Throwing a Game

[frankie56 0]

Here is the situation.

8 teams invited to the State semi's. 2 brackets, 4 teams each bracket, round robin (3 games) within each bracket. Top team in each bracket advances to state finals, bottom team eliminated. 2nd 3rd place teams play a crossover game with the 2nd and 3rd in the other bracket. Winners of crossover games also advance to state finals. 4 teams advance, 4 teams out.

Coach of one team realizes he must play crossover game no matter what the result of his 3rd game. He can force his rival to do the same by losing his 3rd round robin game by 4 goals. Orders the kids (midget 16AA) to not shoot on goal. Benches one kid who does so. Goalie not putting out much of an effort. Other coach furious, in fact, all the other teams furious. One team who had a chance to advance eliminated by this move (put them last in the bracket).

What do you guys think?

[RadioGaGa 162]

I know he's a football coach, but I think we'll let Herm take this one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRxm0oGbnRI

[raganblink 82]

That's a dick move, but, if it were to force my rival to do so in a tournament, I know that I would still advance even if we lost, I'd consider it aswell. Dick move though to be honest

[althoma1 574]

Here is the situation.

8 teams invited to the State semi's. 2 brackets, 4 teams each bracket, round robin (3 games) within each bracket. Top team in each bracket advances to state finals, bottom team eliminated. 2nd 3rd place teams play a crossover game with the 2nd and 3rd in the other bracket. Winners of crossover games also advance to state finals. 4 teams advance, 4 teams out.

Coach of one team realizes he must play crossover game no matter what the result of his 3rd game. He can force his rival to do the same by losing his 3rd round robin game by 4 goals. Orders the kids (midget 16AA) to not shoot on goal. Benches one kid who does so. Goalie not putting out much of an effort. Other coach furious, in fact, all the other teams furious. One team who had a chance to advance eliminated by this move (put them last in the bracket).

What do you guys think?

I could see considering throwing a game if it helped your team in some way matchup wise. Even then I'd be hesitant to do it and if I did I wouldn't go so far as telling the team not to shoot on net. Maybe playing your backup goalie and your 3rd and 4th line guys more. In this case the move didn't help the coaches team at all - it was merely to make the rival team have to play another game. That's very petty and the other teams are rightfully upset.

[wrangler 157]

Here is the situation.

8 teams invited to the State semi's. 2 brackets, 4 teams each bracket, round robin (3 games) within each bracket. Top team in each bracket advances to state finals, bottom team eliminated. 2nd 3rd place teams play a crossover game with the 2nd and 3rd in the other bracket. Winners of crossover games also advance to state finals. 4 teams advance, 4 teams out.

Coach of one team realizes he must play crossover game no matter what the result of his 3rd game. He can force his rival to do the same by losing his 3rd round robin game by 4 goals. Orders the kids (midget 16AA) to not shoot on goal. Benches one kid who does so. Goalie not putting out much of an effort. Other coach furious, in fact, all the other teams furious. One team who had a chance to advance eliminated by this move (put them last in the bracket).

What do you guys think?

If that's what a coach wants to teach, he doesn't belong in that job. I wouldn't let my kid play for him. That's a perfect example of skewed priorities, putting winning over integrity and competing in the sport. Fire him.

[gerbe3:16 19]

I feel like this happened a few years ago... around 2005 here in New England. Jr Bruins vs. Mid Fairfield. They arranged for a tie game to eliminate another team since both would advance with a tie.

It got some bad press and pissed off a lot of people. USHR took them to task on it as well.

[mac53 0]

I would be mad if i played on that team and we threw the game. It makes the whole team look bad and it makes the coach look even worse. I know its a rival team but that is a really cheap move on the coaches part and it shows the character of a person. I would not play for a coach like that.

[nickerjones 8]

I would be mad if i played on that team and we threw the game. It makes the whole team look bad and it makes the coach look even worse. I know its a rival team but that is a really cheap move on the coaches part and it shows the character of a person. I would not play for a coach like that.

It is a pretty B*tch move on the coaches and even the teams part. Sure , it screws over your rival but it also hurts the game because your not playing it like it should be played. Shame on that coach ...

[DarkStar50 679]

Pardon my French, but the captain of the team should tell the coach to go fuck himself. Play to win or go home, Coach.

[NuggyBuggy 0]

I don't really understand the whole mechanics as described, but at a state-level competition I think it is the fault of the incentive system created by the tournament structure. Don't hate the player, hate the game.

I do wonder, however, why the coach just didn't default - asking his kids to skate around while obviously not trying puts them at risk of injury from regular play or worse, retaliation from the other team. Defaulting would make it clear that he is just playing the larger game within the parameters provided to him.

