Alabama Playoff Format

[CoachT]

Just wanted to see what TN fans thought of this:

 

Area (district) winners and runnersup host the 3rd and 4th place finishers from another area. They played a DH last Friday and if there was a sweep then they advance. If they split, they played the tie-breaker on Saturday. The winners pair up next Friday for another DH with the Saturday tie-breaker, if necessary.

 

They do this for four consecutive Fridays/Saturdays before coming together at one site for the state finals.

 

In the second, quarter-final and semi-final rounds, the team that traveled more times during the preceding round(s) will be the "host" team. If travel (number of times) in the previous round(s) is the same, the team on the top of the bracket will be the "host" team. If two teams from the same area meet, the highest finisher in regular season play will be the "host" team.

 

Friday, April 25 schedule

[bavarian]

I like it.

[crazzyness]

The system we have is perfectly fine... Only thing I could possibly imagine changing is making sub-state best out of three...

 

And the state championship should be best out of three also.

[bighitter08]

The system we have is perfectly fine... Only thing I could possibly imagine changing is making sub-state best out of three...

 

And the state championship should be best out of three also.

 

I like the idea of making the state championship the best of three.

[ksgovols]

Any system that goes from double elimination to single elimination for one game and then back to double elimination is flawed. The region finals mean nothing and the sectional game means everything. It's set up for a one pitcher team to make it to state, where they will go as far as their stud pitcher will take them.

 

Any system that has a series to decide advancement will be in favor of the strongest team. That or pool play is the best indicator of who has the best team. Now, add some pitch count rules and days rest requirements and you've got something. If not you'd have a kid throwing 100 pitches in the first and third games of the series.

 

Seed the top 8 teams that make it to state and divide into 2 pools. Pool winners play a best 2 out of 3 series for the championship.

[davidlimbaugh]

I have been pushing the 'Limbaugh Plan' for years now.

 

The current system in Tennessee is flawed in that a team with one great pitcher can get to the state, and then not have a good showing when more than one pitcher is needed. You just have to win on a Monday and a Friday and you are there!

 

The Alabama system is just a tournament, with each round a best 2 out of 3 to ensure a team has more than one pitcher.

 

The Limbaugh plan?

 

Take the 1st and 2nd place team from each district and play a double-elimination regional with the winner going to the state tournament.

 

Take last year in AAA for instance.

 

Last year was an odd year so odd districts host

 

Region 1: Morristown West vs Dobbyns Bennett and Cocke Co vs Science Hill at Science Hill

 

Region 2: Oak Ridge vs South Doyle and William Blount vs Knox Halls at Knox Halls

 

Region 3: Bradley vs Red Bank and Soddy Daisy vs Cleveland at Cleveland

 

Region 4: Cookeville vs Coffee Co and Lawrence Co vs Oakland at Oakland

 

Region 5: Smyrna vs Clarksville and Rossview vs Mt Juliet at Mt Juliet

 

Region 6: Franklin vs Hunters Lane and Antioch vs Overton at Overton

 

Region 7: Hardin Co vs Bartlett and Cordova vs Brighton at Brighton

 

Region 8: Collierville vs Fairley and Whitehaven vs Houston at Houston

 

Day 1 is 2 vs 1 and 2 vs 1

 

Day 2 is Losers and Winners

 

Day 3 is Winner vs Loser

 

Day 4 is Championship and If Game

 

Winner goes to Spring Fling

 

As far as seeding a tournament goes, how does one seed? What criteria? A few years back we had a 4-team pool of Farragut, Houston, Hendersonville and Riverdale - all great teams - but the other side of the pool had teams with some players that went on to the next level and even some kids that were drafted....

 

And the smaller classifications seeding may get even more difficult - won-loss record may not reflect the competition played....

[ksgovols]

Seeding is tough, no doubt, but it beats drawing them out of the hat and playing a double elimination tournament in state after a single elimination game at sectionals. If we don't want to seed them and we're drawing them out of the hat anyway, you're better off to draw them out of the hat and throw them into 2 pools.

