Increase of 4 teams to 6 teams per region in playoff approved by FHSAA BOD

[Joshua Wilson]

The Board of Directors has approved the increase of 4 teams to 6 teams per region making the playoffs in Classes 1A-4A. I will have a further breakdown coming to show who else would have made it this past season had this been in place, but I made a clear example in the article of one team that would have greatly benefited from this to make a clear example of how the change would be beneficial.

ARTICLE: https://floridahsfootball.com/2018/01/29/fhsaa-board-directors-approves-adding-teams-playoffs-football-changes-coming-fall/

 

[Cocoa2010]

So 1 team didnt play to the new rules and got burned so they change the entire system? Ok...

[OldSchoolLion]

I recently did a post asking "Whaddup with 4A?" and provided some information that brings to light the weakness of this class.  Adding 8 teams to the playoffs would certainly benefit a Booker T, but adds a lot of not-so-competitive teams to an already weak playoff.

Using this year as an example, the 2 additions to each region would have potentially been the following-see below.  If so, that would mean that only 13/24 teams in the 4A playoffs would have had winning records.  The 3 and 4 seeds all got blown out or beaten soundly in the first round of the playoffs this year. 

 http://www.fhsaa.org/node/34194

Similarly, of the 24 first round playoff games, 19 were decided by 21 or more points.  

With the exception of Booker T, the other 7 teams would likely do no better.  Ironically, Booker T is in the deepest region in 4A...arguably the one that least needs a competitive team added to the playoffs.  In a matter of speaking, adding the 8 teams is simply prolonging the agony and taking away from the prestige of making the playoffs.     

Region 1 (North Bay Haven and Marianna made playoffs with 5-5 records)

Fernandina Beach 5-5-1

A 3-7 team

 

Region 2 (Keystone Heights made playoffs with 4-6 record)

Mt Dora 6-4

The Villages Charter 5-6

 

Region 3 (Lake Placid made playoffs with 5-5 record)

Cocoa Beach 5-5 (lost 35-6 vs Lake Placid; all 5 losses by 21 points or more) 

Mulberry 4-6 (5 losses of 22 points or more)

 

Region 4

Booker T Washington 4-6

A 5-6 team

 

 

[OldSchoolLion]

sorry, line in my previous post should have read...

Similarly, of the 24 first round playoff games in Classes 1A, 2A and 3A, 9 were decided by 21 or more points.

[DisabledAccount]

10 minutes ago, Cocoa2010 said:

So 1 team didnt play to the new rules and got burned so they change the entire system? Ok...

I like it because there is NO reason for 1-4a to have a bye week 

 

Plus this gives top 2 seeds a bye which will put a 3 vs 6 seed instead of a 1 vs 4 which frankly the gap between 3 and 6 isn't as wide as gap between 1 and 4

[OldSchoolLion]

I guess my question is, "What are we really trying to accomplish by adding the 8 teams?"  One could say, "it can't hurt," but what are the costs, both literal and figurative, of adding 32 playoff games each year...and is that cost justified?  One of the "added" playoff games could be a long road trip, such as 1A Region 4 matchup.  Do we really have that many good teams in 1A-4A missing out on the playoffs?

Marianna, the #3 seed in Region 1 of 4A, beat Walton, S Walton and Rutherford all by 26 or more points during the regular season.  One of those teams may well have been the team to face them in the first round this year under the new system.  

There are 116 teams in Classes 1A-3A.  Under the new system, 72 of those teams, or 62%, will make the playoffs.  In 9 of the 12 regions, 2/3 or greater of the teams will make the playoffs.  We already have teams like 1A Jefferson County 4-7 and 3A Newberry 3-7 in the playoffs.  Imagine 2 teams with 3-7 records playing each other in the first round.  It will eventually happen.  

