FERNCOURT High Head Coach Paul “Tegat” Davis has criticised the current format of schoolboy football, arguing that the reduced number of matches is limiting opportunities for players to develop and compete against the best teams.

Davis, who is strongly opposed to the changes, described the format as “ridiculous”, and warned that teams could spend months preparing for a season only to have their campaign end after just six matches.

“In my zone, Ferncourt have six games, so you play six games. Suppose the team don’t make it? You’re done for the season. One month of football,” Davis told the Jamaica Observer.

The veteran coach believes the traditional home-and-away format provided greater value to players and schools because teams had longer seasons and more opportunities to test themselves against different levels of opposition.

“Normally, you’d play home and away, home and away, so maybe you play until October, November,” he said.

Davis, 64, played professionally in Israel for Maccabi Netanya and Beitar Jerusalem between 1986 and 1990. He also played for Seba United locally before moving into coaching, guiding Montego Bay United, Arnett Gardens and Mount Pleasant Academy.

He is particularly concerned about the amount of preparation involved before the competition begins, compared with the number of games some teams will ultimately play.

He pointed to a scenario in which schools could train for four months, play six matches over a single month, and then be finished if they fail to advance.

“So now, if some schools don’t make it at the first round after training for four months [they] then play six games in one month and that’s it,” he said. “So this is ridiculous.”

The Ferncourt coach also questioned whether the new structure gives lesser-ranked schools enough opportunities to challenge the established powerhouses of schoolboy football.

Davis believes those matches are an important part of the competition because they can produce unexpected results while also giving young players experience against elite opposition.

“You know, when the lesser team play against a big team sometimes the big team don’t make it, you know, they lose,” he said.

“For me, football is watered down. This is bullcrap, man. Bullcrap.”

Davis believes the absence of divisions or a system that allows teams to continue playing regardless of their early results is hurting the overall quality of the competition.

“You don’t have no Division One or Division Two, nothing. You don’t divide, DaCosta Cup and Manning Cup,” he said.

He also rejected the notion that schools should simply accept a shortened campaign, arguing that it runs contrary to concerns about young Jamaican footballers not getting enough competitive football.

“Everybody must play everybody. That’s how the competition is going to be effective,” Davis said.

“You can’t train for three to four months and come play six games and we are complaining that our youth are not playing enough football.”

For Davis, the issue goes beyond the fortunes of Ferncourt. He believes the structure should be designed to maximise playing opportunities for all players, including those whose teams fail to advance.

“When these guys don’t make it to the next round, what do they do? What are they going to do? You tell me, what are they going to do?” he asked.

“Just go back to normal life? No, man.”

Davis is calling for a return to the traditional home-and-away system, which he believes would give schools more matches and provide players with greater opportunities to improve.

“You go back to the original format, home and away,” he said. “You play the stronger teams and you can get the best out of them.”

Ferncourt opened their season with a 2-1 win over Cedric Titus High on Saturday. They are drawn in Group C alongside Brown’s Town High, Discovery Bay High, Marcus Garvey High, Walkerswood Academy, York Castle High and Cedric Titus High.