Last fall, Will told me you go until a team is advanced. I gave him this example of a 3-way tiebreak... Team A / Team B (tied on PPG) ---- Team C He said Team A and Team B would keep going down the tiebreaker chain until one of the two advances.
i think the basic assumption is that all of the teams have X points overall at the end of a league season and the points listed are only the points gained in the head to head matches amongst all of them.
http://www.mlssoccer.com/playoff-format NOTE: If two clubs remain tied after another club with the same number of points advances during any step, the tie breaker reverts to step 1 of the two-club format. see this implies something different about the reset.
I think you're confusing the winner of a specific tiebreaker "step" with the whole scenario. The 4 way tiebreaker scenario you laid out, once you get past head to head records, only has 3 teams left. But even as you move on to the next tiebreaker, you're still resolving a 4 way tie, trying to find the one team who will finish top out of the 4.
To clarify, Team C is eliminated, but Team A and Team B continue on with the 3-team tiebreak until one of them advances. This is as opposed to eliminating Team C and then starting a new two-team tiebreak between Team A and Team B.
See I think you're right based on the highlighted sentence: http://www.mlssoccer.com/playoff-format "The first tiebreaker in a three-way tie is also head-to-head, but it is determined via points-per-game versus the other two teams. If two teams are tied in points-per-game head-to-head, the next tie breaker is goal difference." That was the point that Three Apples raised earlier. I think this is correct, and I am convinced.
Because they're all tied on overall points. 7 is just on head-to-head. But since head-to-head fails to advance a winner, the question is whether all 4 teams then move onto the GD tie-breaker, which the Mutiny in this scenario win. I understand that's what he said. But you do see it doesn't accord exactly with the "ties remain intact until a team is advances" stuff. If the tie is intact, then the Mutiny move on with the three other teams. If they don't, then the tie does not remain intact. I'm not saying you're wrong, just that things still aren't perfectly clear here. And they should be. Hopefully we can find someone who can cut through all this confusion and give us a definite answer.
Ack, yes. See, that's what happens when we start referring to teams that no longer exist. Again, read rule #8 from the website. It says that, in a multi-team situation where teams are tied on PPG, the next tie-breaker is goal-differential. So, in our example, you have the Clash, Metro, and Fusion at 8 points, and the Mutiny at 7. Then you rank the Clash, Metro, and Fusion by GD. So in this ranking, you have Fusion first, then Metro, then Clash, then Mutiny. So the Fusion advance.
Read scaryice's last post. Well, if it helps, MLS Director of Communications Will Kuhns gave me a definite answer to this exact scenario, which I have explained in this thread at your request. Okay, that was a little snarky, but I guess I am flummoxed because I have nothing else to contribute except what Will Kuhns told me. I don't have the pull to get Don Garber himself on the phone, all so he can put me on hold and ask someone like Will Kuhns for the answer.
Oh, and Knave, I would be remiss if I didn't say you do a great job of keeping track of these numbers down the stretch each year. I'm sure it's a pain in the ass, but it sure is helpful. Thanks for doing it.