Breakdwon of Classes 1A-3A by region:

3A region 1 - 8 teams

3A region 2 - 9 teams

3A region 3 - 8 teams

3A Region 4 - 14 teams

2A Region 1 - 11 teams

2A Region 2 - 14 teams

2A Region 3 - 9 teams

2A Region 4 - 9 teams

1A Region 1 - 9 teams

1A Region 2 - 8 teams

1A Region 3 -  9 teams 

1A Region 4 - 8 teams

 

 

 

 

3A region 4 - 

Are fans going to come out for such a game?  

 

[Cocoa2010]

2 hours ago, ColumbiaHighFan2017class said:

I like it because there is NO reason for 1-4a to have a bye week 

 

Plus this gives top 2 seeds a bye which will put a 3 vs 6 seed instead of a 1 vs 4 which frankly the gap between 3 and 6 isn't as wide as gap between 1 and 4

Wont change anything. We are still getting 1 vs huge gap. Just changing the week doesnt change the skill gaps.

[Joshua Wilson]

3 hours ago, Cocoa2010 said:

So 1 team didnt play to the new rules and got burned so they change the entire system? Ok...

It wasn't just one team. I used Booker T. Washington as a good example because everyone talked about them missing. There were other deserving teams that missed out that should have been in the playoffs. By adding two more teams, this fixes things and puts the entire playoff schedule on the same page. By doing this, this will make sure we never return to a two-weekend format for state championships at any venue. 

[Cocoa2010]

2 minutes ago, Joshua Wilson said:

It wasn't just one team. I used Booker T. Washington as a good example because everyone talked about them missing. There were other deserving teams that missed out that should have been in the playoffs. By adding two more teams, this fixes things and puts the entire playoff schedule on the same page. By doing this, this will make sure we never return to a two-weekend format for state championships at any venue. 

So what teams, other than BTW that had legit state title contention on their plate, missed the playoffs?

[Joshua Wilson]

Just now, Cocoa2010 said:

So what teams other than BTW that had legit state title contention on their plate missed the playoffs?

Not necessarily teams that were state title deserving, but they deserved a spot in the playoffs. I have something I am putting together on this to show who else would have been in. 

[Cocoa2010]

1 minute ago, Joshua Wilson said:

Not necessarily teams that were state title deserving, but they deserved a spot in the playoffs. I have something I am putting together on this to show who else would have been in. 

Deserved it over other teams?

[Joshua Wilson]

Just now, Cocoa2010 said:

Deserved it over other teams?

Crescent in 1A was one team that should have been in at 7-2. Hawthorne was another one. Just a couple of examples. 

[Cocoa2010]

1 minute ago, Joshua Wilson said:

Crescent in 1A was one team that should have been in at 7-2. Hawthorne was another one. Just a couple of examples. 

Were they better than other teams in their region that made the playoffs?

[Joshua Wilson]

Just now, Cocoa2010 said:

Were they better than other teams in their region that made the playoffs?

They were at least on par with the likes of Williston and Wildwood. 

[Cocoa2010]

2 minutes ago, Joshua Wilson said:

They were at least on par with the likes of Williston and Wildwood. 

Just looked up Crescent, 1/7 of their wins was against a team with a winning record; their 2 losses were against their best opponents and they lost by 20 and 36. Unless Williston and Wildwood's schedules look the same, I can't see how they have an argument. 

[Joshua Wilson]

Just now, Cocoa2010 said:

Just looked up Crescent, 1/7 of their wins was against a team with a winning record; their 2 losses were against their best opponents and they lost by 20 and 36. Unless Williston and Wildwood's schedules look the same, I can't see how they have an argument. 

 

Crescent City and Wildwood were supposed to have played each other. Crescent City tried to reschedule but Wildwood acted like the game was never scheduled. Hence why the FHSAA has had to step in and create guidelines because too many teams worked their way out of games or created havoc for rescheduling after Irma had passed. 

[Cocoa2010]

Just now, Joshua Wilson said:

Crescent City and Wildwood were supposed to have played each other. Crescent City tried to reschedule but Wildwood acted like the game was never scheduled. Hence why the FHSAA has had to step in and create guidelines because too many teams worked their way out of games or created havoc for rescheduling after Irma had passed. 

