The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association has been long known for confusing tournament regulations that can often be interpreted several different ways.
On Tuesday, one day after pairings and seeds were revealed for the upcoming field hockey sectional playoffs, the NJSIAA flip-flopped the 1-2 seeds in the North 2, Group 1 draw, as unbeaten state power Oak Knoll was moved ahead of Shore, the original No. 1 seed.
On the surface, the original seeds looked peculiar to even the casual fan based on the fact that Oak Knoll is the consensus No. 1 team in New Jersey. Both were unbeaten, with Oak Knoll at 14-0 and Shore at 15-0 at the Oct. 19 cutoff date.
Shore seemingly was awarded the top seed based on having one more victory at the cutoff. However, nowhere in the state criteria for seeding does it list better record as a tiebreaker if both teams have the exact same winning percentage.
Seeds are first and only established based on winning percentage. If the teams are tied, then a tiebreaker for seeds consists of head-to-head competition, common opponents and strength of schedule. At least that's how it reads in the regs, as shown here:
"Brackets will be filled in order of winning percentage; ties will be broken using the standard procedure: head-to-head competition, common opponents and strength of schedule."
Kim DeGraw-Cole, associate director in charge of field hockey, confirmed the change in North 2, Group 1 was based on strength of schedule when reached at her office on Tuesday afternoon. Using a points system that awards four for beating a Group 4 school, three for a Group 3, two for a Group 2 and one for a Group 1, it was determined that Oak Knoll amassed 37 points to Shore's 29.
"We had other schools question [the original seeds] and I'm glad they did," said DeGraw-Cole, who added that schools have until noon the following day after seeds are released to request a change.
Oak Knoll, with no head-to-head and no common opponents to factor in, clearly had strength of schedule over Shore and thus the change. Seems like a logical and fair conclusion. But hang on a second.
The state uses strength of schedule to break ties, but not when determining original seeds?
Why?
There are several cases in this tournament where teams play sub-par competition and thus have superior records to those which play a rugged schedule, and as a result, may have one or two losses. But that doesn't matter when determining pairings? Only if there's a tie?
Doesn't make sense, folks. Strength of schedule should always help determine a higher seed and should be rewarded as such, not after the fact.
"Do I think [seeds] should be based on winning percentage, no," DeGraw-Cole said. "But it's been used for many years."
Football, soccer and wrestling use a power-points system that rewards strength of schedule. It's high time that field hockey adopts a similar system to benefit teams that seek out tougher competition.
DeGraw-Cole said that other sports may soon use such a system. In the case of field hockey, she said it's up to member schools to vote on a change for that sport. She also said that baseball, basketball, etc., could be moving in that direction.
"There is no perfect criteria and it's not the way this tournament is seeded," DeGraw-Cole said. "We're trying to see [in the case of soccer which has used power points the last two years] if there's a better way. Our intent is to move that forward into other tournaments. We're trying to see if can come up with a better system."
Hopefully, field hockey comes up with one in the near future.
DeGraw-Cole said that in her years of experience as an athletic director and coach, the best teams rise to the occasion.
"But in sports anything can happen," she said.
Let's hope field hockey makes things happen and gets a better seeding system.
Great job. I know there is another team in the same section that only plays against group 3 and group 4 teams. If they used this rating for the entire section they might have a home game instead of playing away.
ReplyDeleteGreat post Mike. Let's stay away from rewarding teams for playing the old "cupcake" schedule.
ReplyDeleteToo bad this year some great teams may fall victim to the "any given day" outcome on their way through sectionals. Hope it doesn't happen, but you never know.....especially in this sport where you have "grass" teams, and "turf" teams. Sometimes the surface is the equalizer.
I agree that Oak Knoll deserves the #1 seed based upon their undefeated record and status as defending T of C winner. However, if the seeding rules are based upon winning percentsge, head to head and strength of schedule , then why was Shore initially seeded # 1 ? Also, to insinuate that Shore plays a "cupcake" schedule is unfair. The fact that Shore plays in a "weak" division is solely based upon the size of their school and geographic location. They traditionally schedule scrimmages and non conference games against perenially strong teams throughout New Jersey and this year is no exception with a scrimmage against Eastern and regular season games against South Plainfield, Peddie, Madison and a Shore Conference Tournament final against Freehold Boro.
ReplyDeleteAlso as Field Hockey has its own classifications of groups and it is a female only sport (until someone can legally find a way to change it) why are the groups determined by school population and not the female population?
ReplyDeleteShore was initially seeded No. 1 because of a better record before the cutoff, which was not a criteria. Only winning percentage is used to seed, which was even.
ReplyDeleteOnly then does a tiebreaker using strength of schedule come into play. No one was "insinuating" that Shore plays a weak schedule. My story explains how this whole process was used to reseed.