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Missouri's playoff system...an idea

And I also think winter sports go on to long. I think December through late February early March should be their window.
Basketball season is just fine. Most teams have only one game before Thanksgiving. So it is pretty much December through late February right now for regular season.
 
Here is your solution. 7 classes split evenly, top 16 make the playoffs based on the point system through a 9 week season. You could keep the season as is and end a week before Thanksgiving or start a week later
 
Oh the heartfelt cry from the “participation trophy“ crowd: “Hey, we won best out of four. Let’s hurry and put that trophy right there in our trophy case. We are soooooo proud of ourselves!
Why not go to two-team districts so we can have 32 district champs. HOORAH!

Nobody ever rises out of low expectations.
Ok tough guy.
 
I don't think it would be a bad idea moving the first two rounds back to Wednesday and Monday then the third round going back to Friday/Saturday the same week as round 2. That seemed to be a better way to get the playoffs done in a timely manner in the old system.
 
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I don't think it would be a bad idea moving the first two rounds back to Wednesday and Monday then the third round going back to Friday/Saturday the same week as round 2. That seemed to be a better way to get the playoffs done in a timely manner in the old system.
Basketball coach I take it?
 
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I don't think it would be a bad idea moving the first two rounds back to Wednesday and Monday then the third round going back to Friday/Saturday the same week as round 2. That seemed to be a better way to get the playoffs done in a timely manner in the old system.
Disagree 5 days of rest is not enough and is a safety concern... I think you just cut out a couple regular season games
 
I think Missouri's playoff system, while a good attempt to be like other sports and have a true bracket, could be modified and improved. It's no secret this first round is a joke and the forfeits will only continue to rise. I like Illinois' playoff system, 32 teams, based on record, seeded in two brackets of 16 (based on geography). I believe Class 7 and Class 8 might be a 32 team bracket since most are in the northern part of Illinois anyway. I do think Missouri's point system is better than just going off record like Illinois does (rewards soft schedules, etc), most 5-4 teams in ILL make the playoffs. The same could be true for Missouri. I also don't like that Illinois schools have no idea what Class they are until the 256 qualifiers are announced. I say we keep the classes from preseason, and then use the point system to take the top 32 schools in each class. Then divide them up into 2 geographic brackets (East/West or North/South) to prevent true cross-state travel 4 weekends in a row.

Here's what Class 3 looked like: There was an imbalance in district points, Districts 1 - 4 (the "east") had way more than 16 teams represented out of 32, so I had to poach a few to go to the West bracket.
East Bracket
#1 St. Mary's vs #16 Orchard Farm
#8 Priory vs #9 Cardinal Ritter
#4 Kennett vs #13 Sullivan
#5 Lutheran North vs #12 Normandy

#2 Valle Catholic vs #15 Westminster
#7 St. Clair vs # 10 Dexter
#3 Park Hills vs #14 Winfield
#6 Ste. Genevieve vs #11 Potosi

West Bracket
#1 Odessa vs #16 Buffalo
#8 Owensville vs #9 Chillicothe
#4 St. Pius KC vs #13 Seneca
#5 Center vs #12 Mountain Grove

#2 Aurora vs #15 Pleasant Hill
#7 Blair Oaks vs #10 Boonville
#3 Mexico vs #14 Oak Grove
#6 Summit Christian vs #11 Hollister

Is it perfect? No. Illinois brackets are often times not completely 50% balanced with the best teams. Geography has to come into play in my mind. Doing all 32 teams together could create some nightmare trips on repeated weekends. But you certainly could try if everyone was agreeable.
Are the seeds perfect? Of course not. There's been many years where East St. Louis is a lower seed thanks to a 5-4 or 6-3 record and they blitz everyone.

I do like the formula dictating seeding. Something has to, and I think it's better than straight record. Look at a team like Cardinal Ritter...I think we can all agree they are top 32 Class 3 team, and probably a top 16 team. With a 3-6 record they'd no chance in ILL to make the playoffs, the formula rewards their schedule.

Discuss...

