The stupidest thing your state high school association allows to happen

When I was working in the Sac-Joaquin Section, they did that in the title round. Every round? You're gonna extend the season into July!

 

I forgot another gem in Iowa: after every game, they give an award to the losing team for reaching that round of the playoffs. At least in Idaho, you had to win a game or two to get some hardware.

 

Same in Kansas. Tonight's first-round losers will get "Bi-District Runner-Up" plaques.

 

Kentucky used to have that format. Got rid of it this year or last, instead having 16 teams compete for the title at Applebees Park in Lexington each year. Used to be we'd have the best-of-3 semi-state, which got the field down to eight -- and those eight would move on to State.

 

In South Carolina, they do that for the state finals, but the most any team has to play against each other is three games. For example, my HS baseball team played a team from another part of the state three times. Once they played on Saturday night, and the winner got to wait until Wednesday where they hosted and had to lose twice. The loser of the game had to play on Monday, win then win twice over the same team to go to the next round.

Baseball and softball teams can lose three times and still win state (once in their district round, once at lower state and once at state). The finals are 3 games, one at the highest-ranked team, one at the lower-ranked team, and one at a neutral site.

 

Not sure of all the details.
Now, it's two games a week, like Tuesday and Friday.
The other way it would be two series a week, games Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday (if nec.), then the next round would be Friday and Saturday (doubleheader, if nec). It wouldn't lengthen the season at all.

 

Thankfully no one cares about SCISA.

You also forgot to mention the glory of split 4A, 2A AND 1A titles.

 

Texas gives teams the option of playing either best-of-3 or a single game in baseball and softball. The coaches of each team can agree to a format, or if they don't agree, flip a coin.

I hate the best-of-3 because it stretches the playoffs deep into June. No other sports have this format. The baseball state tournament, which funny enough is single elimination, ended on June 12 this year and 2-a-days for the next football season started Aug. 2.

 

I just heard, and I think this is correct, the legion baseball coaches in Virginia can now be coached by a high school coach who will be basically coaching his own team.

Which mean, Podunk High's season just went from high school games to high school and legion games.

 

Indiana has totally-open summers. From the time school ends until the week before two-a-days start in fall sports, coaches have completely unlimited access. Our HS basketball team played 30 games last June (now, many were 5-games-in-a-day running-clock shootouts, but seriously) and practiced every day. The baseball team sends a couple of top players off to travel ball and stays intact and plays summer games through June. Football does 7-on-7 in July. It's nuts.

 

Yes, the everyone in format is the growing trend, and it leads to a bunch of meaningless games. The postseason is pretty meaningless anymore until you hit the second round and beyond.

And they extended Oregon to six classes about five years ago, yet the crunch the 3A/2A/1A small schools together just to get enough for an eight-team state playoff...it's beyond silly. Our local team played in a three-school league this year.

I'm seeing the baseball posts in here...I kind of like the idea of a best-of-three format. Shrink the bracket by a round so it doesn't make the season go forever, but doing a doubleheader followed by the "if necessary" game seems like it would keep things moving along.