I'm flummoxed too. So I'm pushing for as definite an answer as I can, and I'm trying to determine how definite people are and why. I'm sorry if you find that adversarial. It wasn't my intention. I don't have a horse in this race. I just want as crystal clear and as definitive an answer as I can get as to which horse actually won. Let me ask everyone this. According to the consensus on this thread, is this correct, not just in the final order, but in the way the tie-breakers function? Code: [B][U]First Tie-Breaking Round[/U] Clash Metros Fusion Mutiny Total Clash ----- 1-0-1 1-0-1 0-2-0 2-2-2 Metros 1-0-1 ----- 1-1-0 0-1-1 2-2-2 Fusion 1-0-1 0-1-1 ----- 1-1-0 2-2-2 Mutiny 0-2-0 1-1-0 0-1-1 ----- 1-4-1 W D L PTS PPG GD GF Fusion 2 2 2 8 1.33 +3 25 Metros 2 2 2 8 1.33 +2 30 Clash 2 2 2 8 1.33 +1 35 Mutiny 1 4 1 7 1.17 +4 20 Final Mutiny ranking determined by PPG. All other final rankings by GD. Fusion advances on GD. [U]Second Tie-Breaking Round[/U] Clash Metros Mutiny Total Clash ----- 1-0-1 0-2-0 1-2-1 Metros 1-0-1 ----- 0-1-1 1-1-2 Mutiny 0-2-0 1-1-0 ----- 1-3-0 W D L PTS PPG GD GF Mutiny 1 3 0 6 1.5 +4 20 Metros 1 2 1 5 1.25 +2 30 Clash 1 1 2 4 1 +1 35 All final rankings on PPG. Mutiny advance on PPG. [U]Third Tie-Breaking Round[/U] Clash Metros Total Clash ----- 1-0-1 1-0-1 Metros 1-0-1 ----- 1-0-1 W D L PTS PPG GD GF Metros 1 0 1 3 1.5 +2 30 Clash 1 0 1 3 1.5 +1 35 All final rankings on GD. Metros advance on GD. [U]Final Ranking[/U] Fusion Mutiny Metros Clash[/B]
Ah, I was just being snarky out of frustration. I'm sorry about that. It was uncalled for, but I got flustered because I thought I was providing you exactly what you were looking for, with the info coming from a high-ranking/reliable source in Will Kuhns. As for your list of the tie-breakers and their functions, and the final pecking order as a result, yes, that is exactly how it works as explained to me last fall.
just a housekeeping thing. but it looks like in iterations 2 and 3 you are calculating PPG based on the original 6 games in iteration 1? is that what you were trying to do. the results are the same of course it just gives you a much lower PPG if you divide by 6 the whole time instead of 4GMs in iteration 2 and 2GMs in iteration 3. EDIT: and of course you fixed it before i could post this .... EDIT 2: tho the 2nd iteration looks like the PTS are not being divided by 4 games to get PPG. 6PTs / 4GMs = 1.5PPG etc
OK. I'm going with that until someone tells me otherwise. And if I can find additional confirmation, even better.
Housekeeping I added in some numbers and had to split some tables up. Might be a one-time deal. Might be permanent. We'll see. Code: [B][U] GP GR W D L PTS PPG PRJ MPP SE# WS# M# T#[/U] [COLOR="Blue"]01 LAG 26 4 15 05 06 50 1.92 58 62 13 -- -- --[/COLOR] 02 RSL 26 4 13 09 04 48 1.85 55 60 11 -- 01* 23 03 FCD 26 4 11 13 02 46 1.77 53 58 09 -- 03 21 04 CMB 26 4 13 06 07 45 1.73 52 57 08 -- 04 20 05 NYR 26 4 13 05 08 44 1.69 51 56 07 -- 05 19 06 SJE 24 6 11 06 07 39 1.63 49 57 08 -- 10 20 07 COL 25 5 10 08 07 38 1.52 46 53 04 -- 11 16 08 SEA 26 4 11 06 09 39 1.50 45 51 02 -- 10 14 ------------------------------------------------------------ 09 KCW 25 5 09 06 10 33 1.32 40 48 -- -- 16 11 10 TFC 26 4 08 07 11 31 1.19 36 43 -- -- 18 06 11 CHI 24 6 06 08 10 26 1.08 33 44 -- 05 23 07 12 PHI 25 5 07 06 12 27 1.08 32 42 -- 04 22 05 13 CDC 25 5 07 04 14 25 1.00 30 40 -- 06 24 03 [COLOR="SlateGray"]14 HOU 26 4 07 05 14 26 1.00 30 38 -- 05 -- 01† 