A Simple Playoff Solution That Could Make Most Everyone Happy

[Solomon]

Go back to the pre-1993 3 classes (same as other sports) and add a 6th round to the playoffs.

 

64 teams make the playoffs in AA and AAA and 48 in A. Seed them 1-4 by district (1-3 in A) as happened for years. Go to a 9 game season, ax week 0, start the season a week earlier, or go a week later - the options to make this work are there. 172 teams would still make the playoffs, only 4 less than the current 176 teams, so no one would be hurt too much if they didn't make it. Out-of-district games would not matter in seeding so teams might not have to travel as much in order to play. There would be 85 playoff games, 3 games MORE than the current format so the T$$AA could make MORE money. The title games could go back to being a one day event. It wouldn't require any formuals or statewide tiebreakers than make no sense at all. Best of all, there would be quality football all the way through the playoffs in all classes.

 

This would work. It makes sense. Everybody wins.

[DHSFB64]

I for one Agree ..

[eers]

Go back to the pre-1993 3 classes (same as other sports) and add a 6th round to the playoffs.

 

64 teams make the playoffs in AA and AAA and 48 in A. Seed them 1-4 by district (1-3 in A) as happened for years. Go to a 9 game season, ax week 0, start the season a week earlier, or go a week later - the options to make this work are there. 172 teams would still make the playoffs, only 4 less than the current 176 teams, so no one would be hurt too much if they didn't make it. Out-of-district games would not matter in seeding so teams might not have to travel as much in order to play. There would be 85 playoff games, 3 games MORE than the current format so the T$$AA could make MORE money. The title games could go back to being a one day event. It wouldn't require any formuals or statewide tiebreakers than make no sense at all. Best of all, there would be quality football all the way through the playoffs in all classes.

 

This would work. It makes sense. Everybody wins.

 

I don't see it as being any better overall. It would be the same for the bigger schools in each class (A, AA and AAA), but much more difficult for the smaller ones (current 1A, 3A and 5A).

 

I think as long as they continue to tweak the current system, eventually it will work well. The key as it stands is to know the system and schedule accordingly.

[District8AAA]

Go back to the pre-1993 3 classes (same as other sports) and add a 6th round to the playoffs.

 

64 teams make the playoffs in AA and AAA and 48 in A. Seed them 1-4 by district (1-3 in A) as happened for years. Go to a 9 game season, ax week 0, start the season a week earlier, or go a week later - the options to make this work are there. 172 teams would still make the playoffs, only 4 less than the current 176 teams, so no one would be hurt too much if they didn't make it. Out-of-district games would not matter in seeding so teams might not have to travel as much in order to play. There would be 85 playoff games, 3 games MORE than the current format so the T$$AA could make MORE money. The title games could go back to being a one day event. It wouldn't require any formuals or statewide tiebreakers than make no sense at all. Best of all, there would be quality football all the way through the playoffs in all classes.

 

This would work. It makes sense. Everybody wins.

Not bad. The only thing I don't agree with is there still needs to be 6 classifications. Some schools would have 600-800 more kids than other schools in the same classification. That doesn't seem fair either. I think the TSSAA is on the right track, they just need to tweek it a little more. This is just the 2nd year and look how much improvement they made this year from last. Everyone will never be happy. Just give them time, I think this "Z PLAN" can and will work.

[ErikG]

 

I think as long as they continue to tweak the current system, eventually it will work well. The key as it stands is to know the system and schedule accordingly.

 

The current system rewards those who schedule cupcakes, and there are only so many cupcakes to go around. A system will never work well which penalizes teams trying to improve themselves with a tough non-district/non-region schedule while propping up those teams that pad their records. I would like to see a return to 3 classifications for the ENTIRE season, not just the regular season. But whatever the number of classifications, there has to be consistency from the opening week to the championships.

 

 

Not bad. The only thing I don't agree with is there still needs to be 6 classifications. Some schools would have 600-800 more kids than other schools in the same classification. That doesn't seem fair either. I think the TSSAA is on the right track, they just need to tweek it a little more. This is just the 2nd year and look how much improvement they made this year from last. Everyone will never be happy. Just give them time, I think this "Z PLAN" can and will work.

 

I respectfully disagree. Where's the improvement this year? Where's the common sense? One problem may be addressed, yet that action tends to create a new problem. You can't play by one set of rules for the regular season (3 classifications) and a different set of rules for the post season (6 classifications). It's inherently flawed and no amount of "tweaking" can offset its fundamental foolishness.

[Solomon]

No one is ever going to convince me Tennessee needs more than 4 classes in anything.

 

Not everyone can win a title. Life's not fair. We don't all get trophies or win first place.

[fballfan101]

I for one like the new system. I like the 6 classifications and I like how the TSSAA stuck to their guns and grouped the teams geographical and didn't just put teams in quads for no unknown reason. You are right that everyone can't win but I feel as if the TSSAA has done a great job evening the playing field. Even with this great fix of going to this great 3 classification playoff system you would have the same result of a few liking it and a few that doesn't. I hope they leave it the way it is and just change a few things. The first thing I would look at is overall record being the most important. It may need to be a mathmatical system of the first 3 or 4 tie breakers that determine seeding but that is about all I would change.

[devilsden]

Go back to 3 classes, you got to be stupid man.

A schools would go from 100 -700+

AA schools go from 700+ - 1058

AAA 1060 - 2000+

Yea, that makes a lot of sence.

[Bucksfan]

The biggest complaint among coaches is that district place holds no water with the seeding. The seeding now is based solely on overall record which is ridiculous. In a quad the district winners and runner-ups are seeded 1st based on over all record. Then put the wild cards in, based on their overall records. Give the team that won the district something. Coaches will continue to schedule cupcakes to make sure they get into the playoffs and not schedule teams that help their programs get better. This suggetion is at least rewarding the district winners, if not why have districts at all, schedule and take the teams with the best records. We are close to this concept now anyway. No way should a team with that doesn't even win it own district be seeded higher than the team that won the district - take a look it happened all over the brackets.

Edited November 2, 2010 by Bucksfan

[Solomon]

Go back to 3 classes, you got to be stupid man.

A schools would go from 100 -700+

AA schools go from 700+ - 1058

AAA 1060 - 2000+

Yea, that makes a lot of sence.

 

Since it's so stupid we need to rally to go to 6 classes in basketball, baseball, and softball. And make sure that we change soccer and the other spring sports that combine A and AA.

[kwc]

Solomon:

 

There isn't a format that will please most folks. For every person that thinks they have a solution, there will be 10 people who think the idea is stupid or flawed or whatever. It's obvious by just scanning this forum alone. I've said it before and I will repeat it. Who ever comes up with the format for the play-offs for high school football in the state of Tennessee better have a thick skin.

[Hoganknows]

Face it ..the Z Plan has to be one of the worst playoff systems ever used here in Tennessee..get rid of it and use something else that rewards playing a good schedule, winning your district or region that doesn't have a mixture of classes in it and your playoffs are set with disricts or regions teams advancing the same way each season...it sets tradition.

Edited November 2, 2010 by Hoganknows