Hill: Playoff system works best for JPL

Owen Hill, chief executive officer (CEO) of Professional Football Jamaica Limited (PFJL), said the current playoff system is the right fit for the Wray & Nephew-sponsored Jamaica Premier League (JPL) following the first leg of the quarterfinals on Monday.

Unlike several top-flight leagues across the world where the champions are decided by the team that earns the most points at the end of the regular season, the JPL champions are chosen by the playoff system.

The top six teams at the end of the regular season are seeded into a knockout bracket where the teams play out two-legged ties until the final where the champion is crowned after a single game.

Hill said the playoff system is the ideal way for the PFJL to balance stakeholder and shareholder interests in the league’s operations.

“We are balancing shareholder and stakeholder value simultaneously,” he said. “I want this to be understood very clearly. That kind of balance is required and I think the playoffs give us just that.”

Hill admitted he understood where there may be concerns with the playoff system being used instead of the traditional league system.

It has been debated where the playoff system may not be reflective of the most consistent team throughout the season.

Of the last five JPL seasons, only twice have the regular season champions gone on to become overall JPL champions, with Portmore United having done the feat in the 2017-18 season and again in the 2018-19 season.

However, Hill said each JPL team starts the season with the knowledge of the playoff system and should be prepared to compete for the title in the knockout portion of the season.

“People who are not particularly comfortable with it have a stance and we respect their stance but the truth is we are nuanced by many realities in Jamaica,” he said. “Yes, we’re talking about the most consistent teams throughout the regular season but everybody is aware that there is a playoff system. I think it is pretty clear that whatever plans you put in place as a club, you would definitely consider the fact that you have to encounter the playoff.

“You need to be consistent in the playoffs as well, not just the regular season. So every time you play, you need to be consistent,” he added.

Hill said the playoffs bring added excitement to the league as fans are engaged and drawn into the playoffs to see which team can navigate the knockout rounds.

The second leg of the current season’s quarterfinals are set for Monday at Sabina Park with Portmore United taking on Arnett Gardens while Waterhouse FC face off against Tivoli Gardens.

Both fixtures are locked in a 1-1 aggregate score after first-leg action.