Page playoff system
Encyclopedia
The Page playoff system is a playoff format
used primarily in softball
and curling
at the championship level. Teams are seeded using a round-robin tournament
and the top four play a mix of a single-elimination
and double-elimination tournament
to determine the winner. It is identical to a four-team McIntyre System
playoff, first used by the Victorian Football League
in Australia
in 1931, originally called the Page-McIntyre system, after the VFL delegate, the Richmond Football Club
's Secretary, Percy "Pip" Page, who had advocated its use. It was played there until 1971.
The system is now used by the International Softball Federation
in world championship
since 1990 and the Olympic Games
1996-2008.
Its first use in curling was by the Canadian Curling Association
in the 1995 Labatt
Brier
, the men's championship, and was adopted the next year at the 1996
Scott Tournament of Hearts
, the women's championship. It gained acceptance and in 2005 the World Curling Championships
started using it, but it has not yet been adopted in curling at the Olympic Games
.
The format was used in the 2011 Indian Premier League
cricket tournament.
The format has also been used in some much lower-key, internet gaming events, such as chess and backgammon.
in some way, as the top two teams have an advantage over the bottom two. This is usually accomplished through a round-robin tournament, which eliminates all but the top four teams.
increases quadratically
with respect to the number of teams, scheduling too many teams will result in an unwieldy number of games, particularly when there are a limited number of playing surfaces (curling rink
s usually only have four sheets). Therefore, the number of teams is usually capped at around a dozen; if this is not possible or desirable, teams may be separated into groups playing separate round-robins and either having the top teams combining for the Page playoff or playing separate ones in each group and having the winners play each other after.
to the final. The loser of the 1 vs. 2 game plays the winner of the 3 vs. 4 game in the semi-final. The winner of the semi-final plays the winner of the 1 vs. 2 game in the final, with the winner of that game winning the competition.
This has the effect of allowing the top two teams to lose a game and still win the tournament, producing a similar effect to a double-elimination tournament
. This gives the top two teams a significant advantage over the next two; for example, in 12 years at The Brier
, 12 years at the Tournament of Hearts
and one year at the Worlds
, only thrice, at the 2000
, 2008
and 2009 Tournament of Hearts
has the third- or fourth-placed team won the tournament. However, to ensure that the first-placed team does get some advantage for finishing at the top of the pack, that team is often given a home-ice advantage
; since curling teams rarely play national or international tournaments at their home rink, the advantage in curling is that the first-placed team is given the hammer (last rock) in the first end, which is a reasonable advantage between comparably skilled teams.
In the 2008 World Women's Curling championship, a modified Page Playoff system was introduced which added another round. The loser of the 3-4 game (Switzerland) played against the loser of the "semifinal" game (Japan) for the bronze medal instead of the loser of the semifinal game (Japan) being awarded the bronze directly. This was also done at the 2011 Tim Hortons Brier
.
:
Playoff format
There are several different Playoff formats used in various levels of competition in sports and games to determine an overall champion. Some of the most common are the single elimination, the best-of- series, the total points series, and the round-robin tournament.-Single elimination:A Single...
used primarily in softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
and curling
Curling
Curling is a sport in which players slide stones across a sheet of ice towards a target area. It is related to bowls, boule and shuffleboard. Two teams, each of four players, take turns sliding heavy, polished granite stones, also called "rocks", across the ice curling sheet towards the house, a...
at the championship level. Teams are seeded using a round-robin tournament
Round-robin tournament
A round-robin tournament is a competition "in which each contestant meets all other contestants in turn".-Terminology:...
and the top four play a mix of a single-elimination
Single-elimination tournament
A single-elimination tournament, also called a knockout, cup or sudden death tournament, is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match or bracket is immediately eliminated from winning the championship or first prize in the event...
and double-elimination tournament
Double-elimination tournament
A double-elimination tournament is a type of elimination tournament competition in which a participant ceases to be eligible to win the tournament's championship upon having lost two games or matches...
to determine the winner. It is identical to a four-team McIntyre System
McIntyre System
The McIntyre System, or systems because there have been five of them, is a playoff system that gives an advantage to teams or competitors qualifying higher...
playoff, first used by the Victorian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in 1931, originally called the Page-McIntyre system, after the VFL delegate, the Richmond Football Club
Richmond Football Club
The Richmond Football Club, nicknamed The Tigers, is an Australian rules football club which competes in the Australian Football League. Richmond shares healthy rivalries with Carlton, Collingwood and Essendon. After winning five premierships between 1967 and 1980, the club hit the depths in 1990,...
's Secretary, Percy "Pip" Page, who had advocated its use. It was played there until 1971.
