2018 FIFA World Cup fantasy prediction league
Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2018 4:16 am
Anyone up for this? If there's enough interest, I'll run it.
I've scoured the archive and I can't find a scoring system for a football tournament before, so I propose the following. Feedback welcome.
Group matches:
3 points: Correct result
1 bonus point: Correct goal difference/margin of victory
2 bonus points (cumulative with above): Perfect scoreline
Round of 16/Quarter Finals:[Note 1]
6 points: Correct result [Note 2]
2 bonus points: Correct goal difference/margin of victory
4 bonus points (cumulative with above): Perfect scoreline
2 bonus points: Correctly predicting winner of a penalty shootout [Note 3]
Semi Final/3rd place playoff/Final:
12 points: Correct result
4 bonus points: Correct goal difference/margin of victory
8 bonus points (cumulative with above): Perfect scoreline
4 bonus points: Correctly predicting winner of a penalty shootout
Note 1: There are 48 group games in the tournament (16 per round), and then only 16 knockout games total. As a result, a leader after the group stages are over could be effectively uncatchable, and people not doing so well might lose interest. To combat that, I've proposed increasing the points available per match in later rounds, to reflect the lower number of matches in later rounds and hopefully keeping things interesting until the very end.
Note 2: For knockout matches, the result and scoreline will be assessed at the end of open play, including any extra time. Thus a prediction of a victory will be credited if that victory is achieved after 90 or 120 minutes, while a prediction of a draw will only be credited if the result is a draw after extra time and the game goes into penalties.
Note 3: As a corollary to the above, a prediction of a draw in a knockout game necessarily involves a prediction that the game will come down to a penalty shootout. These bonus points can be earned in one of two ways: Firstly, when predicting a draw, you can also indicate who you think will win the penalty shootout. Alternatively, if you predict a team to win a game and it wins only after penalties, you will earn these bonus points, even though you will not be credited with the points for a 'correct result' or scoreline.
As I said, feedback welcome. I realise this may seem a little convoluted.
In terms of mechanics/practicalities of the comp, group games will be run as three 'rounds' of matches, then each knockout stage will be a subsequent round (seven rounds total). Predictions for all the games for a round will be due at midnight UK time on the day the first match of the round is due to start.
I've scoured the archive and I can't find a scoring system for a football tournament before, so I propose the following. Feedback welcome.
Group matches:
3 points: Correct result
1 bonus point: Correct goal difference/margin of victory
2 bonus points (cumulative with above): Perfect scoreline
Round of 16/Quarter Finals:[Note 1]
6 points: Correct result [Note 2]
2 bonus points: Correct goal difference/margin of victory
4 bonus points (cumulative with above): Perfect scoreline
2 bonus points: Correctly predicting winner of a penalty shootout [Note 3]
Semi Final/3rd place playoff/Final:
12 points: Correct result
4 bonus points: Correct goal difference/margin of victory
8 bonus points (cumulative with above): Perfect scoreline
4 bonus points: Correctly predicting winner of a penalty shootout
Note 1: There are 48 group games in the tournament (16 per round), and then only 16 knockout games total. As a result, a leader after the group stages are over could be effectively uncatchable, and people not doing so well might lose interest. To combat that, I've proposed increasing the points available per match in later rounds, to reflect the lower number of matches in later rounds and hopefully keeping things interesting until the very end.
Note 2: For knockout matches, the result and scoreline will be assessed at the end of open play, including any extra time. Thus a prediction of a victory will be credited if that victory is achieved after 90 or 120 minutes, while a prediction of a draw will only be credited if the result is a draw after extra time and the game goes into penalties.
Note 3: As a corollary to the above, a prediction of a draw in a knockout game necessarily involves a prediction that the game will come down to a penalty shootout. These bonus points can be earned in one of two ways: Firstly, when predicting a draw, you can also indicate who you think will win the penalty shootout. Alternatively, if you predict a team to win a game and it wins only after penalties, you will earn these bonus points, even though you will not be credited with the points for a 'correct result' or scoreline.
As I said, feedback welcome. I realise this may seem a little convoluted.
In terms of mechanics/practicalities of the comp, group games will be run as three 'rounds' of matches, then each knockout stage will be a subsequent round (seven rounds total). Predictions for all the games for a round will be due at midnight UK time on the day the first match of the round is due to start.