Each week you choose three matches and try to acquire points based on the system below. Since there is no traditional 'winter break' in the EPL and we want to keep things interesting, we'll have a winner for the first half of the season given out the day before Boxing Day, a winner for the second half, and an Overall Winner. Prizes are TBD as of 7/19/09.
Points System
Three points are awarded for a victory if your team sits above the team they're playing in the standings. Ex: If Team A is 1st in the table and they defeat the 4th team, its three points.
Three points plus the difference in the standings are awarded if your team wins and they sit below the team they're playing in the standings. Ex: If Team A is 1st in the table and Team B is 6th in the table, and you correctly predict Team B to win, then you get 8 points (three for the victory + five for the table differential).
Draws will work the same way except they will be based on one point.
Ex: If Team A is 1st in the EPL table, you chose them to win, and they draw the 4th placed team...that is 1 point. If team B is 4th in the EPL, you choose them to win and they draw...then that is 4 points (1 for the draw + 3 for the table differential).
This encourages everyone not to just pick United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal (snooooze) and hopefully makes it interesting at the sharp end of the season when injuries, fixtures and the relegation possibilities pile up. It also gives you a bit of an edge if you know full well that every time Arsenal take the trip up the motorway to Bolton, they come back with nothing, or a draw at best.
Teams that have 0 points (ex: all teams in Week 1) revert to their final table position in the previous season. Newly promoted teams start with the number of points accumulated by the last place team in the previous campaign. Last year’s EPL standings can be found here.
