For those of you who are new to soccer, Europe has a promotion and relegation aspect that is the foundation of professional soccer. This prevents teams from refusing to be competitive and just taking the paycheck they get for being a part of the league. In the NFL, teams like the Cleveland Browns can literally lose all their games, profit for the season, and do it again the following year. That is not a possibility in English football. Let’s look at how the process works in the English Football System, specifically the top flights.

ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE – This is the top flight of football in England. In the 2016-17 season, each team received around $102 million just for competing in the league. The bottom three teams each year are in the unenviable position of being relegated down a level to the English Championship. The top four teams can’t move up, but they are automatically qualified for the prestigious and profitable UEFA Champions League. Interestingly enough, the teams that are relegated every year are provided a parachute payment which begins at around $32 million the first year and drops every year to the fourth and final year payment of around $13 million.

ENGLISH LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP – This is the second level of English football. There are three spots available for the English Premier League every year. The top two teams are automatically promoted. The next four teams compete in the English Football League playoffs. The third and fourth seeds from the regular season will host the fifth and sixth seeds in a two-leg playoff which just means each team plays a home game. Usually the first tiebreaker is the team that scores the most away goals. This competition is some of the most exciting soccer that you will find as four teams have a chance to be promoted to the Premier League for the next season. Finally the the two remaining teams square off in a one-game elimination match at Wembley Stadium in London.

ENGLISH FOOTBALL LEAGUE ONE – The third level of the English Football System is much the same as the second. The top two teams are promoted, the next four go to the playoffs, and the bottom four are relegated down a flight.

From this point on it becomes somewhat redundant. The only thing that really changes is the number of teams promoted or relegated and the actual playoff formats used. At some point, geography supersedes the rules and teams are slotted into the league that makes more sense from a financial and travel standpoint. For me, this aspect of soccer is one of many that add excitement to the sport. The fact that teams can’t just “mail it in” makes it so much more competitive and fun. It’s a unique manner of determining who gets to compete in which league and there is a financial benefit to completing the season to the best of your abilities.

Micah Joe is on a 31-16 streak with his soccer selections good for +15.6 units and a 29.4% ROI. Mainly focusing on totals, you can expect to receive around 4-8 plays per week, depending on the volume of games in Major League Soccer and the English Premier League. This weekend, he will be releasing multiple BEST BETS, including his first 3-unit play.