing in two pools, as in previous seasons. There will be a Promo Playoffs as usual.
The CSC is clear that all teams will be scheduled to play each once in the first half of the season and once in the second half of the season. The CSC intend that this split is adhered to. Clubs will not be able to move 1st half of the season fixtures into the second half of the season, although they may alternate home or away.
The CSC has considered the impact of covid-19 on the season, and has considered various options as to how the season would be resolved if there were interruption to the published match schedule. It was deemed the following was the most logical.
The following scenarios have been anticipated. A flowchart has been created to show how these would pan out:
Premier division
A normal season takes place with no disruption to the programme of fixtures – the season will remain as planned with the previous format of 1st to 4th placed in the Premier division playing at a finals weekend.
The season is interrupted during the first half of the season fixtures with a delay of less than 3 weeks – the season will resume after the delay, intending to complete the remaining fixtures. If the cumulative delay remains at less than 3 weeks (including using up the reserve weekends placed at the end of the season), the season will be completed as normal, including a finals weekend.
If the cumulative delay to the season exceeds 3 weeks, then no finals weekend will take place, and the winner of the premier division and european places will be taken from the final league table position, as well as the team in 10th place being relegated.
If the second half of the season can still not be completed by 2nd June, then the standings for the league will revert back to the end of the first round of fixtures, and the winner of the premier division, European places and relegation spot will be taken from the table at this point.
If the first half of the season cannot be completed by 2nd June, then the season is null and void, no premier division champion is crowned, no team will be relegated. The promotion from the promotional division will depend on the stage of completion of the promotional leagues, which is detailed below. All efforts will be made to hold a weekend competition for all teams interested in taking up a European place, with the top placed teams from that weekend being put forward to the board for ratification as the entries for the European tournaments. If the competition cannot take place, the final decision will rest with the CSC based on all available information and information from the IKF, subject to ratification from the board.
Promo division
A normal season takes place with no disruption to the programme of fixtures – the season will remain as planned with the previous format of 1st and 2nd in each promo division playing off in a semi-final and final for 1 promotion spot to the premier division.
The season is interrupted during the first half of the season fixtures with a delay of less than 3 weeks – the season will resume after the delay, intending to complete the remaining fixtures. If the cumulative delay remains at less than 3 weeks (including using up the reserve weekends placed at the end of the season), the season will be completed as normal, including a promotional play off weekend
If the cumulative delay to the season exceeds 3 weeks, then the promotional play off weekend will not take place in its normal format. Instead, every effort will be made to arrange a play off final between the first placed team in each promotional division, prior to the end of July. If this cannot be arranged, then the 1st placed promotional division team with the highest points, and then best goal difference will be promoted to the premier division.
If the second half of the season can still not be completed by 2nd June then the standings for the league will revert back to the end of the first round of fixtures and every effort will be made to arrange a play off final between the first placed team in each promotional division, prior to the end of July. If this cannot be arranged, then the 1st placed promotional division team with the highest points, and then best goal difference will be promoted to the premier division,
If the first half of the season cannot be completed by 2nd June, then the season is null and void and no promotional division team will be promoted.
In the event of no first round being completed for the premier division, but a 1st round being completed for the promo division, then a promo team will be promoted and the following season will be an 11 team premier division.