Just something that came up on another forum.

1) In a 2-leg knockout competition like the Champions League, what do you find the fairest way to decide the outcome (in the case of a draw) after the 2 legs? It's basically between away goals and penalties.

Me personally, I don't agree with away goals at all. A few people have said that they don't find penalties fair, but at least you have to put the ball in the back of the net more than your opponent. I don't see how scoring more goals away (or being worse at home) means you should go through. What about when we faced Inter in the CL SFs, we won on 'away goals'.


2) What do you think the fairest way to decide position in the league is, if teams are on the same points. Head-to-head or goal difference (goals scored if necessary)?

I'm a bit slpit on this one. I can see why head-to-head can be good, but goal difference can make for some really great end of season games. I remember a few years back when Rangers and Celtic were level on points and were just trying to outscore each othe rin the final game.

Do you guys think we should get Guti from Madrid?

Naw and for tiebreakers,I would prefer penalties or extra time much better than the current system in CL,it makes not sense.Also head to head would be much better,very exciting ending for a season.A win is a win.

I can see the arguments for both sides of the CL tiebreakers. Road goals are theoretically harder to score, so hold more value theoretically. Extra time is more fun, but then one team gets to play extra time at home and one doesn't. Penalties are exciting, but ultimately are kind of a crap-shoot.

For league play I think head-to-head record should be included before it goes to goal differential, but that might be a biased POV because that's how the NFL works so I'm used to that. We're far enough apart in GD it won't matter at this point this season, but imagine if we tied Inter yet won on GD, even though we got owned in both matches against them? That really wouldn't seem logical.

Yes but those are only 2 games out of an entire season. A league is won throughout a season not just by 2 games. I think goal difference would be a much more fair assessment as it shows how good 1 team's season has been over the other's

To be brief:

1. Away goals rule in case of drawn ties makes sense (eg Atletico-Valencia tie in the Europa League) but as for when each team wins one of the legs (Bayern-Fiorentina for example) and the team that's scored more goals in their win (or loss) goes through, it's absolutely unfair. I think in this case extra time and penalty shootout would be the best way to decide the winner.

2. Head to head for me. it's exciting, like a final!

How is that like a final?

It's not like for example our games against Inter felt like finals, if it's the last game of the season, then sure it could feel like a final but if the games are early there is no way to know whether the game was even relevant let alone being the decisive game of the season

I think what Zed means is that there should be an added game between the two tied for the league in points, that would decide the title. That would be the best option for sure.

I'd not thought of that, really good idea.

Does Serie A go down to goal difference? I can't remember, I know they used to have a playoff but that was a while back.

1) Away Goals
2) Head to Head matches

Penallites are not fair and I say that too.
It shouldnt be all season or CHL phase to one person who shoots the penallty or the one who saves it.
It would be ok if we would have been playing poker.

I think Serie A is head to head, then gd.

Neither away goals nor penalties are fair - I remember Rangers lost a CL last 16 tie against Villarreal on the bloody away goals rule - finished 3-3 but they'd scored 2 at Ibrox.

Penalties are a total lottery and lack real skill - they're terrific for neutrals but horrible when you're on one side.

There are few if any alternative solutions to solving stalemates fairly - someone always has to lose in a horribly unfair manner and that's part of the game alas.

I think penalties do require some sort of skill, you have to place it very well to beat the keeper if he goes the right way.

I really don't like away goals, I can think of about 4 or 5 ocassions where Villa have gone out on it!

It's a lottery in you have to hope he doesn't guess the way you're going. It's a lottery that you get it on target. And it's a lottery that you shoot into your fans or opposition supporters.

It's really unfair.



Pain in the backside. I do accept scoring a goal away from home is harder than at home, but ultimately if an aggregate score is a draw, putting a team to the next round because they scored more goals away than the other really doesn't strike me as a valid way of proving their superiority.

It's my conviction that aggregate draws should go into extra time regardless of away goals.

As far as I know if two teams tied at the end of the season then they would have a one game playoff to decide the champion. I don't think GD is taken into consideration at all.

I think a playoff would be the best way to do it. It would also make for a fantastic game of football.

I don't think that's lottery at all, the ball will go where you kick it. But I agree with the rest, penalties are an unfair tie-breaker.

They are unfair, but they're less unfair than away goals.

Certainly.