Marty O'Brien
02-14-2008, 05:08 PM
If Bruton, Lafayette and Poquoson tie for first in Bay Rivers District girls basketball, a three-way playoff is set to decide. ....
A) Seeding for the district tournament.
B) Two of three district berths into the regional.
Why play two extra games to decide that?
As it is, two teams are guaranteed regional berths already. All this playoff decides is who goes into the regional as the district's first seed and who gets the second regional berth. (along with homecourt advantage in the district tournament)
A third berth will be decided by the district tournament. That would go to the third regular season champion, unless a team that finishes fourth or lower wins the district tournament. That's unlikely.
So why not let the tournament decide the everything?
Here's how.
A) The team that finishes highest in the tournament from the pool of three regular season champions goes to the regional as the district's No. 1 seed (regardless of whether it is the tournament champion).
B) The team that finishes next highest from the pool of three regular season champions gets the district's second berth to the regional. It goes to the regional as the No. 2 seed unless a team fourth or lower wins the district tournament.
Here's why.
This way you don't tire out a team going into the regional by making them play seven games in 10 days. That can conceivably happen to Poquoson if you count this week's two regular season games, two playoff games and three district tournament games.
So how are the three regular season champions seeded for the district tournament if you don't have a playoff? By setting up a regular season formula that starts with head-to-head play.
The district could've done that easily this year. In head-to-head play between the three, Lafayette was 3-1, Poquoson 2-2 and Bruton 1-3. Lafayette then would be the No. 1 seed and have homecourt advantage for the district tournament.
Instead, this playoff was set up using a preseason draw. Lafayette has two win two playoff games to get the No. 1 seed, thanks to a bad draw. Bruton got the better draw and only has to play, and win, one playoff game.
Does that make sense to you? Consider that Lafayette swept the season series with Bruton before you answer that one.
It won't always be as simple as head-to-head play to break a three-way tie, but that always should be the first method. Beyond that, the district must create a formula as useful as the power rating tie-breakers employed in football.
That might take some mental work, but it has to be better than teams playing seven games in 10 days just before the regionals.
And here's the best part. A district tournament that is currently just north of meaningless will become far more meaningful.
A) Seeding for the district tournament.
B) Two of three district berths into the regional.
Why play two extra games to decide that?
As it is, two teams are guaranteed regional berths already. All this playoff decides is who goes into the regional as the district's first seed and who gets the second regional berth. (along with homecourt advantage in the district tournament)
A third berth will be decided by the district tournament. That would go to the third regular season champion, unless a team that finishes fourth or lower wins the district tournament. That's unlikely.
So why not let the tournament decide the everything?
Here's how.
A) The team that finishes highest in the tournament from the pool of three regular season champions goes to the regional as the district's No. 1 seed (regardless of whether it is the tournament champion).
B) The team that finishes next highest from the pool of three regular season champions gets the district's second berth to the regional. It goes to the regional as the No. 2 seed unless a team fourth or lower wins the district tournament.
Here's why.
This way you don't tire out a team going into the regional by making them play seven games in 10 days. That can conceivably happen to Poquoson if you count this week's two regular season games, two playoff games and three district tournament games.
So how are the three regular season champions seeded for the district tournament if you don't have a playoff? By setting up a regular season formula that starts with head-to-head play.
The district could've done that easily this year. In head-to-head play between the three, Lafayette was 3-1, Poquoson 2-2 and Bruton 1-3. Lafayette then would be the No. 1 seed and have homecourt advantage for the district tournament.
Instead, this playoff was set up using a preseason draw. Lafayette has two win two playoff games to get the No. 1 seed, thanks to a bad draw. Bruton got the better draw and only has to play, and win, one playoff game.
Does that make sense to you? Consider that Lafayette swept the season series with Bruton before you answer that one.
It won't always be as simple as head-to-head play to break a three-way tie, but that always should be the first method. Beyond that, the district must create a formula as useful as the power rating tie-breakers employed in football.
That might take some mental work, but it has to be better than teams playing seven games in 10 days just before the regionals.
And here's the best part. A district tournament that is currently just north of meaningless will become far more meaningful.