Rest the Best & Power Play

We are encouraging teachers/coaches to consider implementing Rest the Best & Power Play.

These can help in a mismatch when one team is well ahead (eg. goal difference is 4 or more*)

Rest the Best : The winning team swaps their best player for a fringe player.
Power Play – the losing team gains an extra player(s) when the goal difference is 4 or more.

*It has been suggested that a 4-goal difference is when a game is won.
Clearly this is NOT always the case.
Factors such as a sloping pitch and wind can influence this.
However – under normal circumstances, a 4-goal difference is when coaches ought to consider implementing one or both of these suggestions.

Rest the Best
Guidance only – NOT a rule.

When it feels like the match is won – replace your best player with one of your fringe players.

Rest the Best has more of an impact than Power Play.

If necessary, this can be extended to involve a second player swap, or maybe even a third (same idea – best for fringe).

Remember we have roll-on roll-off substitutes if things swing too far the other way.

Power Play
Guidance only – NOT a rule.

If a team is losing by a 4 goals, they can put an additional* player on.
* or the winning team withdraws a player
If this losing team pull a goal back, then it’s back to equal teams.

0-3 goal difference – Equal teams (no Power Play)
4-goal difference – PowerPlay (trailing team has 1 extra player)
6-goal difference – PowerPlay (trailing team has 2 extra players)
8-goal difference – PowerPlay (trailing team has 3 extra players)
10-goal difference – Game over!

Benefits

Rest the Best & Power Play benefit…
– the losing team and their parents
– the fringe players on the winning team (and their parents)
– the winning team will also enjoy a more competitive match

Tournaments
Goal difference (GD) will be capped at +3 (per match) in Don & Dearne tournaments.
Goals scored is slightly more complex (see below).

If a team is level on points 1) Head to Head 2) Goal difference 3) Goals scored

Goals scored in capped matches.
Actual score 3-0 or 4-0 or 5-0 etc. GD 3 (capped) Goals scored 3 (capped)
Actual score 4-1 or 5-1 or 6-1 etc. GD 3 (capped) Goals scored 4 (capped)
Actual score 5-2 or 6-2 or 7-2 etc. GD 3 (capped) Goals scored 5 (capped)
Basically, goals scored 3 more than the number of goals the opponents scored

We’ll do the Maths – all we want teachers/coaches to do is embrace the philosphy of managing a mismatch.