So set guidelines to stop teams from doing that kind of stuff; why change the playoff structure?

[BrowardHandicapper]

Looking at 4A Region 4.  BTW is a example , but I also would not have had a problem calling teams like North Broward Prep , 7-3 (best wins were Benjamin and  Gulliver Prep) or Gulliver Prep 6-3 (best wins versus Belen Jesuit and Calvary Christian - FTL, and lost tight games to Key West and Kings Academy)   as respectable on the bubble battling for first round 4A type teams . 

Do I expect them to be on the level of a BTW, Raines , or Cocoa?   No , but I would't necessarily expect most 5, 6, 7, or 8A first round losing teams to compete within 21 pts of those teams as well.

 

[OldSchoolLion]

1A-4A playoff games were substantially less competitive...

Breakdown of playoff games 1A-4A

First fraction represents # of playoff games decided 14 or more points, second fraction represents # of playoff games decided by 28 or more points

4A - 12/15, 9/15 

3A - 12/15 , 7/15

2A - 12/15, 9/15

1A -  14/15, 6/15

Total - 50/60 games(83%) were decided by 14 or more points

Total - 31/60 games(52%) were decided by 28 or more points

 

Breakdown of playoff games 5A-8A

8/31(26%) playoff games in 8A were decided by 28 or more points and 17/31(55%) games were decided by 14 points or more...much lower percentages.

11/31(35%) playoff games in 7A were decided by 28 or more points and 16/31(52%) games were decided by 14 points or more...much lower percentages.

8/31(26%) playoff games in 6A were decided by 28 or more points and 17/31(55%) games were decided by 14 points or more...much lower percentages.

6/31(19%) playoff games in 5A were decided by 28 or more points and 13/31(42%) games were decided by 14 points or more...much lower percentages.

[OldSchoolLion]

This year, 16/34(47%) 1A teams year made the playoffs and now we are looking at 24/34(71%) making it.

64/164(39%) 1A-4A teams made the playoffs this year and now we are looking at 96/164(59%) making it.

I am trying to think of some other league/sport where well over half of the teams make the playoffs???

8A was arguably the most competitive class, ie the most parity.  32/89 teams (36%) made the playoffs.  If ever there was a class where one could say come competitive teams did not make the playoffs, 8A could make a case.   47% of 1A made it and we are saying some deserving teams got left out.  Something seems terribly wrong if we can justify that for 1A-4A classes and not the higher classes as well. 

[Sharkbait]

I personally feel this is a bad idea. First of all you water down the competition in an already imbalanced group.  Secondly adding another playoff round for small schools that have a high percentage of players going both ways can lead to  more injuries.  

[Joshua Wilson]

Alright, everyone is assuming that the FHSAA staff wanted this. This all started with a suggestion of several member schools. The Football Advisory Committee approved unanimously as well as the Athletic Directors advisory committee. So this went through two different committees before getting to the BOD. So when the schools say they want something they are going to get it most likely. The FHSAA is at the mercy of the member schools, not the other way around.

[DisabledAccount]

2 minutes ago, Joshua Wilson said:

Alright, everyone is assuming that the FHSAA staff wanted this. This all started with a suggestion of several member schools. The Football Advisory Committee approved unanimously as well as the Athletic Directors advisory committee. So this went through two different committees before getting to the BOD. So when the schools say they want something they are going to get it most likely. The FHSAA is at the mercy of the member schools, not the other way around.

So in other words if the teams didn't want it they had plenty of chances to speak up

 

[Joshua Wilson]

Just now, ColumbiaHighFan2017class said:

So in other words if the teams didn't want it they had plenty of chances to speak up

 

BINGO! They had chances to speak up and reach out to the committees and the BOD. 

[Sharkbait]

I am sure most schools wanted it especially the ones that aren't very good.  If we are going to do this I say we do away with the running clock and that way these schools can see just how much they didn't deserve a playoff spot.