 

I do like the Limbaugh plan by the way, but there is no real good way to seed any group of teams that haven't played head to head. Heck, I wish the district games were best of 3 with rotating home teams every year. Play a single on Friday and a double header on Saturday. Weekend tournaments just make money for the host anyway. Everybody's saving their #1 and #2 for the Monday, Tuesday district games. If we weren't taking them out of school so much during the week and playing double headers on Saturday, we could probably play more games.

[crazzyness]

I have been pushing the 'Limbaugh Plan' for years now.

 

The current system in Tennessee is flawed in that a team with one great pitcher can get to the state, and then not have a good showing when more than one pitcher is needed. You just have to win on a Monday and a Friday and you are there!

 

The Alabama system is just a tournament, with each round a best 2 out of 3 to ensure a team has more than one pitcher.

 

The Limbaugh plan?

 

Take the 1st and 2nd place team from each district and play a double-elimination regional with the winner going to the state tournament.

 

Take last year in AAA for instance.

 

Last year was an odd year so odd districts host

 

Region 1: Morristown West vs Dobbyns Bennett and Cocke Co vs Science Hill at Science Hill

 

Region 2: Oak Ridge vs South Doyle and William Blount vs Knox Halls at Knox Halls

 

Region 3: Bradley vs Red Bank and Soddy Daisy vs Cleveland at Cleveland

 

Region 4: Cookeville vs Coffee Co and Lawrence Co vs Oakland at Oakland

 

Region 5: Smyrna vs Clarksville and Rossview vs Mt Juliet at Mt Juliet

 

Region 6: Franklin vs Hunters Lane and Antioch vs Overton at Overton

 

Region 7: Hardin Co vs Bartlett and Cordova vs Brighton at Brighton

 

Region 8: Collierville vs Fairley and Whitehaven vs Houston at Houston

 

Day 1 is 2 vs 1 and 2 vs 1

 

Day 2 is Losers and Winners

 

Day 3 is Winner vs Loser

 

Day 4 is Championship and If Game

 

Winner goes to Spring Fling

 

As far as seeding a tournament goes, how does one seed? What criteria? A few years back we had a 4-team pool of Farragut, Houston, Hendersonville and Riverdale - all great teams - but the other side of the pool had teams with some players that went on to the next level and even some kids that were drafted....

 

And the smaller classifications seeding may get even more difficult - won-loss record may not reflect the competition played....

 

Your "plan" is VERY flawed because if the two best teams are in the same district, then its one of the two is screwed. The System we have is FINE, aside from making the sub-state and state championship best-of-three. Those are the only changes needed.

[bravos2007]

The system stinks. It was amazing in the 90's i believe when it was when the region semis, region finals, and sub state were all win or go home. This would be a lot better if they went back to this cause not only do you need two pitchers you also need an extra because most pitchers after pitching a hard Monday probably couldn't make it all game Friday.

[ksgovols]

Well, if you're going to play one and dones at 3 levels of play in the post season, you'll also have to have pitching rules that limit pitches per game and mandate days rest. I'd hate to have a kid's arm in the balance when a coach is making out a post season lineup with so many one and dones. I still contend that a series a week after regions would put the best teams out there.

 

Double elimination district tournament. Top 4 teams advance. 64 teams. Week one. 4/30-5/5

Double elimination region tournament. Top 2 teams advance. 32 teams. Week two. 5/7-5/12

Sectionals. Region winners vs adjacent region runner ups. 16 teams Best of 3. Week three. 5/15-5/17

State. 2 pools of 4. Round robins on Thursday, Friday, Saturday. Play out an tie breakers Sunday. Week four 5/22-5/25

State championship, best of 3. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. Week five (four and a half really) 5/26-5/28

 

We're already missing graduations during state.

The entire month of May has always been considered the post season.

We aren't missing any school until state and then it's 4 days at most. We're playing ball on Memorial Day.

8 team double elimination tournaments. 4 games first 2 days. DH on 2 fields. Loser's bracket on Day 3 (one field), loser and winner's bracket final day 4 (one field), Day 5, Day 6 (Championship and if game).

 

Basically the same as basketball with a double elimination format in the first two tournaments and then best of 3 at sectionals and pool play at state. If it's too much baseball (what's that?), then take top 2 teams out of district and play a 4 team double elimination tournament at region. That only takes 3 days.

 

State champions should have more than a #1 and the rest of the pitching staff by committee. There should be a premium on deep pitching staffs and/or great defense, not overuse of one guy.