Point system to determine? Okay... My Class 4 team that plays half their games against Class 5 teams will drop down and play 2 versus Class 3 and 2 versus Class 4. Optional Scheduling? No Class 4 will want to play schools like Smithville as an optional game, which is wrong. Pass.

I agree with dropping out the lowest ranked in the districts--week 1 of the playoffs is stupid. Let those teams schdedule a bowl game at the end.
 
My biggest issue with the current system is how late in the year they play.

Get rid of jamboree. Start one week earlier.
How many teams play “too late”? For you? Almost Every other state plays into December….further north you go it seems they get done earlier
 
How many teams play “too late”? For you? Almost Every other state plays into December….further north you go it seems they get done earlier

To be clear, I don't care when Missouri high school football season ends.

But, I Love how people just make stuff up. these days and just say things and try to pawn it off as a fact.

27 states play into December. There are 50 states. That is not "Almost Every other state" playing into December. That is barely a majority.

 
To be clear, I don't care when Missouri high school football season ends.

But, I Love how people just make stuff up. these days and just say things and try to pawn it off as a fact.

27 states play into December. There are 50 states. That is not "Almost Every other state" playing into December. That is barely a majority.

Lol all the good football states then….
 
How many teams play “too late”? For you? Almost Every other state plays into December….further north you go it seems they get done earlier
Personally I liked it better over thanksgiving weekend for travel purposes. A lot of people are off that Friday and it allows family from out of state or longer distances to travel and watch. Not that December is too late but a pregame practice Thanksgiving morning was pretty special.
 
no matter what the system is people are not going to be happy. Other states do it a multitude of ways and there are groups complaining about their systems as well.
 
How many teams play “too late”? For you? Almost Every other state plays into December….further north you go it seems they get done earlier
Any team that played in State Semifinals or State Championship played too late in my opinion. I am a bigger basketball fan than football, so I am biased. And I don't care what other states do. I am a fan of Missouri High School sports. I don't follow other states.
 
Any team that played in State Semifinals or State Championship played too late in my opinion. I am a bigger basketball fan than football, so I am biased. And I don't care what other states do. I am a fan of Missouri High School sports. I don't follow other states.

In our area, wrestling is king. And that would not fly either. Wrestling is really a 10 month a year thing. Exceptions are made for football players, but some these teams like, Liberty might have 6 to 10 future D1 wrestlers. You can't push back things anymore because those guys are already missing out. You would end up having more elite wrestlers opt out of football.

Over and over again, this issue comes up. Best way to do it:

Top 4 teams in district play. Everyone else gets a bowl game. Example:

District 8.
Playoffs Round 1
Kearney v. Smithville
Excelsior Springs v. Lafayette

District 8 Bowl Games
5 Winnetonka D8 vs. 5 Harrisonville D7
6 Van Horn D8 vs. 6 Warrensburg D7

Have a quick decision MSHSAA board or person match up (or approve) the odd teams to make sure they get a game, even if the district/district matchups don't work.

Benefits: There is still the excitement of a playoff, if not the feel of a big game. You get to go out as a winner, if you win.
 
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Any team that played in State Semifinals or State Championship played too late in my opinion. I am a bigger basketball fan than football, so I am biased. And I don't care what other states do. I am a fan of Missouri High School sports. I don't follow other states.
I liked it with championships being played over Thanksgiving weekend, could really care less how we make it happen.

Basketball is a winter sport, they shouldnt be playing before New Years anyway.
 
Winter started yesterday but I am old enough to remember schools playing basketball the first of October and the last football game was played on Wed night because of district teacher meetings and no school on Thurs and Fri.. But I digress.
 
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football is unique in that the playoffs take so long. Other sports can play multiple games in a week keeping the post season at about 3 weeks for all final participants. It’s twice that in football. It would be nice if it all wrapped up thanksgiving weekend whatever works to do that
 
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Any team that played in State Semifinals or State Championship played too late in my opinion. I am a bigger basketball fan than football, so I am biased. And I don't care what other states do. I am a fan of Missouri High School sports. I don't follow other states.
Golly thanks for that wonderful insight about playoff football in Missouri...you do know this is the football board?? So you are telling me MSHSAA should make decisions about football based on what is best for basketball? That's a mindset that doesn't help Missouri football be better.
 
