Olympic Softball

[bigsig]

Originally Posted by RKBUmp

I agree there, doesnt seem very fair that in the medal round a team gets to lose, come back and ultimately play for the gold, yet the team that has no loses goes home with a silver after a single loss. You would at least think that the first 2 losers in the medal round would play each other for the bronze, and that the winners would play for the gold and silver.

Just the opposite happened in 2000. US lost 3 games and then beat undefeated Japan in the gold game. Can't complain too much.

[Dakota]

Originally Posted by bigsig

Just the opposite happened in 2000. US lost 3 games and then beat undefeated Japan in the gold game. Can't complain too much.

Sure I can... it has nothing to do with who won when and it really has nothing to do with "total losses"; the desire to have a single gold medal game is probably TV driven (even though the softball game did not make prime time) and leads to the result of the team with a 1-2 series record being the champion.

Name another major team sport competition where 2 teams can be 1-2 against each other head-to-head in the tournament and have the team with 1 win be the champion.

[NCASAUmp]

Originally Posted by Dakota

Name another major team sport competition where 2 teams can be 1-2 against each other head-to-head in the tournament and have the team with 1 win be the champion.

Volleyball.

[mach3]

Originally Posted by Dakota

Name another major team sport competition where 2 teams can be 1-2 against each other head-to-head in the tournament and have the team with 1 win be the champion.

It comes from the

ISF TECHNICAL & PROCEDURAL CODE
for WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS and OLYMPIC GAMES (INCLUDING QUALIFYING COMPETITIONS for WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS and OLYMPIC GAMES)
1.01 When there are fifteen (15) or less entries, teams will play in one (1) section. In the event of there being less than eight (8) effective entries, a double round robin will be played. In the event there are eight (8) to fifteen (15) effective entries, a single round robin will be played, culminating in a page playoff involving the top four (4) teams.

Therefore it can happen in the major ISF Tournaments and it is not an olympic thing.

Raoul

[3SPORT]

ISF TECHNICAL & PROCEDURAL CODE
for WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS and OLYMPIC GAMES (INCLUDING QUALIFYING COMPETITIONS for WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS and OLYMPIC GAMES)
1.01 When there are fifteen (15) or less entries, teams will play in one (1) section. In the event of there being less than eight (8) effective entries, a double round robin will be played. In the event there are eight (8) to fifteen (15) effective entries, a single round robin will be played, culminating in a page playoff involving the top four (4) teams.

After all is said and done, Wikipedia was correct in saying they use the Page Playoff system.

Some of the extra information in there is someones opinion but the information concerning what "type" of system was correct.

[Dakota]

Originally Posted by 3SPORT

After all is said and done, Wikipedia was correct in saying they use the Page Playoff system.

Some of the extra information in there is someones opinion but the information concerning what "type" of system was correct.

When all was said, no one was at all concerned with what the CALLED the goofy format.

Only that it results in the losing team becoming the champion, and I don't know how you would describe a team with a head-to-head record of 1-2 against their opponent other than "losing team." It is a losing record, yet they are the "champion."

Even leaving out the pool game, you have two teams that have faced each other twice and each have 1 win.

I'm not disputing the gold medal going to Japan - everyone knew the format going in. But to claim it is similar to a double elimination format is wrong, and either the author is a fool or is pushing an agenda. If the medal round was double elimination, they would have played one more game for the championship.

[Dakota]

As to youth participation, youth participation in most Olympic sports increases after the Olympic games... from gymnastics to swimming to communist kickball... softball is no different. How long-lasting the spike in participation is is the question.

It is good publicity for the sport and to encourage participation in the sport. Without that publicity, either something else will have to generate the interest, or participation will suffer. It is unlikely any other international competition will have the impact the Olympics does.