The NEW prediction League Rules for the 2024/2025 season

[Brin]

Well we're back again! It's time to roll out the Rules for the forthcoming Prediction League (PL) football season for 2024/2025.

You would have thought there wasn't much to add to spruce up the PL but, you've come up with some good additions which you will see added below. Again it's a simple formula to follow and complete, all in just a few minutes.

Please note NO Millers fixtures are to be used throughout the season, not even for the Predict a Score.


Predictions

1. The Prediction League (PL) will run from Saturday 10th August 2024 to Saturday 3th May 2025 and not for a specified number of weeks. If you miss any weeks for any reason, no one can be held accountable for this. This rule applies to everyone who enters before the new season starts so is fair across the board. This decision is final.

2. You will be choosing from 10/10 fixtures like last season. This is an easy concept to work from. Simply mark each game as a home win H, an away win A or a draw as X

3. The fixtures will be a chosen variation from: The Premiership, Championship, Leagues 1 & 2, National League, Scottish Premiership, FA Cup and the League Cup, whoever the sponsors may be . This is in order to have a full 10 fixtures to choose from all on the same day. Easier to pick from and not running over several days. (No Friday nights or Sunday games some predictors might miss)

4.There will be a maximum of 5 draws allowed from your 10 predictions. If you want to gamble each week on 5 draws paying more points then go ahead but, that isn't always the case.

Hopefully, all the fixtures I post go ahead but, I will not be changing any once I have posted them. This is in case I am not able to make contact with anyone who may well have posted early in the week, and they don't revisit the site until the fixtures have been played on the day and are unable to amend their predictions.


The Scoring of Points:
1. Each fixture carries the following scoring. You will receive 1 point for a home win, 2 points for an away win and 3 points if you predict a draw. This concept allows higher scoring if you successfully predict them correct, thus making the table more competitive.

2. The House Bonus.
Previously for correctly naming 10/10 predictions, this was rewarded with 20 bonus points, this still stands. However, this was only ever achieved once throughout a season. Therefore, to make the chance of winning more appealing, a new concept for this coming season will now show that if anyone is the weekly winner with 9/9 or 8/8 correct then, their score will be doubled. Anything less than 8/8 will not be permitted as this would just devalue the competition.

It will run with 2 points less for each postponed game. e.g.; If only 9 games are played with 1 game postponed, the full house bonus would therefore be 18 points and 8 games played would be 16 points. This is still hard to achieve but if won, it could make someone's score very profitable indeed.

3.Predict a score
A new score award has been added for this coming season. The previous score of 2 points has now been increased to 5 points but, only if you are the sole winner on the day. Should there be multiple winners then the score awarded shall now be 3 points. Just simply predict the score only, from a randomly selected game, this will be posted at the foot of the page below the normal ten predictions. If you predict a correct score draw, this will not mean you get an extra 3 points for the draw. The rollover will also continue for this season so, should it run over a few weeks then this will be a good payout for some.

4. The Jokers.
Again, two 'Jokers' will be allowed per person. One Joker MUST be played before 31st December 2024. You cannot carry it over to the New Year. Don't use it you lose it! You may play your second Joker anytime after the 1st January 2025 up to the final set of predictions on Saturday 3rd May 2025.

Any Joker played will only have their score applied after all the prediction scores have been tallied. It has been duly noted and deemed unfair that someone playing their Joker, who has a mediocre week can 'pinch' the weekly win bonus off someone who has had a good or great week. In other words you get to double your score playing your Joker but it does not apply to gaining the weekly win bonus should your score finish higher. The Joker only doubles your score and nothing else.

I will keep tabs on a weekly basis who has played their Joker and will look to keep others up to date who haven't so, they don't forget to use them in time.

5. Highest scorer(s)
Whoever this may be on the day, they will receive an extra 5 bonus points. This is on predictions only and does not include the Predict a Score bonus.

I know a lot of you have looked in from time to time but have not taken part. The main thing is it is purely for fun as you pit your skill, wisdom, luck whatever you want to call it against so called fellow Managers/Pundits/ forecasters etc. The competition is open to anyone from any club.

It takes all of 5 minutes tops to copy and paste the fixtures and add your predictions and Predict a Score. Go on give it a go and look to be the new Prediction League Champion at the end of the season.

I've no idea just how many may wish to enter this coming season but, last season saw an initial 27 predictors take part. It was a great run right to the end which saw CT Milller claim the top spot with a well earned effort. Who wants to challenge him and be top dog this coming season?

I will cap it at 40 just in case.....wishful thinking but you never know as this is open, like I've said, to anyone. Good luck to all who do wish to take part. The first set of new fixtures will be posted week commencing Monday 5th August 2024.

