Bonus points have their benefits

GAA: SEÁN MORANexamines the impact of a bonus-points system on the league tables if it were in operation

DESPITE THE exciting conclusion to both of the National League Division One campaigns, there is an argument that Gaelic games would benefit from adopting the bonus-points system used in rugby.

At present counties equal on points are separated by the result between them during the divisional campaign. This applies only if there are two teams involved; any more than that and the previous system of scoring difference comes into play. Prior to that, play-offs were required to sort out important league positions when there was equal numbers of points.

Whereas the system has worked well this season, last season ended with the league finalists in both football and hurling already decided by the last weekend. Part of the reason was some teams were in an impossible position trailing the team above them by two but having already lost to them earlier in the season.

Feargal McGill, Croke Park’s head of games administration, said the head-to-head rule had been endorsed as a general provision at congress and didn’t just govern the National Leagues.

“It’s an association-wide rule, just as requiring play-offs used to be,” he told this newspaper. “Since then we’ve had positions being determined by scoring difference, which was fine and acceptable except that you could end up, particularly in the lower divisions, with teams already relegated or out of contention being more liable to heavy defeat.

“There were also the situations that arose in the disputes with the Cork hurlers, who during the early rounds of the league got defeats while fielding under-strength teams. At other levels of the association there is frequently enough the problem that under-age teams who have been losing heavily pull out before their fixtures are complete, leaving scoring difference impossible to operate.”

The bonus points used in rugby competitions are based on an awards system of four points for a win, two for a draw and bonus points for scoring four or more tries or losing by seven points or less. Translated into Gaelic games the suggested equivalent bonuses are one point for scoring at least two goals and one for losing by a margin of six points or under.

The advantages of the system are it would encourage more attacking play and, in particular, more goals and would also reward teams who remain competitive all the way through a match, which obviously has greater spectator appeal than heavily one-sided encounters.

Whereas no team goes out to get a serious beating, there is little incentive to continue to compete once it’s become apparent you’re not going to win the match. The idea of this proposal would be to create such an incentive.

As can be seen from the adjusted tables (below) for the current Divisions One in football and hurling the bonus-point system wouldn’t have had a major impact on standings going into the last day. It would, however, create possibilities for teams, who are under the present system ruled out of any further interest in the competition because they can’t pass the team two points ahead of them – regardless of result – because they have already lost the divisional fixture between the counties.

Cork footballers and Galway hurlers need only to win their last matches to ensure qualification for the final despite both being level on points with Kerry and Dublin respectively.

Bonus points would have a material effect on the relegation contests in both leagues. Monaghan footballers would find themselves farther adrift of Armagh than in the current tables – the latter benefiting from picking up losing bonuses in all four of their defeats.

In hurling, Wexford would critically be a point ahead of Offaly instead of level and doomed by the head-to-head – because they have earned three losing bonuses and are rewarded for coming close in those matches.

If counties end up on the same number of points in a critical position in the table, ie one affecting qualification for the final or relegation, the team with the highest scoring total would prevail and only if there were also parity under that heading would the head-to-head result act as a determinant.

“I’m not aware of the idea having been put forward in connection with Gaelic games but maybe it’s something we could give thought to,” was McGill’s response to the suggestion.