New playoff format: Is it good or bad?
Nov 15, 2008 - 08:06:19 CST
COMMENTARY By DONN ADAMSON
Daily Journal Sports Editor
This year’s playoff format for high school football included the teams who took second in their district to give them a second chance to redeem themselves so they could still have a shot at winning a state championship, and not be eliminated in a possible one-game letdown during their district play.
MSHAA invoked the rule starting this year and it will apply for the next three years as well. The format added another week of playoffs called ‘Regionals’ where the second-place team in a district would play the first place team in a neighboring district, and vice-versa, with the winners from the two games to meet in the ‘Sectional’ game.
The question that arises is whether it is actually beneficial to the season and to the high schools, measuring the pros and cons of the change.
I imagine every coach and player who was on a second-place team, which I will label ‘B’ for clarification purposes would quickly say yes, mainly because they got to play at the least one extra game and for at least one week they could continue their dream of a possible trip to the dome.
At the same time, realistically, there are coaches and players from B teams who look at their Regional opponent and wonder what they have we gotten themselves into, knowing they may possibly be facing a very highly ranked team that they would otherwise not have to play.
One of the curses of postseason play is that every team except the state champion will end their season with a loss. With the new playoff format, there is a good chance that several B teams may end their season with two losses, instead.
A second problem that occurs because of the new format is the fact that room in the season’s schedule had to be made to accommodate it.
This year, it was done by the season starting a week early on the last Friday in August. I happen to remember that first game, and can make a few observations about it. 1) It allowed me to take photos in the daylight (first half) and not have to use a flash, and 2) the game was constantly stopped by the referees for water breaks so that heat exhaustion did not take place for the players in the 80-plus degree temperature.
The big question is, did the new format actually make a difference in the outcome of the play-offs? Did including the B teams in the playoffs really help better their season or the football season as a whole? We won’t fully know that answer until the championship games are played, but until then some interesting facts have already shed light on the question, is the new playoff format actually beneficial to the season and to the high schools.
Out of 83 B teams that entered into the state playoffs 61 were eliminated in their first game. Five of those 61 were eliminated by other B teams in Class 5 which has a wild playoff format of 22 teams (The Class 6 first round of games are Sectional games).
With 22 B teams making it to the second round, 15 had to face their district’s first-place team (which I will call ‘A’ team). Four teams in Class 5 were eliminated in the second round by other A teams. Only four teams so far were able to exact revenge and advance beyond any district-failing implications (Two B teams in Class five will face their A teams tonight).
Fox in Class 6 advances to the semi-finals, Wellington-Napoleon in Class 1, and Pleasant Hill and Cassville in Class 3 advanced to the quarterfinals, by beating their respective district champion. Logan-Rogersville, a B team, which will face Cassville in the quarterfinals had their A team eliminated by a B team, Versailles in round one, and Logan-Rogersville then eliminated Versailles.
The Logan-Rogersville/Cassville game, along with Fox’ win last night, will produce at least two B teams in the state’s semi-final games with only three more possible in today’s Class 5 and 6 quarterfinals.
If I haven’t already confused you, here’s the bottom line. Out of 83 second-place-in-district teams, only five so far have proven they deserved a second chance with a possible three more after today’s rounds. By the calculator, that means only six to 9.6 percent.
Some could say if only one of those teams makes it to the dome or actually wins a state title it proves the new format works, but with all the changes and effort and extra expenses for 83 extra games to bring it about was it really worth it?
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http://www.dailyjournalonline.com/articles/2008/11/15/sports/doc491e58daad98e607503619.txt
Daily Journal Sports Editor
This year’s playoff format for high school football included the teams who took second in their district to give them a second chance to redeem themselves so they could still have a shot at winning a state championship, and not be eliminated in a possible one-game letdown during their district play.
MSHAA invoked the rule starting this year and it will apply for the next three years as well. The format added another week of playoffs called ‘Regionals’ where the second-place team in a district would play the first place team in a neighboring district, and vice-versa, with the winners from the two games to meet in the ‘Sectional’ game.
The question that arises is whether it is actually beneficial to the season and to the high schools, measuring the pros and cons of the change.
I imagine every coach and player who was on a second-place team, which I will label ‘B’ for clarification purposes would quickly say yes, mainly because they got to play at the least one extra game and for at least one week they could continue their dream of a possible trip to the dome.
At the same time, realistically, there are coaches and players from B teams who look at their Regional opponent and wonder what they have we gotten themselves into, knowing they may possibly be facing a very highly ranked team that they would otherwise not have to play.
One of the curses of postseason play is that every team except the state champion will end their season with a loss. With the new playoff format, there is a good chance that several B teams may end their season with two losses, instead.
A second problem that occurs because of the new format is the fact that room in the season’s schedule had to be made to accommodate it.
This year, it was done by the season starting a week early on the last Friday in August. I happen to remember that first game, and can make a few observations about it. 1) It allowed me to take photos in the daylight (first half) and not have to use a flash, and 2) the game was constantly stopped by the referees for water breaks so that heat exhaustion did not take place for the players in the 80-plus degree temperature.
The big question is, did the new format actually make a difference in the outcome of the play-offs? Did including the B teams in the playoffs really help better their season or the football season as a whole? We won’t fully know that answer until the championship games are played, but until then some interesting facts have already shed light on the question, is the new playoff format actually beneficial to the season and to the high schools.
Out of 83 B teams that entered into the state playoffs 61 were eliminated in their first game. Five of those 61 were eliminated by other B teams in Class 5 which has a wild playoff format of 22 teams (The Class 6 first round of games are Sectional games).
With 22 B teams making it to the second round, 15 had to face their district’s first-place team (which I will call ‘A’ team). Four teams in Class 5 were eliminated in the second round by other A teams. Only four teams so far were able to exact revenge and advance beyond any district-failing implications (Two B teams in Class five will face their A teams tonight).
Fox in Class 6 advances to the semi-finals, Wellington-Napoleon in Class 1, and Pleasant Hill and Cassville in Class 3 advanced to the quarterfinals, by beating their respective district champion. Logan-Rogersville, a B team, which will face Cassville in the quarterfinals had their A team eliminated by a B team, Versailles in round one, and Logan-Rogersville then eliminated Versailles.
The Logan-Rogersville/Cassville game, along with Fox’ win last night, will produce at least two B teams in the state’s semi-final games with only three more possible in today’s Class 5 and 6 quarterfinals.
If I haven’t already confused you, here’s the bottom line. Out of 83 second-place-in-district teams, only five so far have proven they deserved a second chance with a possible three more after today’s rounds. By the calculator, that means only six to 9.6 percent.
Some could say if only one of those teams makes it to the dome or actually wins a state title it proves the new format works, but with all the changes and effort and extra expenses for 83 extra games to bring it about was it really worth it?