Message board »Message Board home »Sign-in or register to get started
Online now: 0 members ; 70 anonymousDiscussion: USA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES LVSSA/SSUSA World Masters Championships 2014
| Posted | Discussion |
| Aug. 14, 2014 SSUSA Staff 3483 posts | USA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES LVSSA/SSUSA World Masters Championships 2014 USA NATIONAL GAMES UPDATE The USA National Championship Games are played during the seeding rounds of the LVSSA/SSUSA World Masters Championships (WMC) in Las Vegas. WHO The Champions in each age group and division from the Eastern and Western National Championships earn a berth in the USA National Championship games. Should an Eastern or Western champion not be attending the WMC, the invitation will be extended to the runner-up in their division. If neither the champion nor runner-up is attending, there will not be a USA National game in that division. If only one eligible team is attending the WMC, that team will receive the USA National Championship awards for the division. [The eligible teams list, available from the link below, is being updated as teams confirm whether or not they will be attending the WMC.] USA National Games: Qualified Teams 2014 WHEN For the first and third sessions, those played over three days and usually having only two seeding round games, the USA National Championship games will generally occur as the second game scheduled for the participating teams. For the second session, played over four days, the USA National Championship games will generally occur on Tuesday, the second day of the session. FORMAT Games will be regulation games, not subject to time limit, and will play a full seven innings. WHATS AT STAKE Winners of USA National games are the only teams eligible to win the Triple Grand Slam in their division. NOTE: The Triple Grand Slam is achieved by winning their division at either the Eastern or Western National Championships, winning the USA National game and winning their bracket at the WMC. Teams must win at least two of those three in actual competition. Teams that had no opponent in either the Eastern or Western Championships, AND had no opponent for a USA National game, are not eligible for the Triple Grand Slam. The winner of each USA National game, in divisions having five (5) or more teams, earns the #1 Seed for bracket play, and the loser earns the #2 Seed. There are two reasons for this: The USA National games are pre-determined and not part of the randomly generated seeding play; and, they are not played under the same time limits as other seeding round games. With the first tie-breaker after head to head being aggregate runs allowed, a guaranteed seven-inning game may put both of the participating teams at an unfair disadvantage, especially if the game goes to extra innings. In 2012 in Phoenix, one USA National game ended 30-26 in nine innings. The winner finished 2-0 and was seeded #9 (of the nine unbeaten teams in the division). The runner-up also lost their second game and was seeded #29 of 29. NOTE: Teams eligible to play in a USA National game that does not occur due to lack of an opponent will not automatically receive a #1 Seed. They will be subject to the same seeding criteria as all other teams in their division. |
