The Laws

The Board

The Preds Board Of Control (informally known as "The Preds Board" or simply "The Board") are: Jason, Laura, Tom S, Damo and Steve.

Joining The Preds

1. New applicants may be nominated by predsters for consideration by The Board at the Preds AGM.
2. New predsters begin their Preds career in the lowest division.

How To Play

1. Predictions are generally made for Premier League fixtures taking place between Friday and Monday inclusive. The only exceptions are for specific, predetermined, full sets of midweek fixtures and the Christmas / New Year period for which additional preds will be required.
2. Click YOUR PREDS on the preds page.
3. Enter your password. If you don't know your password, ask Jason.
4. Enter your preds and submit.
5. You can alter your preds at any time before the deadline.

Deadline

1. All preds must be submitted by the deadline indicated on the preds page.
2. Submissions must be made online; not via email, text, or carrier pigeon. No excuses. No matter if you're on holiday. Or getting married. Or giving birth.
3. Not having read or received an automated reminder or automated confirmation email is categorically not a valid excuse for missing your preds. You must check to see the green tick next to your name for confirmation that your preds have been successfully submitted.
4. Absolutely no preds will be accepted after the deadline. All late submissions, regardless of excuse or reason, will be heartlessly rejected.
5. Except for Chris Sutton and Guest. They're exempt.
• If Chris Sutton fails to submit his preds then we will obtain preds from another credible source, e.g. footballpredictions.com.
• If Guest fails to submit their preds then Don's automated G-Bot will predict the scores. G-Bot predicts the same as R-Bot but gives one more goal to the home team.

Scoring

• 3 points for predicting the correct score at the full time whistle.
• 1 point for predicting the correct result (the winning team or a draw) at the full time whistle.
• 0 points for predicting an incorrect result, and for postponed or abandoned games.

If a fixture is subject to a change of venue, or if one or both teams field weakened sides for whatever reason, but the fixture goes ahead within the original fixtures window (e.g. Friday - Monday for league preds), then any submitted preds will stand. Predsters are able to adjust their preds as often as they like before the deadline to accommodate any likely changes to venue and/or line-ups.

Goal Difference

In the league:

• The number of games won (or lost) is the number of weeks in which a predster scored the highest or joint highest (or lowest or joint lowest) points in their division. "Lowest or joint lowest" excludes anyone that missed their preds - they automatically also "lose" that week.
• Goal difference is then simply games won minus games lost.

In cup competitions and play-offs, predsters can score or concede "goals" for certain "closeness" attributes and GD is calculated accordingly:

• Correct result (the winning team or a draw): +1GD.
• Correct margin (difference between home and away goals): +1GD.
• Correct home goals: +1GD.
• Correct away goals: +1GD.
• Just wide (one goal away from the correct result): -1GD.
• Nowhere near (more than one goal away from the correct result): -2GD.

League Position

League positions are based on points, then goal difference, then games won. If two or more predsters are tied on these figures then they are displayed alphabetically but they will be considered level.

Play-Offs

1. • At the end of the season:
   • The top 3 predsters in Divisions 2, 3 and 4 will be automatically promoted to Divisions 1, 2 and 3 respectively.
   • The bottom 3 predsters in Divisions 1, 2 and 3 will be automatically relegated to Divisions 2, 3 and 4 respectively.
   • 4th in Division 2 and 4th from bottom in Division 1 will play off to see who will be in Division 1 the following season.
   • 4th in Division 3 and 4th from bottom in Division 2 will play off to see who will be in Division 2 the following season.
   • 4th in Division 4 and 4th from bottom in Division 3 will play off to see who will be in Division 3 the following season.
2. Play-off predsters will be required to enter preds for each of the Championship, League 1 and League 2 play-off finals.
3. If predsters are tied on points after these matches then GD will be used to determine the winner (see "Goal Difference").
4. If predsters are still tied then the "Lucky Dressing Room" will be used to determine the winner. For the play-offs, the predster who scored the most points on the final weekend of the season is said to have the Lucky Dressing Room.
5. If predsters are still tied then the person who predicted closest to the total number of goals in the round will be the winner.
6. If predsters are still tied then "the magic of the cup" will be invoked (see "Cup Preds").
7. • If Guest, R-Bot or Chris Sutton are in the play-offs then:
   • The guest (or guests) that scored the most points in the season will provide Guest's preds.
   • R-Bot will use his usual algorithm.
   • Chris Sutton will submit his preds in the usual manner (see "Deadline").

