MONTEGO BAY, St James — A number of coaches say they are willing to work with the changes in the format of the ISSA/Flow daCosta Cup that will be implemented this season.

Sixteen home and away series of games will replace the Inter-zone round that used to see teams playing games against three teams with the top 16 teams advancing to the quarter-finals.

Instead of pre-determined groups or match-ups, the 32 teams that will advance form the first round, will be seeded from number one to 32 using a variety of factors.

Among the factors that will be used to determine the ranks of the teams will be their placing from last year as well as the number of games they win this season.

The top team will then play the weakest team, that is number one will play number 32, number two will play number 31 and so on with the teams winning on aggregate advancing to the quarter-finals.

Dr Dean Weatherly, coach of defending daCosta Cup champions Cornwall College, said he had “no problem with it. Let’s see how it works first before we criticise, don’t criticise before we try it and if there are tweaks to be made then let’s do that.”

Omar Wedderburn, the coach at St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) was in a no-nonesense mood. “If a coach has a problem with the format then they should not play, it’s the rules so let’s go with it.”

Wedderburn added: “We have had the other format for a long time and it’s good to try new things to see how we can improve the football.”

Hopeton Gilchrist, who returns to Munro College, agrees. “Change is good and this one could work. We have to try different things and see what works, so let’s not judge until we try it.”

Vassell Reynolds, who moved from Wolmer’s Boys’ School to Rusea’s High, said he would have preferred if it was phased in or done next year, but said base on what he saw, there were pros and cons.

“It’s good in that each team gets to host a home game and we won’t hear about teams having to go play on the other’s home field or far away from their own base.

“This format does not give you any room for mistakes, it is basically a knockout and so if you lose the first leg you are in trouble,” he argues.

Carlington Dodd of Ocho Rios was non-committal, saying only: “It’s the rules and we have to play the games anyways.”

Andrew Edwards of Manchester High said he likes the change. “I like what it intends, however, there might be some grey areas and some teething pains.”

Edwards thinks despite the ‘subjectivity’ in how the teams will be seeded, “it will work itself out in the end, when we get to the business end of the season, its will be about the top teams proving themselves.”