Everything is clear when it comes to next year’s regulations in Polish speedway leagues. On Tuesday evening, the PZM authorities published a document which shows several significant changes compared to the last season. Here’s what you should pay most attention to.
Player replacement has been extended
Until now, clubs could only replace a speedway player with the highest average. This really affected several teams last season. For example, Stal Gorzów lost its medal chance when it had to cope without Anders Thomsen. Now this provision has been slightly liberalized. From next year, it will be possible to replace two players with the highest average, and in the case of the play-off round, as many as three.
The new regulation is intended to ensure that clubs struggling with injuries do not lose their position. This is especially important in the context of the play-offs and increasing their attractiveness. We all remember the one-sided final of the PGE Ekstraliga, where the decimated Betard Sparta Wrocław tried to fight for the gold.
Bad news for foreign juniors
The clubs of the 2nd Speedway League were waiting for information whether foreign players will be able to compete in junior positions next year. Ultimately, no such provision was decided, so the youth formations will consist only of Poles. This, in turn, is good news for domestic speedway riders, who will have a slightly easier time competing in the league regularly.
Among the significant changes, we should also note the increase in the permissible age for a reserve. Let us remind you that coaches can designate substitutes at numbers 8 and 16. Until now, their age was limited to 23 years. Now this is changing and this limit has been moved to 24 years.
There is also an interesting fact about the nominated races. After the end of the 13th race, the losing team will be able to choose a set of starting fields for the last two races. In case of a tie, the choice will be made by the away team. This is a novelty that is intended to help the weaker.
Finally, let us add that the regulations also allow having a reserve team not only by teams from the PGE Ekstraliga, but also from the 1st Speedway League. This point is of most interest to Texom Stal Rzeszów, which is to investigate cooperation with the reviving center in Krakow, which has a chance to appear in the 2nd Speedway League next year.
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