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Le Grande Orange · 08-28-2007, 04:52 PM

Suggestion

Allow tiebreaking scenarios at the end of a season to be determined in one of three manners by the user.

Reason

If customizable playoffs make it into the next version in some fashion, then the question of tiebreakers is going to become very important. As it is at the moment OOTP only does an okay job at handling them (it still does not handle three-way ties correctly, for example, and split-season ties also have some issues).

Priority

Medium

Even if the different options as described below aren't incorporated, at the very least the game should properly conduct three- and four-way ties. Ties in leagues which use the split-season format should also be properly handled.

The Proposal in Detail

For fictional leagues, the game would continue to use the single-elimination system for tiebreaking playoff games, i.e. a two-way tie would be broken by a single game, etc. (Historical leagues should use the actual methods used by each league in each season — see the appropriate suggestion in the Historical Leagues Suggestions thread.)

The user would have three options in regards to handling ties, each of which have been used in real-world baseball leagues :

1) Always hold a playoff game, even if both teams have already qualified for the post-season.
2) Only hold a playoff game when a playoff berth is at stake.
3) Never hold a playoff game; use non-game tiebreakers instead.

To show an example, a single division league where the top four teams qualify for the post-season has the following final standings ("x-" indicating a playoff berth and "*" tied clubs):

Code:

x-NEW 92 61 .601
x-MON 82 71 .536
* SYR 77 74 .510
* JER 77 74 .510
  BAL 75 77 .493
  TOR 74 79 .484
  BUF 73 80 .477
  ROC 59 93 .388

Under option 1, even though SYR and JER have already qualified for the post-season, they'd still play a single tiebreaking playoff game to determine which team was the third place team and which the fourth.

Under option 2, there would be no playoff game since SYR and JER are already in the post-season. However, had the final standings looked like this...

Code:

x-JER 89 64 .582
x-ROC 84 67 .556
x-BUF 82 72 .532
* NEW 81 73 .526
* SYR 81 73 .526
  BAL 68 85 .444
  MON 64 88 .421
  TOR 63 90 .412

...then there would be a tiebreaking playoff game, since two teams are tied for the final post-season slot.

Under option 3, there would be no tiebreaking playoff games held under either example standings. Instead, non-game tiebreaking methods are used to resolve all ties.

The steps used would be as follows:

A) Better head-to-head record.
B) Better record within the division (if applicable).
C) Better record within the league (if applicable).
D) Better record over the last half of the season.
E) Better record over the last half of the season plus one game (if still tied, then the process continues with one additional game being added until the tie is broken).

If a league played a 140 game schedule, then for Step D it would mean comparing the tied clubs' records over the last 70 games of the season. If still tied, then the records over the last 71 games of the season would be compared. If still tied, then it's the record over the last 72 games of the season, and so on.

The tiebreaking playoffs are, admittedly, a small detail, but it's the kind of small detail which is good to get correct. Any questions as to how a particular tiebreaking playoff scenario should work, be it a three-way tie or a tie in a split-season league, just ask me.

08-28-2007, 04:52 PM	#56 (permalink)
Le Grande Orange Hall Of Famer Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Scheduleslovakia Posts: 6,239	Suggestion Allow tiebreaking scenarios at the end of a season to be determined in one of three manners by the user. Reason If customizable playoffs make it into the next version in some fashion, then the question of tiebreakers is going to become very important. As it is at the moment OOTP only does an okay job at handling them (it still does not handle three-way ties correctly, for example, and split-season ties also have some issues). Priority Medium Even if the different options as described below aren't incorporated, at the very least the game should properly conduct three- and four-way ties. Ties in leagues which use the split-season format should also be properly handled. *The Proposal in Detail* For fictional leagues, the game would continue to use the single-elimination system for tiebreaking playoff games, i.e. a two-way tie would be broken by a single game, etc. (Historical leagues should use the actual methods used by each league in each season — see the appropriate suggestion in the Historical Leagues Suggestions thread.) The user would have three options in regards to handling ties, each of which have been used in real-world baseball leagues : 1) Always hold a playoff game, even if both teams have already qualified for the post-season. 2) Only hold a playoff game when a playoff berth is at stake. 3) Never hold a playoff game; use non-game tiebreakers instead. To show an example, a single division league where the top four teams qualify for the post-season has the following final standings ("x-" indicating a playoff berth and "" tied clubs): Code: x-NEW 92 61 .601 x-MON 82 71 .536 SYR 77 74 .510 * JER 77 74 .510 BAL 75 77 .493 TOR 74 79 .484 BUF 73 80 .477 ROC 59 93 .388 Under option 1, even though SYR and JER have already qualified for the post-season, they'd still play a single tiebreaking playoff game to determine which team was the third place team and which the fourth. Under option 2, there would be no playoff game since SYR and JER are already in the post-season. However, had the final standings looked like this... Code: x-JER 89 64 .582 x-ROC 84 67 .556 x-BUF 82 72 .532 * NEW 81 73 .526 * SYR 81 73 .526 BAL 68 85 .444 MON 64 88 .421 TOR 63 90 .412 ...then there would be a tiebreaking playoff game, since two teams are tied for the final post-season slot. Under option 3, there would be no tiebreaking playoff games held under either example standings. Instead, non-game tiebreaking methods are used to resolve all ties. The steps used would be as follows: A) Better head-to-head record. B) Better record within the division (if applicable). C) Better record within the league (if applicable). D) Better record over the last half of the season. E) Better record over the last half of the season plus one game (if still tied, then the process continues with one additional game being added until the tie is broken). If a league played a 140 game schedule, then for Step D it would mean comparing the tied clubs' records over the last 70 games of the season. If still tied, then the records over the last 71 games of the season would be compared. If still tied, then it's the record over the last 72 games of the season, and so on. The tiebreaking playoffs are, admittedly, a small detail, but it's the kind of small detail which is good to get correct. Any questions as to how a particular tiebreaking playoff scenario should work, be it a three-way tie or a tie in a split-season league, just ask me. __________________ . "We choose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things not because they are easy, but because they are hard. Because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our abilities and skills, because that challenge is one we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win." . Last edited by Le Grande Orange : 08-28-2007 at 05:16 PM.