Official Playoff Rules

PLAYOFF FORMAT:
To be determined by number of teams.

Home team format is 2-3 (Best of 5) or 2-3-2 (Best of 7).

TIEBREAKERS:
Overall record, then head to head, then coin flip
One game playoff to determine third place in division.

PLAYOFF MODE AND SETTINGS:
Playoffs will be played, in part or entirety, in EXHIBITION Mode. Correct settings must be used. HOME TEAM MUST CHALLENGE.

Difficulty: Veteran
Pitching: Meter
Baserunning: New
Guess Pitch: OFF
Strike Zone: OFF
Hot Zones: OFF
Fastplay: ON

I can't control if you veer from these settings, so be very careful about the challege you accept. If you play with incorrect settings, you have to live with it. The game is still official

PHOENIX LEAGUE v. SPORTSCONNECT PLAYOFF STRUCTURE:
As best I understand the playoffs under Sportsconnect, the length and time limit matches that of the season. So, a playoff series under Sportsconnect would be three games long for three days. Also, only 4 teams make the playoffs under Sportsconnect as compared to our 6 teams.

Obviously, that would not work with us. Thats a big part of the reason we are working under EXHIBITION mode. So we can have longer series and control the clock.

OFF DAYS:
I have placed off days before the start of each series, and on the Fourth of July. NO games played on those days will be accepted as offical. Any games played on those days will be seen as practice games. I believe time off is important to build momentum and drama. Similar to Flex Scheduling, keep to the schedule.

SCHEDULED TIMES:
Obvously, the two teams have to schedule their games at times that are most convenient to them. I will ask that teams POST that schedule for all to see, and that they do their UTMOST to meet those commitments as closely as posilbe. There are many people, MYSELF INCLUDED, who would like to listen in on the games and be as close to the festivities as possible. That only happens if we know exactly when those games are played. Please be aware of other people's interest in your games.

SERIES LENGTH:
You will have as many days as there are games to play your series. So a best of 5 will have 5 days and a best of 7 will have 7 days. PLEASE DO NOT MAKE ME RESOLVE GAMES. I can't think of a bigger corruption of the event than for me to have to flip a coin to determine a winner.

I will be ALOT more lenient when it comes to extension requests to actually play these games, but you must convince me that the game will actually be played and not just waste time.

You CAN play more than one game a day but, again, be very public with your game schedule so others can join in.

RAIN OUTS:
As in Major League Baseball, there are no shortened games in the playoffs. All games must be played in full to be official.

ROTATION:
Playoffs will begin with both teams in the Best of 5 pitching their No #1 pitcher. If that series goes to Game 5, the teams will have the option of pitching EITHER their No #5 pitcher, or return to their No #1 pitcher. However, if they pitch their No #1 and win, they MUST start their next series with their #2 instead of their No #1.

In a similar fashion, teams of all future series has the option of pitching their #5 or their #1 in the playoffs, but must follow with their No #2 if they pitch their #1.

If a team wins a series early, they may use the off days to reset their rotation. For example, if they close a series in Game 7 with their #3 pitcher, they MUST start Game 1 of the next series with their No #4. If, however, that same team closed in Game 6 rather than Game #7, they have an off day they can use if they wish to SKIP their No. #4 pitcher to go to their No. #5. Since they can either use their No. #5 or No. #1 at their discresion, that early finish allows them to reset their whole rotation.

TROPHIES:
Sony awards a trophy to the player who wins a league tournament. I will do the best I can to resolve playoff games on Sportsconnect so that the winner of our season gets the trophy. That may not be possible. For example, if the third place team wins the championship. Thats another reason to play the games in EXHIBITION mode, so I can better control who gets the final trophy.

If, for whatever reason, I am unable to award the trophy to the league winner, I will award it to the next player in succession. That play will acknowlege that he is NOT the season winner, but can accept the trophy for a competitive season.


THE LEAGUE DOES NOT EXIST ON SPORTSCONNECT. THE LEAGUE EXISTS ONLY IN THIS FORUM. SPORTSCONNECT IS ONLY A TOOL TO MOVE THE LEAGUE ALONG. IT DOES NOT DICTATE WHAT THE LEAGUE DOES.