Those without good memories might want to go back to read what we here at the stately Brisbane Ultimate Blog mansion wrote, in our role as purveyours of Brisbane Premier League commentary and controversy, back in August.
For those who can't be shagged clicking on the link, following the Round 1 forfeit by Dojo Mojo to the Moreton Bay Buggers, we philosophised that in a tight season, the 15-0 scoreline awarded to the team that turned up and sadly didn't get a proper game possibly could lead to an unfair outcome in such a tight season, if goal differences involving one of those teams are relevant when it comes to Semi Finals time.
And so it came to pass. The Buggers are into the Semi Finals on goal difference over the Slamtown Flatball Club, a team that is demonstrably a superior team having beaten the Buggers 15-10 last week and drawn with them earlier in the season.
If we were some sort of important sport, you could now cue up much wailing and gnashing of teeth from the opinion press and other uninformed types (alas, there is just us bloggers, who are nonetheless pretty uninformed).
Of course, all the above is not a call for Slamtown to be put in and the Buggers put out (we're really just "raising controversy" as usual for fun and because people enjoy being passionately one-eyed about BPL). The rules were established before the season and fair enough they are to be abided by.
The use of points difference to differentiate between ladder positions does add some spark to the League, with players able to argue that 'every point counts'.
But equally, shouldn't a genuine win count more than a forfeit (which is sadly, a "might've won")?
(of course, AFDA it seems can't be shagged applying its own tie-breaking rules, and has instead announced that there will be a whole lot of "equal fifteenths" and such following incompleted games at Mixed Nationals 2010. Disgraceful! But that's a post for another day).
Comments are open for the vitriolic, who hopefully can keep their tongue in cheek and aim to be as entertaining as we routinely endevour (even if we occasionally fail).
Keep your eye out for the rest of BPL Semi Finals Week here at the Brisbane Ultimate Blog.
13 comments:
While your post is about the system, Slamtown can equally slap their foreheads about forfeiting to Cobras. Turning up would've gotten them a ladder point over the Buggers. Winning would've gotten them into third place.
Maybe BPL should just get rid of forfeits? Ie - if you only have three or four players on the line at start time, you play the game and receive a genuine loss of 15-notalot?
Could I point out that based on the WFDF rules (rule 206.04 http://www.cs.rochester.edu/u/ferguson/disc/wfdf/wfdf-rules.html) , head-to-head actually advances a team above goal difference. It's an antiquated rule (1994), perhaps WFDF could review it, but as things stand that's the official tie breaker.
So JDR's comment that perhaps Slamtown should advance is technically correct.
Huddy, you might find this a more useful, and current, place to check up on WFDF Rules:
http://ultimaterules.co.cc/
The tiebreakers are listed in the appendix:
http://ultimaterules.co.cc/?page_id=1731
Rules is rules and the BPL rules are very clear. Sport is full of "what if's" - what if Dojo hadn't forfeited to the Bugs in week 1 and given them that free kick with the goal difference? But on the other side, what if it hadn't rained 3 weeks ago and, unlike last Thursday, the Buggers had their full roster available and had gotten the win over Slamtown? What if it had rained the night that Slamtown forfeited and they hadn't given up that fateful competition point?
Could obviously go on for hours - the reality is that a genuinely good team which may easily have made the semis in previous seasons was always going to miss out in this league. Slamtown may have been unlucky, but as they say you create your own luck and the Bugs obviously did that and they deserve to be in the finals.
Having said that, I wouldnt object to future seasons using head-to-head as the first tie-breaker rather than goal difference.
BPL needs to also look at their policy of making players ineligible due to "not enough games being played". The rain has made a number of players miss 1 game, which would have made those players eligible for the finals. The ruling handed down by Stu on this had meant that Cobras will have a maximum of 6 players for their semi against Dojo.
The 6 available players for Cobras could play into their hands. Not only is the Dojo notorious finals chockers but have on a couple of occasions lost to a team of 6. Put egg on my face Dojo!
