FFS head-to-head leagues: 2019-2020

Head to Head Leagues

Further to my article earlier this year, I will be working with Geoff (FFS Community Manager) to create a Head to Head League system for the upcoming season, with promotion and relegation for the following seasons. We’ve had some positive feedback from the initial article and, using some of the community’s ideas, we have settled on the structure below.

Structure

Each league will have 20 teams and will therefore play each other twice across the 38 gameweek season, replicating the real Premier League structure.

Division 1 – 1 League – 20 teams. Bottom 10 teams relegated into Division 2.

Division 2 – 2 Leagues – 20 teams in each. Top 5 of each league will be promoted to Division 1. Bottom 10 of each league will be relegated to the Division 3 leagues.

Division 3 – 4 leagues – 20 teams in each. Top 5 of each league will be promoted to Division 2. Bottom 10 of each league will be relegated to the Division 4 leagues.

Division 4 – 8 leagues – 20 teams in each. Top 5 of each league will be promoted to Division 3. Bottom 10 of each league will be relegated to the Division 5 leagues.

Division 5 – 16 leagues – 20 teams in each. Top 5 of each league will be promoted to Division 4. Bottom 10 of each league will be relegated to the Division 6 Leagues (if necessary).

This will be the main structure, with each division doubling in size.

Other details

Number of entries

Depending on the number on entries, further Divisions and Leagues will be created using the same structure as above. With the Divisions doubling in size large numbers of managers can be included, depending on sign ups. There is no cap on the total number of managers who can enter, but entry will be closed at the start of GW1.

The bottom Division and Leagues will likely not all be filled, because we are not capping the number of people who can enter. Depending on numbers, the number of Leagues in the lowest Division or the number of GWs in those leagues may be altered.

Promotion and relegation

The bottom Division will of course only have promotion, and the top will only have relegation.

If a manager decides not to play in a subsequent season, their vacated spot will go through normal promotion, relegation, or will stay in the division before being filled from below.

If, for example, someone in Division 1 League 1 who was set to stay in D1L1 isn’t playing the second season, we will look to D2L1 and D2L2 for someone to move up. In a situation where the top 5 from both those leagues already moved up we will look at the next best placed managers, the 6th placed managers. We will randomize the selection and one of those managers will move up to fill the spot.

Initial team placement

We will use the end of 2018/2019 season Hall of Fame (HOF) ranking to place teams; so if you are keen to enter this completion it would be helpful for you to enter the 2018/2019 FFS Classic League before the GW38 deadline. The league code is 6025-1936 and can be found on the website. You could also/instead join the FFS Members league to join the HOF.

So, the managers with the top 20 HOF rankings who sign up will go into Division 1 League 1. The 21st ranked manager will go into Division 2 League 1, the 22nd into Division 2 League 2, and so on.

It’s worth noting that all the Leagues in a Division are weighted the same: so, if you are in Division 3 League 1 you are at the same level as someone in Division 3 League 4.

Additionally, any new entries in the following seasons (2020-2021 and onwards) will start in the bottom division, regardless of their HOF rank. HOF is only used for the initial placement.

Entry requirements

When FPL opens for the 2019-2020 season a league code will be created on FPL called ‘FFS Head-To-Head League’, which will act as the entry form. We will then take those entries and associate HOF rankings with them, to start putting people into Divisions and Leagues.

Right now, entry will close with the start of GW1. Divisions and Leagues will then be finalized and an article will go out before GW2 telling everyone where they have been placed and showing their H2H schedule.

We will update you further with more details as they become available.

Final points

So far there has been strong interest from site regulars, Moderators and Contributors, and well known players which suggests that the leagues will be highly competitive. Community Manager, Geoff, is working on a plan for weekly updates, articles and Hot Topics, and on site features to help keep people up to date on their progress in the leagues.

Feel free to leave your comments or questions below!

Twitter: @sparkymir