Why are we paying prize money to teams that finish 5th–8th? What is the actual reasoning behind this?
Those teams did not win. They did not reach the podium. They did not achieve anything noteworthy. They showed up, failed to compete for the top, and still get rewarded. Why is mediocrity being incentivized in a competitive league?
If payouts for 5th–8th were removed entirely, the prize money for 1st–3rd would increase "MaSsIvElY". Suddenly, winning would matter. And in the higher divisions (Elite and Pro), this would lead to genuine competition for the top spots. There may already be some of that, but assuming this system, it would play out exactly as explained here. And then for sure also, podium finishes (1.-3.) would mean something in lower divisions.
And as stated in this post: if the license costs, for example, €49, and I win €51, then honestly this feels rather trivial and borderline ridiculous. Two euros of “profit” is hardly a meaningful reward for competing in a so-called competitive league.
Right now the prize pool is being fragmented into small, meaningless payouts just so everyone can leave with something. That weakens competition. That removes prestige. That undermines the entire purpose of having an any division in the first place.
A serious competitive system should be topheavy by design. You perform at the highest level, or you do not get paid. That is how pressure is created. That is how excellence is rewarded.
When a team can finish 6th and still earn money, there is no real incentive to push harder. No real risk. No real reward for being better than everyone else.
Stop spreading the prize pool thin
Stop rewarding failure
Reward the winners properly
Make the top 3 actually worth fighting for
Otherwise, this is not a serious competitive league 🤔