[crazzyness]

Well, if you're going to play one and dones at 3 levels of play in the post season, you'll also have to have pitching rules that limit pitches per game and mandate days rest. I'd hate to have a kid's arm in the balance when a coach is making out a post season lineup with so many one and dones. I still contend that a series a week after regions would put the best teams out there.

 

Double elimination district tournament. Top 4 teams advance. 64 teams. Week one. 4/30-5/5

Double elimination region tournament. Top 2 teams advance. 32 teams. Week two. 5/7-5/12

Sectionals. Region winners vs adjacent region runner ups. 16 teams Best of 3. Week three. 5/15-5/17

State. 2 pools of 4. Round robins on Thursday, Friday, Saturday. Play out an tie breakers Sunday. Week four 5/22-5/25

State championship, best of 3. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. Week five (four and a half really) 5/26-5/28

 

We're already missing graduations during state.

The entire month of May has always been considered the post season.

We aren't missing any school until state and then it's 4 days at most. We're playing ball on Memorial Day.

8 team double elimination tournaments. 4 games first 2 days. DH on 2 fields. Loser's bracket on Day 3 (one field), loser and winner's bracket final day 4 (one field), Day 5, Day 6 (Championship and if game).

 

Basically the same as basketball with a double elimination format in the first two tournaments and then best of 3 at sectionals and pool play at state. If it's too much baseball (what's that?), then take top 2 teams out of district and play a 4 team double elimination tournament at region. That only takes 3 days.

 

State champions should have more than a #1 and the rest of the pitching staff by committee. There should be a premium on deep pitching staffs and/or great defense, not overuse of one guy.

 

Well thats a great idea. Lets start the play-offs on April 30th, and only have like a 6 1/2 week long season. AND lets miss graduation. AND your brother's graduation. AND your sisters graduation. AND your best friend's graduation. AND miss your OWN graduation. AND your senior prom. And lets play on Memorial Day day while we're at it. Heck, lets play clear on into the month of June, so we can get out of baseball, and then start conditioning for football a few weeks later... No, I've got an idea: Lets extend baseball season till the end of June, and lets start playing football in the 3rd week of July... Cause thats what it looks like you're going for. Taking the kids entire summer away.

 

Look people, the system in place is about as good as you're going to get until someone figures out how to add another month or two to the calander year.

[crazzyness]

Well, if you're going to play one and dones at 3 levels of play in the post season, you'll also have to have pitching rules that limit pitches per game and mandate days rest. I'd hate to have a kid's arm in the balance when a coach is making out a post season lineup with so many one and dones. I still contend that a series a week after regions would put the best teams out there.

 

Double elimination district tournament. Top 4 teams advance. 64 teams. Week one. 4/30-5/5

Double elimination region tournament. Top 2 teams advance. 32 teams. Week two. 5/7-5/12

Sectionals. Region winners vs adjacent region runner ups. 16 teams Best of 3. Week three. 5/15-5/17

State. 2 pools of 4. Round robins on Thursday, Friday, Saturday. Play out an tie breakers Sunday. Week four 5/22-5/25

State championship, best of 3. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. Week five (four and a half really) 5/26-5/28

 

We're already missing graduations during state.

The entire month of May has always been considered the post season.

We aren't missing any school until state and then it's 4 days at most. We're playing ball on Memorial Day.

8 team double elimination tournaments. 4 games first 2 days. DH on 2 fields. Loser's bracket on Day 3 (one field), loser and winner's bracket final day 4 (one field), Day 5, Day 6 (Championship and if game).

 

Basically the same as basketball with a double elimination format in the first two tournaments and then best of 3 at sectionals and pool play at state. If it's too much baseball (what's that?), then take top 2 teams out of district and play a 4 team double elimination tournament at region. That only takes 3 days.

 

State champions should have more than a #1 and the rest of the pitching staff by committee. There should be a premium on deep pitching staffs and/or great defense, not overuse of one guy.

 

I'm really not trying to be an #### ksgovols. Its just that we try to fit a 4 1/2 month long season (football), another 4 1/2 month long season (basketball), a 2 1/2 month long season (baseball), and at least a 2 month long summer into a 12 month year... It just doesn't add up.