Itaewon Pool League

Alternate Division Selection

Proposal June 2010

BACKGROUND

IPL has had 4 divisions for the past 6-1/2 years. The divisions have been randomly drawn at the organizational meeting of each season in recent seasons. In other seasons the top 4 teams, based on overall points, from the previous season were placed in separate divisions and then the remainder of the teams were drawn randomly to fill out the divisions.

In a recent season the top 16 teams based on total points were made up of 4 teams from each division. This is the most even split between the divisions in overall finishing position since there have been 4 divisions.

An advantage to the random draw has been thought to be that teams are not usually in the same divisions each season, which provides a greater opportunity to play different teams from season to season. This arrangement may contribute to the fun/social aspects of the league. However, with a fixed 20 week season, each team will still play 20 other teams in the league over the course of a season. Therefore, teams will play the same number of teams with either format.

The major disadvantage is that all teams will play more teams with a wider range of ability and therefore there will be more teams getting defeated soundly (15-0, 14-1) each week. This is believed to be sufficient reason by some league members to divide the divisions based on some ranking of teams.

In the Summer Fall 2008 season there were 6 matches out of 320 (1.9%) with a 15-0 score. There were 2 matches (0.7%) with a 14-1 score. There were 12 matches (3.8%) with a 13-2 score. There were 23 matches (7.2%) with a 12-3 score. Although the 15-0 and 14-1 matches accounted for less than 3% of the total matches, there would appear to be no disadvantage to the league trying a league format based on team rankings.

PROPOSAL

The proposal is to create 2 sections of the league with 1/2 of the teams in each section. In the top section would be the teams that finished with the most overall points in the season just completed. This section would be known as the High Ball Section. The second section would have the teams that finished with the lowest overall points in the season just completed. This section would be known as the Low Ball Section.

If there are at least 24 teams in the league, each section would have 2 divisions. In the High Ball Section there would be the Stripes Division and the Solids Division. In the Low Ball Section there would be the Cue Ball Division and the 8 Ball Division. Teams would be assigned to these divisions within each section by random draw. Within each section awards would be established for regular season finish within the divisions, as is done currently.

If a team changes its name or location but retains the same basic players, it would be placed in a section based upon the previous season record. If a new team with essentially all new players enters the league, it would be placed in the 2nd section. Retaining the same basic players would be defined as having at least 4 of the same players continue on the team. This placement of such teams would be determined by the executive committee when setting up the league.

Teams would play all other teams in that section (accounting for 15 matches if there were 16 teams in the section). The remaining matches would be played with teams from the other section based on a random draw.

At the end of the season there would be a playoff in each section, not an overall league playoff. Other league events, eg. money tournaments would be run for the entire league and not by section. Team awards would be established by division and section.

In the first season of this format there would be no change in the reporting of rankings. Rankings would be reported on a league wide basis and not by section.

In the last 1/4 of the new season, there would be a captains meeting to review the current season. The objectives of that captains meeting would be:

- to determine if the new format should continue

- to determine the method for setting divisions in the coming season

- to determine changes, if any, in the reporting and use of the player rankings

- to identify other issues affected or created by the new division split