LITTLE ROCK — Making the playoffs in the state’s two largest athletic classifications might be easier than trying to explain how those schools will now qualify for postseason play.
It’s convoluted, at times curious, but, thankfully, completed for the 2010-2012 cycle.
“I think it will work,” said Lance Taylor, executive director of the Arkansas Activities Association, the organization that oversees rules and regulations agreed upon by more than 400 member schools. “We might run into a few problems, but the schools will get together and iron out those problems.”
During the recently completed two-year classification cycle, certifying playoff representatives in Class 7A and Class 6A - each with 16 schools and two conferences - was straightforward.
Each classification sent 12 teams, or the top six conference finishers, based on won-loss records, to the postseason in baseball, basketball, football, soccer, softball and volleyball.
But a special vote in the fall of 2008 to group the state’s largest 32 schools in enrollment during the regular season in four eight-team conferences - based on geography - has blurred the playoff lines so much that a calculator, precise record-keeping and a clear mind will be mandatory during the 2010-2012 cycle.
The state’s largest 32 schools, which voted to overhaul the system, will split evenly after the regular season ends and compete for state championships in a “big school/small school” format.
The largest 16 schools in enrollment will continue to play for Class 7A state championships; the remaining 16 schools will continue to play for Class 6A state championships.
The new format, however, means Class 7A Little Rock Hall and West Memphis (now members of the 7A/6A-East Conference) will compete against Class 6A schools during the regular season.
And Class 6A Russellville and Van Buren (now members of the 7A/6ACentral Conference) will compete against Class 7A schools during the regular season.
Because the four schools will trade places for postseason certification - Hall and West Memphis will be placed with the 14 other Class 7A schools and Russellville and Van Buren with the 14 other Class 6A schools - new postseason guidelines were needed to try and address equity in the process.
Schools also approved these changes, which differ wildly in each classification, earlier this year following months of input from administrative figures across the state.
In baseball, basketball, football, soccer, softball and volleyball, the 7A/6ACentral will certify the top six teams to the playoffs through a newly created power rating system that only applies to conference games.
Schools will receive 10 points for each victory, one point for each victory by an opponent they beat, 10 points for a forfeit, one point for a victory over a 7A school and 10 points for a conference championship.
The sum of the points will rank schools from highest to lowest.
Traditional football power West Memphis, which has won 22 consecutive 6A-East games, would have received 102 points if the power rating system was used last fall.
The Blue Devils were 7-0 in the conference (worth 70 points), opponents they beat won 21 games (21 points), they had one victory over a Class 7A school (one point) and won the 6A-East championship (10 points).
West Memphis has won six consecutive conference championships in football, but Coach Lanny Dauksch said the Blue Devils will be at a mathematical disadvantage because schools in the 7A/6A-Central have more opportunities to accumulate points for a power rating.
There are six Class 7A schools in the 7A/6ACentral, but West Memphis is one of only two Class 7A schools in the 7A/6A-East.
A 7A/6A-Central football team also going 7-0 in conference play likely will always claim the top playoff seed, Dauksch said.
However, North Little Rock football Coach Brad Bolding said he believes a juggernaut like West Memphis has a decided edge because there figures to be more parity in the 7A/6A-Central, top heavy with Class 7A programs.
“I think it’s unfair,” Bolding said, referring the power rating system.
It’s even unclear whether a 7-0 West Memphis or a 7-0 North Little Rock - historically speaking - will be credited with a conference championship ifthe other has a higher power rating after the eight schools are brought together for playoff seeding.
“I would guess there would be two conference champions,” Taylor said. “I think that’s one of the things we’re going to have to talk about.”
The new seeding process will initially begin with 7A/6A-Central teams being ranked through traditional won-loss conference records (normal AAA rules will be used to break any ties).
The Class 6A schools, Russellville and Van Buren, will then be replaced by Class 7A Hall and West Memphis in the equation and the schools ranked again by power ratings.
The top six teams will qualify for the playoffs, according to their power ratings.
The 7A-West, made up exclusively of eight schools in Northwest Arkansas, will continue to certify its top six conference finishers, based on won-loss conference records, to the playoffs in baseball, basketball, football, soccer, softball and volleyball.
The top two seeds in the 7A-West and 7A/6A-Central will continue to receive first-round playoff byes.
The new regular-season structure in Class 7A and Class 6A was designed to reduce athletic expenditures and travel and lost class time for students.
Taylor said it’s necessary because Van Buren and Russellville playing Marion and Jonesboro - both members of the 7A/6A-East - in conference games wouldn’t be feasible from a travel standpoint.
Van Buren is just outside Fort Smith. Russellville is about 75 miles west of Little Rock. Marion is a Memphis bedroom community.
West Memphis had traditionally competed in the state’s largest classification before it dropped to Class 6A following sweeping changes introduced in 2006.
Based on enrollment figures the AAA used to classify schools for the 2010-2012 cycle, West Memphis is the state’s 15th-largest school, just above the Class 7A cutoff, with 1,334 students in grades 9-11.
Prior to 2006, the state’s largest 32 schools were grouped in four eight-team conferences and competed against each other for state championships.
Vast differences in enrollment, and competitive equity, between No. 1 and No. 32 triggered the 2006 change.
The largest 16 schools were placed in Class 7A and the next 16 largest in Class 6A.
“I was always against splitting 6A and 7A to start with,” Dauksch said. “I liked all of them being in there together, when we had the old AAAAA league. But this is better as far as travel, there’s no doubt about it.”
There are numerous differences in how Class 6A, including Russellville and Van Buren, will certify its playoff representatives in baseball, basketball, football, soccer, softball and volleyball.
The 6A-South (all 6A schools) will continue to seed its top six teams based on won-loss conference records in football.
