What kind of record does a team have to have in order to make the playoffs?
- Thread starter MikeWojokowski
- Start date
In the NCS, in order to qualify for the playoffs a team has to have at least a .500 record in 1 of three areas:
1) .500 record overall
2) .500 record in league play, or
3) .500 record vs. teams in your division
So yes, in theory a team with a losing overall record can make the playoffs if they finish .500 in league. But depending on how many teams qualify, they still might not get picked if the brackets are full. I'm not sure how all the other sections' playoffs work.
Mike
A team could have a losing overall record and a losing league record but still make it to the playoffs if a number of those losses came by playing teams in a higher division. As I understand it, wins (no what the division of the team you played) count for you. But losses to teams in a higher division do not count against while losses to teams in your division or lower will count against you.
So if your overall record is 11-13 and you are a D4 school but 3 of those losses came against D1 schools you would still qualify.
A team could have a losing overall record and a losing league record but still make it to the playoffs if a number of those losses came by playing teams in a higher division. As I understand it, wins (no what the division of the team you played) count for you. But losses to teams in a higher division do not count against while losses to teams in your division or lower will count against you.
So if your overall record is 11-13 and you are a D4 school but 3 of those losses came against D1 schools you would still qualify.
Heading in the right direction; strength of schedule might be what gives weight to those kind of losses more than the division.
I don' think strength of schedule has anything to do with qualifying. Only with seeding.
This is true for NCS, but again other sections may factor in strength of schedule into qualifying. If more than 16 teams qualify in a division, a team with a horrible SOS may not make the cut, but if there's only say 15 teams they are in.
Observer22 thanks for clarifying. I should have said on SJS, if a team doesn't qualify as a top 3 league finisher, they may still qualify if their maxpreps div ranking is in the top 12. The formula is unknown, but strength of schedule is one variable.
a loss is a loss is a loss....
observer22 is 100% correct on his criteria. You don't get "credit" or "no counting" for a loss against a higher division opponent except maybe for some consideration in the actual SEEDING after you are in, but not in the initial QUALIFYING for the section.
In NCS, usually any team that qualifies one of the three ways -- and no, losses against higher division teams are not erased from the overall record in NCS -- will get in the playoffs. There are usually first-round byes for the top couple teams, as some teams that qualify don't apply because they know they'll get blown out. And that's even more true if there's several hours of travel involved to the likely first-round opponents.
In my opinion, way too many teams are crammed into section playoffs. 4 per division (vs 16) would be fine. In addition to avoiding useless blowout games, it would prevent the season from being dragged on for an extra month. Kids have Spring sports and other activities. Why serve up lower level teams for sacrifice?
In the NCS boys D1 this year, there will be more than 16 that qualify, so some teams that have qualified will be left out. Most likely those teams with few quality wins and low strength of schedule. Clay is right though, usually the brackets don't fill up and everyone who qualifies can get in if they apply.
Does the NCS have post season "play-in games" when there are more than 16 qualifying teams?
I disagree...
I can see why people would say why serve up a lower seed to get creamed, there is an argument for that,.
But then why deny a chance for a team whos not usually a playoff level program a chance at a playoff game.
2 yrs ago Piner girls squeeked in to NCS d3 and BOD was waiting for them in the 1st round. They got creamed.. BUT...it was the FIRST section playoff game for girls in school history. The Piner girls didn't care it was BOD, they were just thrilled to be playing that game.
Nope. They would just take the top 16. And realistically, if you can't crack the top 16, you really don't have much of an argument or chance.
I've been on both sides. On the lesser team side, they are absolutely thrilled, and remember some lesser teams have a player that can run with the elites, so they get that experience in before joining up at AAU.
There's another aspect too: The team that gets a bye is at a bit of a disadvantage in postseason, especially in NorCals, because their first opponent has already played and won a game, and has presumably gotten past the playoff jitters. A lot of teams struggle the first minutes in postseason due to nerves and excitement, and even if you're playing a weak opponent, you get that out of the way.
And the bye also breaks up the two-games-a-week routine everyone is in, so even a rout is sometimes preferable to just practicing.
And the bye also breaks up the two-games-a-week routine everyone is in, so even a rout is sometimes preferable to just practicing.