Cup Preds

1. Points are based on scores at the full time whistle (so excluding extra time and penalties).
2. If predsters are tied on points then GD will be used to determine the winner (see "Goal Difference").
3. If predsters are still tied then the "Lucky Dressing Room" will be used to determine the winner. For cup competitions, the predster with the most points amassed throughout the competition is said to have the Lucky Dressing Room.
4. If predsters are still tied then the person who predicted closest to the total number of goals in the round will be the winner.
5. If predsters are still tied then some terribly convoluted, half-baked plan allegedly reflecting "the magic of the cup" will be used to determine the winner.
6. • In the knockout stages of a cup competition, if someone (the "Late Predster") fails to submit their preds then they automatically lose the tie. Their opponent (the "Punctual Predster") may be asked (but is not obliged) to allow the Late Predster to submit their preds after the deadline. If the Punctual Predster chooses to allow the late submission then:
   • If any fixtures of the round have already taken place, the Late Predster will score 0 for those fixtures.
   • If the first fixture of the round hasn't already taken place and there is distinctly one fixture that kicks off before all others, then the Late Predster cannot submit a prediction for that fixture and will score 0.
   • If the first fixture of the round hasn't already taken place and more than one fixture kicks off first, then the Punctual Predster can choose which one of those first fixtures the Late Predster must forfeit.
   • Goal difference will not be used. If the Punctual Predster and Late Predster are tied on points, then the Punctual Predster will go through.
7. In the knockout stages of a cup competition, if two opposing predsters both fail to submit their preds then the highest-scoring loser from that round will take their place in the next round. If there are two or more such predsters with the same points then GD, Lucky Dressing Room and closest to the total goals in the round will be used to determine who goes through. If two or more predsters are still tied then they will replay for the right to enter the next round.

Guests

1. Any predster can nominate a league guest on the invite page. Predsters are not penalised if their league guest fails to submit their preds. They will, however, be grumbled at.
2. Predsters may also nominate a cup guest (room permitting). If your cup guest fails to submit their preds, you will be penalised 2 points for the current round (if you're still in the cup).

Administration, Suspension & Expulsion

1. If a predster fails to submit their league preds 5 or more times during the course of a season they will "fall into administration".
2. Predsters falling into administration will be automatically placed at the bottom of their division and, unless they are in the lowest division, relegated.
3. They will also start the following season with -10 points.
4. • Any Board member that falls into administration will have their right to vote on Board matters suspended.
   • The suspension will take effect from the day after the season finishes until the moment the AGM of the subsequent summer is formally opened.
   • During this period, all Board decisions will require a majority vote as usual. If no majority is reached then no change can be effected and the status quo will be preserved.
   • The suspended Board member will still be consulted on any Board business (they are merely barred from voting) and all their other Board duties (such as participation in cup draws) will remain in effect.
5. If a predster fails to submit their league preds 5 or more times during the course of a season after falling into administration they will be suspended for the following season with no guarantee of re-entry.
6. If a predster fails to submit their league preds 10 or more times during the course of a season they will be expelled from the Preds.

Comments & Decisions

1. Predsters are encouraged to raise any issues they may have, however...
2. If any predster attempts to mobilise a pitchforked mob against The Board, they will not be automatically expelled from the Preds (we're not a one-party state!) but their continued participation in the Preds will be discussed at Board level ... with a 99% chance of their being expelled, and...
3. The Board's decision is final and remorseless.