History
The Page playoff system was used at the Australian Rugby League Championship 1954-1972.The system is now used by the International Softball Federation
International Softball Federation
thumb|Map of member states.|400px|rightThe International Softball Federation is the international governing body for the sport of softball. The ISF is a non-profit corporation recognized by the International Olympic Committee and the General Association of International Sports Federations .The...
in world championship
ISF Women's World Championship
The ISF Women's World Championship is a fastpitch softball tournament for women's national teams held every four years by the International Softball Federation . The number of teams in the tournament began at five in its inaugural event in 1965, went to a high of 28 for the 1994 edition , and now...
since 1990 and the Olympic Games
Softball at the Summer Olympics
Softball was introduced as an Olympic sport for women in the 1996 Summer Olympics. On July 11, 2005, the IOC voted to drop baseball and softball from the Olympic program for 2012, a decision that was reaffirmed on February 9, 2006...
1996-2008.
Its first use in curling was by the Canadian Curling Association
Canadian Curling Association
The Canadian Curling Association is a Canadian organization responsible for encouraging and facilitating growth and development of the sport of curling. The CCA is associated with more than a dozen provincial and territorial curling associations across the country.-History:The CCA was created in...
in the 1995 Labatt
1995 Labatt Brier
The 1995 Labatt Brier was held March 5-March 12 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Kerry Burtnyk of Manitoba defeated Brad Heidt of Saskatchewan in the final.-Standings:-Playoffs:-Final:March 12, 1995...
Brier
Tim Hortons Brier
The Tim Hortons Brier, or simply the Brier, is the annual Canadian men's curling championship, sanctioned by the Canadian Curling Association . The current event name refers to its main sponsor, the Tim Hortons coffee and doughnut shop chain.The Brier has been held since 1927, traditionally during...
, the men's championship, and was adopted the next year at the 1996
1996 Scott Tournament of Hearts
The 1996 Scott Tournament of Hearts Canadian women's national curling championship, was played in Thunder Bay, Ontario. -Teams:-Standings:-Draw 1:-Draw 2:-Draw 3:-Draw 4:-Draw 5:-Draw 6:-Draw 7:-Draw 8:...
Scott Tournament of Hearts
Scotties Tournament of Hearts
The Scotties Tournament of Hearts is an annual Canadian women's curling championship, sanctioned by the Canadian Curling Association. The winner goes on to represent Canada at the women's world curling championships. Since 1985, the winner also gets to return to the following year's tournament as...
, the women's championship. It gained acceptance and in 2005 the World Curling Championships
World Curling Championships
The World Curling Championships are annual curling events which showcase the world's best curlers, organized by the World Curling Federation. There are men's, women's and mixed championships. The men's championship started in 1959, while the women's in 1979...
started using it, but it has not yet been adopted in curling at the Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
.
The format was used in the 2011 Indian Premier League
2011 Indian Premier League
The 2011 Indian Premier League season, abbreviated as IPL 4 or the IPL 2011, was the fourth season of the Indian Premier League, a professional league for Twenty20 cricket competition conceived by Lalit Modi in 2007. The tournament was hosted in India and the opening and closing ceremonies were...
cricket tournament.
The format has also been used in some much lower-key, internet gaming events, such as chess and backgammon.
Format
The system requires teams to be rankedRanking
A ranking is a relationship between a set of items such that, for any two items, the first is either 'ranked higher than', 'ranked lower than' or 'ranked equal to' the second....
in some way, as the top two teams have an advantage over the bottom two. This is usually accomplished through a round-robin tournament, which eliminates all but the top four teams.
Round-robin
A standard round-robin tournament is used, in which all teams play each other once. Because the number of total gamesTriangular number
A triangular number or triangle number numbers the objects that can form an equilateral triangle, as in the diagram on the right. The nth triangle number is the number of dots in a triangle with n dots on a side; it is the sum of the n natural numbers from 1 to n...
increases quadratically
Quadratic growth
In mathematics, a function or sequence is said to exhibit quadratic growth when its values are proportional to the square of the function argument or sequence position, in the limit as the argument or sequence position goes to infinity...
with respect to the number of teams, scheduling too many teams will result in an unwieldy number of games, particularly when there are a limited number of playing surfaces (curling rink
Ice rink
An ice rink is a frozen body of water and/or hardened chemicals where people can skate or play winter sports. Besides recreational ice skating, some of its uses include ice hockey, figure skating and curling as well as exhibitions, contests and ice shows...
s usually only have four sheets). Therefore, the number of teams is usually capped at around a dozen; if this is not possible or desirable, teams may be separated into groups playing separate round-robins and either having the top teams combining for the Page playoff or playing separate ones in each group and having the winners play each other after.
