Replay (sports)

This article describes a replay competition. It is not to be confused with instant replay, the videotape review process.

In sports, a replay (also known as a rematch or a do-over, depending on the context) refers to an extra game between two teams after the first game's results were either nullified or ended in a draw. A game may be nullified if the game's result is protested (usually the losing team) and the organizers ruled to replay the game (thereby upholding the protest). If the game is nullified, the results of the first game may be discarded.

Full replays are extremely rare in most sports; most sports organizations have provisions that either allow ties to stand or mandate they be broken within the game with overtime or some other form of extended play. Among organizations that have a replay system are the AFL Grand Final, some competitions of association football, and Nippon Professional Baseball. In all cases, the replay system is only used in knockout tournaments, when a winner must be decided.

Association football

In association football, replays were often used to decide the winner in a knock-out tournament when the previous match ended in a tie, especially in finals. In 1970, FIFA (the worldwide governing body of the sport) and IFAB (the international rules committee for the sport) allowed penalty shoot-outs to be held if a match ended in a tie. The penalty shootout made its appearance immediately thereafter. The first instance of a shootout replacing a replay (rather than lots) was the final of the 1976 European championship. The shootout's first use at the World Cup took place in the 1982 semi-finals. Replays are now only used in the early rounds of the English FA Cup tournament, as well as rounds up until the semi-finals in the Scottish Cup.

Boxing

In boxing, rematches (referred to as "rematch" and not "replay") have produced some historically significant moments in the sport. Examples include:

• Joe Louis and Max Schmeling
• Jack Dempsey and Gene Tunney (see: The Long Count Fight)
• Sugar Ray Robinson and Jake LaMotta
• Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier (see: Fight of the Century, Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier II, The Thrilla in Manila)
• Sugar Ray Leonard and Roberto Duran (see: The Brawl in Montreal, The No Mas Fight)
• Muhammad Ali (Cassius Clay) and Sonny Liston (see Muhammad Ali vs. Sonny Liston)
• Bobby Chacon and Rafael Limon (see: Chacon vs. Limon)
• Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales
• Arturo Gatti and Micky Ward
• Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield (see Evander Holyfield vs. Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield vs. Lennox Lewis II)

Notable replayed games

• The 1919 New York Pro Football League championship between the Buffalo Prospects and Rochester Jeffersons ended with Buffalo winning 20-0; the original match had ended in a scoreless tie.
• The 1932 NFL Playoff Game can be seen as a replay, since the two teams had tied earlier in the year and the extra game was needed to decide the league championship.
• The UEFA Euro 1968 Final between Italy and Yugoslavia ended 2-0; the original match ended in a 1-1 draw after extra time.
• The 51st National High School Baseball Championship Game (Japan) between Matsuyama Shogyo and Misawa ended 4-2; the original match was declared a 0-0 draw after 18 innings.
• A 1972 Louisiana High School Athletic Association Class AAAA football semifinal playoff between Monroe Neville and host New Orleans Brother Martin was replayed four days later after the game ended scoreless and both teams had the same number of first downs and penetrations inside the opponent's 20-yard line. Since there was no overtime provision in the National Federation of State High School Associations rules at the time (except in Kansas), the commissioner of the LHSAA ordered a new game after the suggestion to use a coin toss to determine the winner was vehemently rejected by both coaches. Neville won the replay, contested in a driving rain at Alexandria 8-0, and went on to defeat Bossier City Airline three days later for the state championship.
• The 1974 European Cup Final between FC Bayern Munich and Atlético Madrid ended 4-0; the original match ended in a 1-1 draw after extra time.
• The 1991 UAAP Basketball Championship between the De La Salle Green Archers and the FEU Tamaraws was ordered into a replay after it was discovered that a La Salle player that fouled out re-entered the game. La Salle did not show up at the replay and FEU was awarded with the championship.
• The 1993 FA Cup Final between Arsenal and Sheffield Wednesday ended 2-1 after extra time; the original match ended in a 1-1 draw after extra time.
• The 88th National High School Baseball Championship Game (Japan) between Waseda Jitsugyo and Komadai Tomakomai ended 4-3; the original match was declared a 1-1 draw after 15 innings.
• The 1948 VFL Grand Final between Essendon and Melbourne was drawn 10.9 69 to 7.27 69, and the replay was comfortably won by Melbourne 13.11 89 to 7.8 50.
• The 1977 VFL Grand Final between Collingwood and North Melbourne ended in a 10.16 76 to 9.22 76 draw, and was replayed the following week, with North Melbourne taking the Premiership 21.15 151 to 19.10 124.
• The 2010 AFL Grand Final between Collingwood and St Kilda ended in a 9.14 68 to 10.8 68 draw, and was replayed the following week, with Collingwood taking the Premiership by winning 16.12 108 to 7.10 52.
• The 1977 NSWRFL Grand Final between Parramatta and St. George ended in a 9-9 draw, and was replayed the following week with St. George winning 22-0.
• The 1978 NSWRFL Grand Final between Cronulla-Sutherland and Manly-Warringah ended in an 11-11 draw, and was replayed the following week with Manly-Warringah winning 16-0.
• Game 6 of the 2010 Japan series between the Chunichi Dragons and the Chiba Lotte Marines ended tied 2-2 after 15 innings (in the longest game in the league's history: 5 hours, 43 minutes), and was replayed the following day with the Marines winning the game 8-7 and claiming the league championship 4 games to 2 (with 1 tie).
• In Gaelic games, the final matches of the All-Ireland championships in each individual sport are decided by replays in the event of a draw. As in the AFL, extra time is used only if the replay is also drawn at the end of regulation. The most recent replay was the 2013 hurling final, in which Clare defeated Cork 5-16 to 3-16 (31 points to 25) after the teams finished the original match level at 25 points (Cork 3-16, Clare 0-25).

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