But the 7A/6A-East, including Russellville and Van Buren for postseason consideration, will use a power rating, based on all games, to rank its top six teams.
Under this system, teams will receive 10 points for each victory, one point for each opponent’s victory and one bonus point for playing a Class 7A school.
The top two seeds from each conference will continue to receive firstround playoff byes.
In basketball, there will no longer be first-round byes since all 16 schools will make the playoffs, because of the perceived parity throughout the classification.
The 6A-South will play a double round-robin schedule to seed its eight teams, but the 7A/6A-East will use a modified power rating.
In volleyball, only the top four conference finishers will advance to the state tournament.
Reducing state tournament qualifiers from 12 to eight reflects a handful of Class 6A schools not having competitive programs or no programs at all.
The 6A-South will play a double round-robin to seed its four teams. The 7A/6AEast, however, will hold a conference tournament for state tournament seeding.
A power rating will be used to seed teams for the conference tournament.
In baseball and softball, the top six teams from each conference will advance to the state tournament.
The top two seeds from each conference will continue to receive first round byes.
Again, the 6A-South will play a double round-robin to determine seeding. The 7A/6A-East will use a power rating for seeding.
Soccer also will continue to certify the top six finishers in each conference.
Representatives from the 6A-South will be determined by won-loss records in conference games.
The 7A/6A-East will seed through a power rating system.
Illustrating the differences in Class 6A power rating formulas, 7A/6A-East schools will receive 14 points per conference victory in basketball, baseball and softball, as opposed to 10 for all victories in football.
Class 6A is also armed with an intricate set of rules to break ties in power ratings, including a strength of schedule factor.
“The schools were very innovative and thought outside the box and did something that we’ve never done before because of travel issues,” Taylor said. “I was proud of the schools, because it would have caused us problems if we didn’t think outside the box.”Planting the seeds 7A-WEST (football, basketball, baseball, soccer, softball and volleyball)
No change. Top six finishers advance, based on won-loss records in conference games.
NOTE Current Class 7A playoff brackets will be used. First and second playoff seeds will receive first-round byes.
6A-SOUTH (football, baseball, softball and soccer)
Top six finishers advance, based on won-loss records in conference games. NOTE Current Class 6A playoff brackets will be used. First and second playoff seeds will receive first-round byes.
7A/6A-CENTRAL/7A/6A-EAST (football, basketball, baseball, 7A soccer, softball and volleyball; soccer uses different system in 6A)
Conference members will be ranked by won-loss records in conference standings. (Arkansas Activities Association rules will be used to break ties.)
Class 6A members of the 7A/6ACentral, Russellville and Van Buren, will be dropped from the rankings and moved to Class 6A for playoff seeding purposes and conference standings will be renumbered.
A power rating will be applied for ranking the schools.
Class 7A members of the 7A/6AEast, Little Rock Hall and West Memphis, will be inserted into the 7A rankings, according to the power ratings.
The top six 7A teams will qualify for the playoffs based on their seed/ ranking. If there is a tie in the power ratings, the first consideration is headto-head competition. The second is a coin flip by AAA Executive Director Lance Taylor or his designee.
CLASS 7A POWER RATING
(CONFERENCE GAMES ONLY) 1. 10 points per victory 2. 1 point for each victory by an opponent you beat 3. 10 points per forfeit 4. 1 point for a victory against a Class 7A opponent 5. 10 points for a conference championship
CLASS 6A FOOTBALL POWER RATING
(ALL GAMES) 1. 10 points per victory 2. 1 point for each opponent’s victory3. 1 bonus point for each Class 7A opponent
6A BASKETBALL
All 16 schools will participate in the state tournament. There will be no firstround byes.
The 6A-South will play a double round-robin schedule to determine its 1-8 seeds.
The 7A/6A-East will use a modified power rating, using conference games only.
1. 14 points per victory 2. 1 point for opponents’ victories
6A VOLLEYBALL
Top four teams from each conference advance.
The 6A-South will play a double round-robin to determine its seeds.
The 7A/6A-East will hold a conference tournament. A power rating will be used for conference tournament seeding based on conference games.
1. 14 points per victory 2. 1 point for playing a Class 7A opponent 3. 1 point for opponents’ victories
6A BASEBALL, SOFTBALL
Top six teams from each conference advance. Top two seeds from each conference will receive first-round byes.
The 7A/6A-East will use a power rating, conference games only.
1. 14 points per victory 2. 1 point for opponents’ victories 3. 1 bonus point for playing a Class 7A opponent
6A SOCCER
Top six teams from each conference advance.
The 6A-South will play a double round-robin to determine its seeds.
The 7A/6A-East will use a modified power rating.
1. Each team will receive seven points per victory since the 7A/6A-East will not play a double round-robin schedule.
2. Based on the regular-season schedule in the 7A/6A-Central, more points could be accumulated.
7A/6A TRACK
Each conference will have conference meets, with the top four finishers in each event qualifying for the state meet. All athletes with state qualifying performances also will qualify for the state meet.
7A/6A GOLF
All schools will play 18 holes on one day. Teams that finish in the top half, including ties, plus the next eight top individual scores, including ties, will play 18 holes the second day. Scores from both days will be combined to determine the team champion and medalist.
7A/6A TENNIS
All schools will play in a conference tournament and will be seeded by conference coaches (as currently done). The top six doubles teams and the top six singles teams will advance to the state tournament. The 6A-South will continue to hold a conference tournament. The 7A/6A-Central and 7A/6A-East will have a conference tournament. The top six doubles teams and top six singles teams will advance to the state tournament.
NOTE Bowling, cross country, swimming and wrestling will use existing methods of seeding and qualifying for state tournaments.
SOURCE Arkansas Activities Association
Sports, Pages 27 on 06/27/2010