Phoenix fans shows their support Photo: Masanori Udagawa
Former Australia international Robbie Slater said the A-League's decision to change the way it ranks teams who are level on points is "ridiculous and absurd" after a technical error left fans confused about clubs' positions on the top-flight table.
Most football leagues separate teams that are tied on points by goal difference (the difference between goals scored and goals conceded), but the A-League's new rules prioritise the number of wins a team has.
With Melbourne Victory and Wellington Phoenix level on 12 points, the Victoria-based club were listed in top spot on the A-League's website thanks to their superior goal difference, despite the New Zealand outfit having one more win.
After a fan's post on the social medial platform X, formerly known as Twitter, pointed out that Phoenix should be top of the standings according to the A-League's new rules, the league updated the table on its website.
In a statement on Tuesday, the A-league said the rule change had been communicated to clubs in the off-season and that it had been made to "encourage more attacking football and to increase the number of matches that matter through the season".
"A technical error which has now been rectified had led to the league tables showing incorrectly on aleagues.com.au for the opening rounds of the 2023-24 season."
Former Blackburn Rovers and West Ham United player Slater said there was no reason for the A-League to change the rule.
"The whole point is you just stick to what the rest of world are doing, there is a good reason for it," Slater told News Corp.
"If you look at things that might be wrong with the A-League, and there's a lot you can pick from, that is not one of them. Why muck around with what the rest of the world does ... Don't fix what's not broken."
-Reuters