Well, this old toot peaks again. Basketball was considered the universal sports and all sports went by the class structure created by that sport beginning in 73-74 school year. Even after FB went to 5 classes, the lower classes were identical to all sports that had 4 classes. It was not until the late 80s, when classes were done on a two year basis due to FB, did that change.
 
football is unique in that the playoffs take so long. Other sports can play multiple games in a week keeping the post season at about 3 weeks for all final participants. It’s twice that in football. It would be nice if it all wrapped up thanksgiving weekend whatever works to do that

Used to play every 5 days until they changed to a week in between games. Playoffs used to go Wednesday, Monday, Saturday.
 
Winter started yesterday but I am old enough to remember schools playing basketball the first of October and the last football game was played on Wed night because of district teacher meetings and no school on Thurs and Fri.. But I digress.
So that is why there was so many games in the 60s and early 70s that ended on a Wednesday. It was weird doing research and that last game was always on a Wednesday or Tuesday. Thought it was weird.
 
The five day internal was a really short turnaround both physically and mentally. Once coached a team who regular season Friday game was postponed to Saturday because of snow. Really short turnaround to Wednesday.
 
During districts they should use the 5 day model. Get districts knocked out in 2 weeks instead of 3. Then the actual playoffs would be on a 7 day model.
 
Any team that played in State Semifinals or State Championship played too late in my opinion. I am a bigger basketball fan than football, so I am biased. And I don't care what other states do. I am a fan of Missouri High School sports. I don't follow other states.
I wish they would cut 2 weeks off of basketball and baseball goes into June. It all seems longer than needed. Burning kids out and encoraging specialization.
 
Point system to determine? Okay... My Class 4 team that plays half their games against Class 5 teams will drop down and play 2 versus Class 3 and 2 versus Class 4. Optional Scheduling? No Class 4 will want to play schools like Smithville as an optional game, which is wrong. Pass.

I agree with dropping out the lowest ranked in the districts--week 1 of the playoffs is stupid. Let those teams schdedule a bowl game at the end.
Too many kids will opt out of bowl games to start basketball/wrestling.
 
Golly thanks for that wonderful insight about playoff football in Missouri...you do know this is the football board?? So you are telling me MSHSAA should make decisions about football based on what is best for basketball? That's a mindset that doesn't help Missouri football be better.
They should make decisions about all sports together. I thought this was a bowling board.
 
I liked it with championships being played over Thanksgiving weekend, could really care less how we make it happen.

Basketball is a winter sport, they shouldnt be playing before New Years anyway.
If championship is Thanksgiving, why would you wait until January to play the next sport? More basketball the better. I went to 58 basketball games before New Years.
 
Yes, because finishing second or third is no better than finishing last.

That sounds like Ricky Bobby, if you aren't first you are last.

I call BS.

Do you actually think from high school and for the rest of ones life they do not care if they lost the district title as compared to lost in the semi-finals? I do think it matters, I really do.
Let's try this,
"Yes my Senior year we lost in the district semi-finals but we lost to a team that advance to the quarter finals"
vs
"My senior year we were pretty good, we lost in the quarter finals."

Which one lets youtube thumbnail saver you know they actually had pretty darn good team?
Are you referring to a proposed playoff system for sports teams in Missouri, or is this related to another context? If it's about sports playoffs, there are various ways to structure playoff systems depending on the sport and the number of teams involved. Each system has its pros and cons in terms of fairness, excitement, and practicality. What ideas do you have in mind for Missouri's playoff system?
 
And those extra 8 district championships would mean the world to a lot of programs and communities.
Nicksplat Participation Trophy GIF by Hey Arnold
 
The five day internal was a really short turnaround both physically and mentally. Once coached a team who regular season Friday game was postponed to Saturday because of snow. Really short turnaround to Wednesday.
Really? Cancelled for snow? Cupcakes they are!
 
it was legitimate. Foot deep snow coated the field. There would have been no way to line the field.
 
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