Andy Mc
On tie-breaking, its in the rules this season so this isn't really a debate on the legitimacy of who is in the semis this time, but rather what might be an interesting change to future seasons.
As for playing with 6 players in the semi, Andy is right. Beware the 6 man semis team, uq have won a semi with 6 players and dojo have also won a game with 6.
But yeah, rained out games and forfeits by the opposing team should count as a played game if a player is that close to being eligible.
Jason, what the f*ck is the point of this post?
You refer back to a previous post in which you had tried to apply tournament rules to BPL. It's not a tournament, it's a league. Different format therefore different rule format.
Why is that Buggers have only made the semi's due to Dojo forfeiting? I didn't realise that the other 26 games of the league didn't count for anything?
Wetnose, as I said in my email to the captains "Unless we can get a unanimous decision on an alternative then I'm just going to stick to the rules and say that you have to have played the 50% of games to make the finals". Have you tried talking to the other captains?
Hi Stu,
I'll take you as genuinely upset about this one (rather than vitriolic and tongue in cheek), as you include Jason and what the f*ck in your comment.
As usual, the point of the post is to be entertaining and interesting, and reflecting on what we guess to be another great talking point on the season.
Yes, there is an argument that points difference is more suited to a league and less suited to a tournament than head to head etc. Part of it I mentioned on the post "every point counts". I can have a go at the rest of that perspective if nobody else wants to. Its useful to understand the different points of view.
I don't think the point of the post is to make a dig at the Bugs, although yep we did write that head to head, Slamtown have been a better team. But plenty of the rest of the post isn't about the Bugs.
There's hopefully some posting to come on the other 26 games of the season.
Partly because I have to write and proofread quickly (time is short), I don't make claims of knowing everything and being completely right (hence all the usual riders), and the first commentor nailed it with something I should have included to improve the balance - Slamtown would be in the Semi's if they had've not forfeited a game themselves. Julz and Pete's comments also helped glean the points of the post too.
"Slamtown Flatball Club, a team that is demonstrably a superior team"
From a completely personal perspective, having played both slamtown and the bugs this season (and being beaten convincingly by both), I'd say the Bugs played better Frisbee, and I'm tipping them for premiers.
Slamtown should be in the semis. This is a travesty.
Justice is lost if Slamtown is not reinstated and the Buggs ousted.
Dojo and Cobras should count their lucky stars that they didn't have to play us a second time each.
Beware the havoc of which the Orange tide will wreak, it will be unleashed in 2011, and all those that don't flee the shores will feel the wrath.
Long live Slamtown, and nothing else matters.
Jason, I would argue the point of whether this is entertaining or just stirring the pot for no real reason?
I prefer not to respond to articles made on blog sites, because if someone wants to know something they should email the person directly rather than leaving the question hanging on a website. The problem is that when the ex-secretary of AFDA and CEO of QUDA writes something, it carries some weight with it so you have to spend time correcting things.
So going back to your previous post, yes AFDA has written rules for deciding tie-breakers, as does BPL. The rules were written long before your article and are available on the yahoogroups site, and was possibly linked to by yourself!!
Your other recent post regarding Regionals, Firestorm and Heroes would be another case in point. Rather than just making your own assumptions, please try asking someone first.
Amen Stef!!
Stu
Soon to be ex BPLD
Cheers Stu,
Just so ya know, I was in JDR's ear at Badmans Bash and fueled this post. I really do think it was a conversation/entertainment driven post rather than a complaint, and not at all a shot against you.
We all think you have done, and continue to do an excellent job.
Rules and policies should be under constant analysis, and when the effects of any rule cause 'interesting' scenario's it's worth talkin about.
Like I said over on my blog, and in my earlier comment, we are content with the ruling, and ready for next season. Though we didn't earn a chance for Premiership glory we did turn more than a few heads this season, and are poised to continue upwards and onwards.
Slamtown forever.
Post a Comment