Page playoff
The top four teams advance to the Page playoff. In what's sometimes called the quarter-finals, the first- and second-placed teams and the third- and fourth-placed teams play each other. The winner of the 1 vs. 2 game gets a byeBye (sports)
A bye, in sports and other competitive activities, most commonly refers to the practice of allowing a player or team to advance to the next round of a playoff tournament without playing...
to the final. The loser of the 1 vs. 2 game plays the winner of the 3 vs. 4 game in the semi-final. The winner of the semi-final plays the winner of the 1 vs. 2 game in the final, with the winner of that game winning the competition.
This has the effect of allowing the top two teams to lose a game and still win the tournament, producing a similar effect to a double-elimination tournament
Double-elimination tournament
A double-elimination tournament is a type of elimination tournament competition in which a participant ceases to be eligible to win the tournament's championship upon having lost two games or matches...
. This gives the top two teams a significant advantage over the next two; for example, in 12 years at The Brier
Tim Hortons Brier
The Tim Hortons Brier, or simply the Brier, is the annual Canadian men's curling championship, sanctioned by the Canadian Curling Association . The current event name refers to its main sponsor, the Tim Hortons coffee and doughnut shop chain.The Brier has been held since 1927, traditionally during...
, 12 years at the Tournament of Hearts
Scotties Tournament of Hearts
The Scotties Tournament of Hearts is an annual Canadian women's curling championship, sanctioned by the Canadian Curling Association. The winner goes on to represent Canada at the women's world curling championships. Since 1985, the winner also gets to return to the following year's tournament as...
and one year at the Worlds
World Curling Championships
The World Curling Championships are annual curling events which showcase the world's best curlers, organized by the World Curling Federation. There are men's, women's and mixed championships. The men's championship started in 1959, while the women's in 1979...
, only thrice, at the 2000
2000 Scott Tournament of Hearts
The 2000 Scott Tournament of Hearts Canadian women's national curling championship, was played at the CN Centre in Prince George, British Columbia February 19–27. Kelley Law and her British Columbia team won the final defeating Anne Merklinger of Ontario...
, 2008
2008 Scotties Tournament of Hearts
The 2008 Scotties Tournament of Hearts, Canada's national women's curling tournament was held February 16-24, 2008 at the Brandt Centre in Regina, Saskatchewan. The winner was the 2005 champion team from Manitoba, under skip Jennifer Jones. In winning, they became the first team since Kelley Law's...
and 2009 Tournament of Hearts
2009 Scotties Tournament of Hearts
The 2009 Scotties Tournament of Hearts, the Canadian women's national curling championship, was held from February 21 to March 1 at the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre in Victoria, British Columbia.-Teams:* Throws third stones-Standings:...
has the third- or fourth-placed team won the tournament. However, to ensure that the first-placed team does get some advantage for finishing at the top of the pack, that team is often given a home-ice advantage
Home team
In team sports, the term home advantage describes the advantage–usually a psychological advantage–that the home team is said to have over the visiting team as a result of playing in familiar facilities and in front of supportive fans...
; since curling teams rarely play national or international tournaments at their home rink, the advantage in curling is that the first-placed team is given the hammer (last rock) in the first end, which is a reasonable advantage between comparably skilled teams.
In the 2008 World Women's Curling championship, a modified Page Playoff system was introduced which added another round. The loser of the 3-4 game (Switzerland) played against the loser of the "semifinal" game (Japan) for the bronze medal instead of the loser of the semifinal game (Japan) being awarded the bronze directly. This was also done at the 2011 Tim Hortons Brier
2011 Tim Hortons Brier
The 2011 Tim Hortons Brier, the Canadian men's national curling championship, was be held March 5 until March 13, 2011 in London, Ontario at the John Labatt Centre...
.
Example
Page playoff results from the 2006 Tim Hortons Brier2006 Tim Hortons Brier
The 2006 Tim Hortons Brier, the Canadian men's national curling championship, was held at the Brandt Centre in Regina, Saskatchewan March 11-19. In the final, Quebec's Jean-Michel Ménard rink became only the second Quebec team to win the Brier. They also became the first francophone team to win...
:
Reaction
Players and fans alike have had a mixed reaction to the system. Broadcasters also enjoy it as it produces one more game than the single elimination format. Considering the format is expanding to more curling events and more sports and games, it is reasonable to say its popularity and acceptance is increasing.See also
- Early VFL Final systemsEarly VFL Final systemsThroughout its history, the Victorian Football League has used a system of finals after playing a regular season to determine the winner of the premiership....
- Page-McIntyre system