THE Serie B playoffs they start with a super challenge. The Palermo – who finished the regular season in sixth place – faces the Sampdoria (seventh) in the preliminary round. But what are the rules of the challenge? How does the first match of the competition work? And who will be the winner’s next opponent?
THE RULES
FORMAT – The preliminary round is played in a single match at the home of the best ranked team (Palermo, ed.): in the event of a tie, extra time is played, but in the event of a further tie after extra time, the best placed in the standings advances (Therefore, penalty kicks are NOT played. The number of goals scored away does NOT count).
NEXT TURN – Whoever passes the round enters the semifinals of the playoffs and faces the Venice, third in the standings at the end of the regular season. The first leg is scheduled for Monday 20 May at 8.30pm, while the return match is scheduled for Friday 24 May, again at 8.30pm. In fact, the semi-finals and the final are played over the ’round trip’ distance (the pairings HERE). The best ranked team always has the right to play the return leg at home. If the semi-finals and final end in a draw after the return matches, the best placed in the standings prevails, without extra time or penalties; The number of goals scored away does NOT count.
SUBSTITUTIONS
Five substitutions are allowed and these can be made using three interruptions of play within the regular 90 minutes (note: the intervals do not count as a “intermission”). In the event of extra time, teams may make use of a further substitution – and consequently an additional slot to possibly carry it out –; the changes available, therefore, in the case of “extra time”, become six.
DISQUALIFICATIONS AND CARDS
In the play-offs we start from scratch, the situation relating to player warnings is completely eliminated. In the playoffs you get a warning from the first yellow card and the disqualification will be automatic after the second. However, those who were warned for the last day of the regular season and were warned, miss the first match, as in the case of Nedelcearu of Palermo.
