Promotion and Relegation Arrangements for the 2018-19 Season

Following the play-offs for promotion last season, and the removal of a National League team in the process, the Competitions Committee discussed the feedback, especially that concerning teams playing twice on the first day. Playing twice is never satisfactory and even more so when one of the matches is
against a team that clubs have already played twice during the season.

Therefore, the Competitions Committee recommended to the Board the scenario below for the coming season and the Board endorsed this at their meeting earlier this week.

1. The top two Promo Division teams from each Division will participate in the Play-offs, playing semi-finals on the Saturday, with the number 1 of each division playing the number 2 of the other division. On the Sunday teams will play for positions 1,2,3 and 4 as in the Premier Division. The winner of the final on Sunday will take its place in the Premier Division in the following season.

2. Medals will be given to the first three places instead of just first place, which is what happened last year.

3. Matches will be normal league match length – 2 x 30 minutes – and not the shortened length matches as played in previous Play-offs. In other words, conditions will mirror the Premier Division play-offs, with golden goal used if necessary to obtain a winner in each match.

4. The net effect of this is that we will also win some time in Saturday’s overall schedule. This may also allow starting later on Saturday, thereby allowing teams and spectators longer to arrive.

5. To make the Grand Finals a more inclusive event, and to showcase not only teams from the top divisions of our sport, we are aiming to include some Youth matches.

6. The 10th team in the Premier Division will be relegated.