[MatthewRoach7 130]

I would not be for throwing a game under any conditions. I feel that you should play hard every game no matter what. As a coach how could you as your guys to do that. It just sends the wrong message to your players.

What was the out come of the tournament? Did that team beat the rival team they wanted to play so bad?

[dsjunior1388 81]

You don't play to win the game. You play to win the championship.

[sickwilly 37]

I think it's incredibly lame.

[chippa13 1844]

You don't play to win the game. You play to win the championship.

By being afraid of playing some other team? Bush.

[Joshison 1]

Smart move, but a dick move.

[zebra_steve 11]

Not sure I understand this situation. Looks like the team in question (throwing the game) will finish either 2nd or 3rd - but cannot finish first and get the bye - so they must play a crossover game to get in. I don't see how it could be an advantage to lose unless this loss would place the "winning team" into first place (thus earning the bye) and forcing his rival to play\win a crossover to get in rather than the first place bye.

I guess that's what happens when you have round robin instead of seeding and brackets. Just give the regular season champion a bye and then the playoff winner gets the second slot. If the regular season team wins the championship then either don't send a second team, or send the 2nd place playoff team. Play sudden death OT and no shoot outs....

[chippa13 1844]

The more I think about this, I believe the team that "threw" the game should be disqualified from the play-ins and state finals.

[shotty 7]

if a tournament can be won by throwing a game or two, it is a flawed system. every loss should decrease your chances of winning it all, not make the road to the top easier.

thats why i prefer double elimination tournaments: sure, you can choose to lose the first game so you can play in the "loser pool" to get into the final round, but you greatly expose your team to an early exit at every matchup for the rest of the tourney, and if you do make it to the final round, you have to beat the top seeded team twice!

[dsjunior1388 81]

By being afraid of playing some other team? Bush.

I didnt say I liked it. Its just like the Colts sandbagging in the 16th and 17th week to protect their stars when they all ready have 13 wins. Its the route they choose to try and take to the championship, the ultimate goal.

[chippa13 1844]

I didnt say I liked it. Its just like the Colts sandbagging in the 16th and 17th week to protect their stars when they all ready have 13 wins. Its the route they choose to try and take to the championship, the ultimate goal.

No, that is different. Resting your stars is a far cry from outright throwing the game. The guys who play are still trying to win the game.

[Jason Harris 31]

I don't have a problem with coaches resting players for the playoffs, such as NFL teams often do once they've clinched a playoff berth, although it's still open to debate whether it hurts a team's momentum more than it helps its health. However, if I understand the scenario correctly, the coach threw the game strictly to make it harder for his rival, and not necessarily to better his team's chance of winning the championship. That's someone who should be filling the water bottles, but not coaching.

[dsjunior1388 81]

No, that is different. Resting your stars is a far cry from outright throwing the game. The guys who play are still trying to win the game.

youth sports are full of rules like this. I umped a game when I was 17 where the 12 year old team had to intentionally walk in a run to bring the lead from 10 to 9, so they could negate the mercy rule, which would have resulted in them forfeiting the game because it was only the 4th inning and one of the kids had not gotten the required 1 at bat and three outs in the field.

What the guy did was clearly well within tournament rules. Blame the tournament, not the coach.

[WSjo22 1]

Am I the only one who would flat out refuse to dress if a coach told me to purposely throw the game like that?

[chippa13 1844]

youth sports are full of rules like this. I umped a game when I was 17 where the 12 year old team had to intentionally walk in a run to bring the lead from 10 to 9, so they could negate the mercy rule, which would have resulted in them forfeiting the game because it was only the 4th inning and one of the kids had not gotten the required 1 at bat and three outs in the field.

What the guy did was clearly well within tournament rules. Blame the tournament, not the coach.

Blame the tournament because the coach has horrible sportsmanship and is teaching that to the kids that he is coaching? I don't think so.

Edit: Nevermind. Apparently, intentional walks are allowed.

[wrangler 157]

You don't play to win the game. You play to win the championship.

Very sad to hear anyone trying to justify not competing at their best, and much worse trying to justify teaching it to kids.

I didnt say I liked it. Its just like the Colts sandbagging in the 16th and 17th week to protect their stars when they all ready have 13 wins. Its the route they choose to try and take to the championship, the ultimate goal.

That's a bit different. They were paranoid, and concerned with resting certain players and avoiding injuries to others. They cheated their team and their fans, but it's a different issue.

Am I the only one who would flat out refuse to dress if a coach told me to purposely throw the game like that?

No.