The format will look like this example:

Sat 10th May

Millwall v West brom
Oxford v Swansea
Sunderland v Boro
Leeds v Norwich
Cardiff v Coventry
Charlton v Stevenage
Blackpool v Exeter
Cambridge v Burton
Salford v Bromley
Gillingham v Notts County

Predict a score = Birmingham v Reading ? - ?

Good luck to all who wish to enter

Thanks, Brin.

[pip_y]

Query: Rule 2 should that read “draw” not “score draw”

[Brin]

Query: Rule 2 should that read “draw” not “score draw”

pip_y well spotted, I’ll amend it. Thanks. CAM will be peeved you spotted it first 😄

[CAMiller]

Brin - I'm still confused with the House Bonus points scoring. Are you saying there is a new rule doubling points for getting 8/10 or 9/10 in addition to simply giving a 16 point bonus for 8/8, an 18 point bonus for 9/9 and a 20 point bonus for 10/10?

[pip_y]

Better wording would be: in the event of games being postponed anyone getting all their remaining predictions correct will get a 2 point per game bonus. This will only apply to a maximum of 2 postponed games. I.e. 9/9, 18 bonus 8/8 16 bonus.

Cam makes a valid point, is this 2 seperate rules?

[Brin]

Brin - I'm still confused with the House Bonus points scoring. Are you saying there is a new rule doubling points for getting 8/10 or 9/10 in addition to simply giving a 16 point bonus for 8/8, an 18 point bonus for 9/9 and a 20 point bonus for 10/10?

CAM, I don't think I could have put it any simpler. Trying to get 10/10 is near impossible so to incentivise the House Bonus, it was agreed that providing either with 1 or even 2 games being cancelled, you can now claim your weekly score AND the weekly win House Bonus if you are the highest scorer of the most correct predictions on the day but it has to be the maximum possible. You will lose 2 points per game cancelled. The lowest the House Bonus that can be claimed is 8/8. You can also claim on 9/9 or with definitely 10/10.

Pip-y raised a valid point in that he felt he had been denied a House Bonus last season because he had scored 9/10 correctly but a game had been cancelled so, he only received what is 9 games had scored him. This coming season sees a new incentive as follows:

A player scores 9/9 because a game has been cancelled.
His nine games are rewarded with what they delivered, 1 draw, 3 away wins and 5 home wins = 14 points.
We then see he his the only one to have 9/9 so, he also claims the new House Bonus of 18 points because it wasn't their fault a game was cancelled.
Total points awarded = 32 points.

Or 8/8 because two games are cancelled and he scored 1 draw, and 2 away wins and 5 home wins = 12 points
Again they are the highest scorer with 8/8 so collects the new House Bonus = 16points.
Total awarded= 28 points.

Let's not also forget if this player is also the highest scorer with only their weekly win, they also claims the weekly win of 5 bonus points.

I understand someone can score more points with only 7/8 correct predictions i.e.; 5 draws, and two away wins = 19 points, where as someone scores 8/8 but only score 8 points i.e.: 8 home wins = 8 points but this is all about the House Bonus on who gets the most maximum correct predictions and nothing else.

Is this now any clearer pal?

[CAMiller]

The "full house" bonus for 10/10, 9/9 or 8/8 is perfectly clear.

However in your 1st paragraph under House Bonus you also mention a bonus for 9/10 and 8/10. What's that about?

[Brin]

The "full house" bonus for 10/10, 9/9 or 8/8 is perfectly clear.

However in your 1st paragraph under House Bonus you also mention a bonus for 9/10 and 8/10. What's that about?

Apologies that should read 8/8 and 9/9 and I have now amended that. Cheers.

Just one last thing, do try harder this coming season, I can't be doing with Cayton having one over you again

[pip_y]

Brin it’s still ambiguous as it says “ Therefore, to make the chance of winning more appealing, a new concept for this coming season will now show that if anyone is the weekly winner with 9/9 or 8/8 correct then, their score will be doubled.” Their score won’t be doubled!

[Brin]

Brin it’s still ambiguous as it says “ Therefore, to make the chance of winning more appealing, a new concept for this coming season will now show that if anyone is the weekly winner with 9/9 or 8/8 correct then, their score will be doubled.” Their score won’t be doubled!

Pip_y ferks sake. You've opened up a right can of worms with your suggestion ....but it's still a good idea.

I don't mean their weekly score but, if they have 8/8 or 9/9 due to cancelled games then they get the 'House Bonus' of doubling their score.....how more simple do you want me to put it? Jeez. You're turning into CAM.....

Rest assured I will mark it accordingly and hopefully you'll soon get the gist of it all