Re: Div 3 North 2016-17
Posted: Thu Oct 06, 2016 3:16 pm
Whoever sent this has took the time and I like this idea, it got a lot of common sense with it!!Mick Norris wrote:I have been sent the following:
FIXTURES FOR 11 MATCHES FOR ONE DIVISION OF 18 TEAMS
Divide the 18 teams into 2 groups x 9 of equal strength. (As per current 4NCL system)
The teams in each group will then be numbered from 1 – 9 in the same manner as above. (ie: Strongest = 1, etc)
Teams play all others in same group = 8 matches per team.
However, this will mean each round having one team per group without a game.
For that round, the teams in each group with the same number will play against each other (ie 1 v 1, 2 v 2 , etc)
The "inter-group" matches (one of each to be played in during the first 9 rounds) would be played in reverse number order (ie Round 1 - 9v9; Round 2 - 8v8; Round 3 - 7v7; etc).
This would mean that the top teams in each group (according to their perceived strength at the start of the event) would not meet until the later stages (ie Round 8 - 2v2; Round 9 - 1v1).
Therefore, after round 9, each team will have played 9 games; eight against those in the same group and one against a
team from the other group of similar strength. (The results of these matches count towards each team’s own group).
After 9 rounds, the top team in Group A will play the two top-most teams in Group B who they have NOT ALREADY PLAYED, whilst similarly, the top team in Group B will play the two top-most teams in Group A who they have NOT ALREADY PLAYED.
i.e. If the team finishing top of Group A had not already played the top in Group B, they would then play each other, whilst
also playing the next highest-placed team they had not yet faced.
If the top teams HAD already played, they would each face the next two highest-placed teams yet to be played.
The system would then continue down the groups, with the remaining teams each being paired against two others they had not previously met.
Following these matches the 2 groups would then be combined to show the teams’ final places in a division of 18 teams.
The above would then ensure that the teams most likely to be aiming for promotion (ie those towards the top of their groups
after 9 games) would be playing all the others who are also in contention.
An example of the above is shown below, the pairings for which I have based on the alphabetical order of the teams currently shown for Division 3 North on the 4NCL website (5th October 2016)
Group A is shown in alphabetical order, whilst Group B is in reverse alphabetical order – purely to prevent teams with the same name being put together in their “extra round” against the opponents from the other group.
GROUP A GROUP B
3Cs 2 1 Spirit of Atticus B
Ashfield Breadsall 1 2 Manchester Manticores 4
Bradford DCA Knights B 3 Manchester Manticores 2
Cheddleton 2 4 Jorvik
Gonzaga 5 Holmes Chapel
Hounds and Bears 6 Enniscorthy
Manchester Manticores 1 7 Bradford DCA Knights C
Manchester Manticores 3 8 Ashfield Breadsall 2
Manx Liberty 9 3Cs 3
Teams play the other 8 in their group plus their opposite number from the other group = 9 matches,
After the opening 9 matches the groups might look as shown below:
(For this example I have left Group A in the same order, but in Group B have reversed teams 1-4 and teams 6-9)
GROUP A GROUP B
3Cs 2 1 Jorvik
Ashfield Breadsall 1 2 Manchester Manticores 2
Bradford DCA Knights B 3 Manchester Manticores 4
Cheddleton 2 4 Spirit of Atticus B
Gonzaga 5 Holmes Chapel
Hounds and Bears 6 3Cs 3
Manchester Manticores 1 7 Ashfield Breadsall 2
Manchester Manticores 3 8 Bradford DCA Knights C
Manx Liberty 9 Enniscorthy
For the last two matches, the fixtures would be:
A1 v B1 / B2, A2 v B1 / B2, A3 v B3 / B4, A4 v B3 / B4, A5 v B6 / B7, A6 v B5 / B6,
A6 v B5 / B7, A7 v B6 / B7, A8 v B8 / B9, A9 v B8 / B9
Note : A5 does not play B5 as they met in the “inter-group” game.
Each team will then have played 11 matches, with the teams who finished in the top two positions in each group having then at least also faced those who finished in the top two places in the opposing group (ie: their main promotion rivals).
NB: It is inevitable, due to 18 teams playing 11 matches, that every team will NOT play 6 of the others in the division.