I really think that the format of games (er, game) for the team tournament should possibly be re-evaluated. Most darters I know do not prefer team games at all, let alone a best of X sets of them. Also, how is this really a guage of a teams ability to play darts. No rhythm is attained and an important piece of league format is cut out..Cricket.

I have been researching what other leagues do and here is an interesting suggestion from someone in Philly:

Playoff match format is best of 15 games: 4 FIDO 801, 8 DIDO 501, 3 cricket. '01 games 3 shooters per team, cricket is 2. In our league a player is limited to only 7 games and can only shoot 2 801, 4 501, and 1 cricket. To win in this format you have to have a good overall team. I think that one or two great shooters find it very difficult to carry the team.

Ok so 15 games is longer than our normal matches.....so if we scale it to 2 FIDO, 4 DIDO 2 Cricket and then limit to how many games a person can shoot I thFnk it would be better representative of our actual league play. Maybe make the FIDO a doubles event instead of triples....

This is just a thought because I know that I get bored with team games especially that many in a row. This is just one example of maybe how it can change and we do have a year to figure it out....

(I was going to post a poll....but cant seem to find that option)

Other format suggestions:

From Columbus (Soft tip I think):

our format is 2 games 501, 2 games cricket in a race to 10 (these could be doubles...again making a minimal of games that people have to play in so that teams cant stack)


From Canada:

Ex 1
All teams are in for a round robin 701 SIDO.
One game per team.
One point per game.
points are totaled and ties are broken under the same format.
We don't group into divisions and every team gets into the play-offs.
This is a very fun focus league.

Ex 2
All teams are in for a round robin 501 SIDO.
One game per team.
Losing team has to carry their left over points as a score.
Scores are added after each game.
The goal is to be the team with the losest point total.
Need to play alittle strategically in the format.
Winner this year had 41 points.
Last Place taem had 437 points.
You really do not want a bad beat in this format


Again I am just throwing things out there.....trying to break the monotony. No need to keep doing things just because that is the way they have always been done. To stop trying to improve is to start dying.

Great ideas up:

I am one for changing the tournament format. :)

I still believe you have to throw at least one team '01 match.(even though my team blew so many chances in team '01 this season.

A short version of our weekly format sounds promising cool:

Anyone else got any Ideas??? don't leave us hangin:

Even though I used some emoticons I am still serious :P stirpot:

Thanks for the research QueenBee. up:

Most of the people I talked to about it had several arguments for and against changing the format.

PRO: No one really likes playing that many team games any way
CON: Historically it is the way the TEAM Tournament has always been.

PRO: Change it to a full match
CON: Eventually whether it was in the first round this year or the second round in previous years we have 4 teams at one bar and there is know way to play that many games in one evening.

PRO: Tweak it to include singles and doubles games.
CON: It would render the Team game at the end meaningless and it is the TEAM TOURNAMENT.

PRO: As a team on league night we play cricket in different formats but in the team tournament we do not play any cricket.
CON: Team Cricket is hated more than the Steelers or Michigan


After looking at Queen Bees research I think some tweaking could be achieved while still keeping the integrity of the Team Idea.

For example:
1 Team 801 FIDO
1 Doubles Cricket
1 Team 801 FIDO
1 Doubles 501 DIDO
1 Team 801 FIDO

Each player can only play in one of the doubles matches.
If we wanted to go to 7 games we could add 1 doubles match to each of the doubles.

Another Member posed the idea of having the brackets done up like to NCAA Tourney and posting it online for everyone to see. Like the NCAA each bracket would be assigned a location and the last couple of rounds could be at a central location like we did this year.

DISCLAMER: All of these are just thought and proposals and nothing is set in stone. I am just showing that I do listen to the Members of this club and I am willing to try anything to improve the perception and enjoyment of the sport of darts for the Cleveland Darter Club Member.
Next year when the Team Tournament comes up I will revisit these ideas and present them to the BOD for discussion. Together we can all work together to improve the sport of darts for all involved. Please feel free to leave all feedback at this forum or you can E-mail me directly at:
leaguedirector@darter.org .


Thanks to all and best of luck,
Enjoy your Summer and check back here for more information on League Tournaments,
Jon
cool: bliss: bam:

A couple more suggestions:


2 triples 701, 3 doubles 601, 6 singles 501, all best of 3 legs is our regular season and playoff format - the only difference in playoffs is the race to 6 games won without finishing the night. Higher seed gets to play at home.

3 doubles 501, 6 singles 501, 3 doubles cricket, all best of 3 legs. Playoffs are single night in the first round (6 or 8 team divisions), and home/away in the semifinals and finals, with the higher seed having choice of home or away to start the two week, race to 13 games format.

To keep it the same just for the sake of keeping the same though most do not like it nor feel it is a good representation of what their team's ability is...is just well silly.

Having a full match would make it difficult to play two rounds in one night. That means the season would have to be extended and just makes for a loooong session.

I am not sure that the original meaning of "Team Tournament" meant "TEAM games". In most of the scenario you still require min of 4 people participating in which you are still acting as a "team". Just as much as when you played league matches.

That is why you dont do Team Cricket (and if you must make it a 3-person team...totally silly to play a game if thrown perfectly one player never shoots) and have 2 sets of doubles.

Not bad, though I am not sure why you are so against singles matches. They are part of league, (though it seems they are getting pushed out of league formats too (thats another subject all together))....therefore to have the playoffs representative of league play I would think that there should be at least 2 singles involved....even if it is 501/Crick/Choice. And yes it will most likely be the best two players of each "team" shooting against each other.

But what purpose would it serve if there are only 4 teams in a division? Its not a bad idea, and shouldnt be all that hard to implement.....

This is why I wanted to get it started NOW though...get the discussion in motion and see what comes out of it. Instead of rushing around at the last minute trying to set something up and not reaching its full potential....or not getting board approval in time.....

I suppose that an idea including Singles Games is worth exploring. Maybe something like:

1 Team 801
1 Singles Cricket
1 Doubles Cricket
1 Team 801
1 Singles 301 DIDO
1 Doubles 501 FIDO
1 Team 801 FIDO

Using a 4 person Team as the Guideline/Baseline, if you play in the Doubles Cricket you may not play in the Doubles '01, and if you play in the Singles Cricket you may not play in the Singles '01. The only problem I see with adding in double and singles games is the fact that you would/could render some of the last games irrelevant. If the winning teams sweeps the first few games then whats the point of continuing. If you do a Round Robin Format where all 4 teams play each other once, then you could make the argument that all games are to be played and the team with the best combined score would move on. Please add you comments on this,
Jon

On a related subject any advice/comments on how to handle the upcoming projected Singles and Double Tournaments after the Summer and Fall sessions?
Where to hold it? When to hold them? Promotion? Formats to use? How to get more cash in the prize pools? My plan is to hold a Singles Tourney for all Summer Session participants and to have the Doubles after Fall. Please feel free to give me any ideas and or suggestions.
Jon