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Online now: 2 members: SB#8, TABLE SETTER 11; 118 anonymousDiscussion: Changing Format for 70 Year Old Division
| Posted | Discussion |
| April 27, 2017 baseballbill 137 posts | Changing Format for 70 Year Old Division I just want to throw this out and get some feed back. I play 70 softball and the Double Elimination format is a killer for most teams falling into the losing Bracket. You asking 70 year old players to win 5 games the last day to win a tournament. I feel at this age, no team should play more then 3 games on any day. When fatigue sets in, that's when players get hurt and asking us to play more then 3 games in one day is a problem. It would be nice for Senior Softball to develop formats for any team not having to play more then 3 games on any day. Would like to hear other opinions on this subject. Thanks, |
| April 27, 2017 Player 86 posts | baseballbill. Speaking from the North side of 75, most of the associations in which we play, try to limit the games to two per day. 'Course, this depends mostly on the number of teams entered. Often, if there's a large number, the teams will be split into two or more "flights," or brackets, and. they try to pair the skill levels. Ergo, there are two or more winners. And, as with most senior softball, there are always some complaints. But, it seems to work and the players enjoy the tournaments. We old folks like it when we're helped across the street! LOL |
| April 27, 2017 SSUSA Staff 3485 posts | baseballbill and Player ... What baseballbill has suggested is pretty much the format structure we employ for the 75+ and more senior groups now, just not for the 70's on a regular basis yet ... With the 70's, however, there is still a fairly strong percentage contingent that will tell us "..It's not a tournament without a bracket.." if we try a full round robin approach ... They also aren't terribly fond of a modified single elimination bracket format, either ... Somewhere in those options is a solution should enough people think a change is mandated ... Thank you ... |
| April 27, 2017 baseballbill 137 posts | Thank you ssusa for your input. I'm hoping that most of these 70 teams realize that if they have one bad game and fall into the losing Bracket they have little to no chance of winning. The mountain is just to high to climb. |
| April 27, 2017 curveball Men's 65 705 posts | baseballbill Losers bracket is the nature of the beast, I wouldn't want it any other way. I'm also a 70's, and like the challenge presented with current format. I do understand your plight though, it is a mountain if you hit the losers bracket early. |
| April 28, 2017 TexasTransplant Men's 70 516 posts | Agree with Curveball. While I understand the challenge of playing multiple games, I fear that any format changes aimed at limiting the number of games per day, would also have the consequence of limiting the total number of games you might get to play in a tournament. I doubt that many would be willing to extend the tournament into an extra day, with the additional associated costs, to accommodate some kind of restriction as to the number of games per day. |
| April 28, 2017 baseballbill 137 posts | For 70's, playing 5 games in a day is a challenge ?????, I think its insanity !!!! |
| April 28, 2017 Ho 301 posts | We used to do the double elimination tournament and found we also were having 70+ teams playing four games a day. We switched to a three-day round robin format in which teams play six different AA/AAA teams (two games a day). It seems to be very popular. For Thee Buckeye Classic this year we have TEN 80's,TWENTY 75's and SEVENTEEN 70's which has been pretty normal. This is just a regular regional tournament not a national or world event. We also allow teams if we have open fields on the first two days and they want to switch one of their third day game to it and their opponewnt agrres we will do so. But NEVER MORE than THREE games a day. It works for us. 80's only play 80's; 75's play 75's and 70's play 70's all AA or AAA teams. We do have a 75 Major bracket (play each other twice) because it is difficult for 75 Major teams to find a 75M tournament. Teams also know their schedule for all six games at least one week in advance and the teams entered list is posred daily on our web site. We are filled for this year. Ho |
| April 28, 2017 baseballbill 137 posts | Ho: Thanks for your input, that's a practical approach. To me, the key point was no more then 3 games in a day. I also think SSUSA should take the lead in evaluating the consequential damages of players playing 5 games in one day. Medically, it a potential disaster waiting to happen !!!!!! |
| April 28, 2017 Omar Khayyam 1357 posts | I have played on an over-70 team for several years now. The team loves to go to Vegas (me, not so much) and our only concern is playing in the heat and the possibility of playing 3 or more games in a day in 90º plus. There is no older team that I know that can perform well for 4 or 5 or 6 games in a row, especially in that heat. The usual result is that guys start dropping off (dehydration, muscle cramps, exhaustion, etc.) and if you make it to the winner's bracket coming out of the loser's bracket, you usually don't have a competitive team facing a well-rested team. Two years ago in Vegas, SSUSA had us play a round robin tournament. Two games a day, in the cooler morning, plenty of time to return to the hotel to cool off and rest and then to take the ladies to do something in Vegas. We loved it! Unlike curveball's experience, round robin play is the norm in northern California. Of course it is a tie-breaker nightmare at times ( three teams end up 4 and 1, for example, with each beating one of the other two), but tiebreakers work and everyone is satisfied. We all know that a death on the playing field is not uncommon in senior softball, especially with teams over 65. I wonder how many of these could have been averted with a physically less demanding schedule? |
| April 28, 2017 baseballbill 137 posts | Omar: I'm happy to hear that I'm not ALONE !!!!!! We need more teams speaking up on this issue. Winning a tournament should not be an exercise of futility. |
| April 28, 2017 DieselDan Men's 75 600 posts | Lack of proper hydration is a players problem. |
| April 28, 2017 DieselDan Men's 75 600 posts | Lack of proper hydration, carbs, and protein is a players problem. |
| April 28, 2017 DieselDan Men's 75 600 posts | And don't forget the carbs and protein. |
| April 28, 2017 DieselDan Men's 75 600 posts | (Boy did I screw up the replies. Sure haven't figured out how to edit a post.) |
