SC Soccer Forums SCSoccer.com Forums SCHSSCA Change to Playoff Proposal Poll

From KC Dunbaker, River Bluff HS Women's Soccer Coach: Any way we could do a quick poll for the soccer coaches association to see who would be in favor of extending playoffs by one week. Working with my AD to try and get that change made.

Current Playoff Schedule:
(Women) 5/2, 5/4, 5/6, 5/9, Weekend of 5/13
(Men) 5/3, 5/5, 5/7, 5/10, Weekend of 5/13

Proposed Change:
(Women) 5/2, 5/5, 5/9, 5/12, Weekend of 5/20
(Men) 5/3, 5/6, 5/10, 5/13, Weekend of 5/20

This change would allow for better recovery due to the physical demand of our sport (80 minutes games…. 110 if brought to PK’s) and allow more flexibility if a schedule change is needed due to severe weather.

Change to Playoffs single choice

Keep Playoffs as it currently is (0%, 0 Votes)

Adopt this proposal to allow for more recovery time in the playoffs (89%, 16 Votes)

None of the above - provide a comment with your suggestion (11%, 2 Votes)

Total Votes: 18 Voting on this poll ends: 11/28/21 11:59 PM

The better solution is to abolish the pre-bracketed playoffs and go to seeding meeting for all classifications. While I agree that that there are flaws with the current system, postponing the state finals an entire week is not the solution. I can 100% guarantee that clubs are not going to postpone their tryouts by that week to appease the high school state championships. During that week off, players are going to have to make the decision whether to go to club tryouts or high school practice. The clubs are already creeping into the high school season enough.

The solution is to leave the current dates in place but go to seeding committees like 1A and 2A already use for all classifications! In this format, there is less stress on the top players on the top teams in rounds 1 and 2.

Teams that win the Saturday playoff game (for boys) have two days of recovery and the team that wins the Tuesday game has three days of recovery.

The issue is not the time frame.... the issue is the structure of who plays who in the playoffs. If we incorporated the concept of this poll into the regular season, our season would be 6 months long! I would love 3-4 days between region games as this poll suggests.

We need to stop bowing to the mercy of the pre-bracketed playoffs and seed teams 1-16.

While I agree that seeding rather than pre-bracketed playoffs is best for determining matchups, that change would not alleviate the physical demands of playing three games in five days for our first three rounds of playoffs. The proposed change would more closely resemble what our teams experience during the regular season: Two days between weekday matches. The only extended break would be between the semi-finals and finals.

As far as club goes… the proposed change would only extend the season by one week for the top two teams (finalist) in each classification; so there wouldn’t be 32 teams combating club tryouts vs. high school training. When looking at attending a tryout vs. preparing for a State Title, I wouldn’t think there would be much of a decision to be made.

Jason - You bring up a good point, but I too agree with KC that preparing for a HS State Championship would trump any club tryout.

On that note, it is absolutely ridiculous that some clubs start their 15U-19U Tryouts during State Championship Weekend. The earliest should be the Sunday after the last HS State Final on Saturday.

I cannot tell you how many times the last decade that a HS coach has said that they cannot work a canteen or assist at the HS State Championships due to club tryouts. It's an egregious slap in the face to the prep game IMO.

Clubs should do better!

This is a whole different conversation that can be had during social hour @ the coaches clinic lol.

But I also agree that there will be a limited # of teams affected if the championship gets moved a week & that most players will choose to participate in the state championship & not risk that opportunity. I can also see some coaches & clubs take a hard stance, to which case I would just ask if they're worried about the player or themselves since forcing a kid to choose between a tryout or the chance to play for a state title (one of these isn't guaranteed to happen every year) is a bit messed up.

I agree with seeding 1-16, as the pre-determined bracket seems to not change to the benefit of some regions.
Club has already encroached up here near Charlotte. They are doing evaluations in FEBRUARY for their top teams.
Weather can be the biggest issue. If there are storms Mon- Wed., you can have teams playing Thurs - Sat with no break. Soccer is considered a contact sport by the SCHSL basketball is not, yet basketball can only play 2 games a week. The tournament that determines a state champion is soccer should also only have 2 games/week.