15 NER 26 4 07 05 14 26 1.00 30 38 -- 05 -- 01† 16 DCU 26 4 05 03 18 18 0.69 21 30 -- --‡ -- --[/COLOR][/B] Code: [B][U] GP GR W D L PTS PPG PRJ MPP HD# HD#÷ AD# AD#÷[/U] [COLOR="Blue"]01 LAG 26 4 15 05 06 50 1.92 58 62 -- -- -- --[/COLOR] 02 RSL 26 4 13 09 04 48 1.85 55 60 -- -- -- -- 03 FCD 26 4 11 13 02 46 1.77 53 58 -- -- -- -- 04 CMB 26 4 13 06 07 45 1.73 52 57 -- -- 08 0.27 05 NYR 26 4 13 05 08 44 1.69 51 56 -- -- 15 0.50 06 SJE 24 6 11 06 07 39 1.63 49 57 05 0.17 35 1.17 07 COL 25 5 10 08 07 38 1.52 46 53 12 0.40 48 1.60 08 SEA 26 4 11 06 09 39 1.50 45 51 08 0.27 53 1.77 ----------------------------------------------------------------- 09 KCW 25 5 09 06 10 33 1.32 40 48 42 1.40 78 2.60 10 TFC 26 4 08 07 11 31 1.19 36 43 68 2.27 113 3.77 11 CHI 24 6 06 08 10 26 1.08 33 44 70 2.33 100 3.33 12 PHI 25 5 07 06 12 27 1.08 32 42 78 2.60 114 3.80 13 CDC 25 5 07 04 14 25 1.00 30 40 90 3.00 126 4.20 [COLOR="SlateGray"]14 HOU 26 4 07 05 14 26 1.00 30 38 -- -- -- -- 15 NER 26 4 07 05 14 26 1.00 30 38 -- -- -- -- 16 DCU 26 4 05 03 18 18 0.69 21 30 -- -- -- --[/COLOR] Current AD-Line: 46^[/B] Code: [B]GP = Games Played | GR = Games Remaining | PPG = Points Per Game MPP = Max Points Possible = PTS + (3 x GR) SE# = SS Elimination Number = MPP - (1st Place PTS) + 1 WS# = Wooden Spoon Number = (16th Worst MPP) – PTS + 1 M# = Magic Number = (9th Highest MPP) – PTS + 1 T# = Tragic Number = MPP – (8th Highest PTS) + 1 HD# = Historical Despair Number = [URL="https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showpost.php?p=21809605&postcount=1"]Full explanation.[/URL] HD#÷ = HD#/30 (i.e. in PPG) AD# = Actual Despair Number = [URL="https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showpost.php?p=21809605&postcount=1"]Full explanation.[/URL] AD#÷ = AD#/30 (i.e. in PPG) - Sorted by PPG, then fewest GP, then alphabetical.** - Teams in [COLOR="Blue"]blue[/COLOR] have clinched a playoff spot. - Teams in [COLOR="SlateGray"]gray[/COLOR] have been eliminated from the playoffs. - Teams in [COLOR="SeaGreen"]green[/COLOR] are conference champions.[/B] Asterisks * RSL has not technically clinched. See notes and discussion above. † HOU and NER have been eliminated. Notes and discussion above explained why this is, and also cast some doubts on it. MLS, however, has now deemed both NER and HOU out of playoff contention, which settles the matter. ‡ DCU’s MPP currently sets the pace for this number. When a team sets the pace on this number its WS# (technically 13 in DCU’s case) is impossible to attain. ^ Set by SEA’s current 45 point (1.50 PPG) pace. See explanation linked above and discussion below. ** In the final weeks MLS tie-breakers will replace the final alphabetical sort. But until the final weeks it's seriously not worth the bother. Code: [B][U]Pace: Deviation from 3 at home, 1 on the road[/U] [U] GP PTS HG AG HW HD HL AW AD AL PCE[/U] 01 LAG 26 50 13 13 8 2 3 7 3 3 -02 02 RSL 26 48 14 12 10 4 0 3 5 4 -06 03 FCD 26 46 13 13 7 5 1 4 8 1 -06 04 NYR 26 44 12 14 8 1 3 5 4 5 -06 05 CMB 26 45 13 13 9 1 3 4 5 4 -07 06 SJE 24 39 12 12 6 3 3 5 3 4 -09 07 COL 25 38 12 13 7 4 1 3 4 6 -11 08 SEA 26 39 13 13 6 3 4 5 3 5 -13 09 KCW 25 33 13 12 6 3 4 3 3 6 -18 10 CHI 24 26 12 12 3 6 3 3 2 7 -22 11 PHI 25 27 12 13 5 5 2 2 1 10 -22 12 TFC 26 31 14 12 6 5 3 2 2 8 -23 13 CDC 25 25 12 13 5 2 5 2 2 9 -24 14 HOU 26 26 13 13 5 3 5 2 2 9 -26 15 NER 26 26 13 13 6 3 4 1 2 10 -26 16 DCU 26 18 13 13 3 1 9 2 2 9 -34 Sorted by PCE, then fewest GP, then PPG.[/B] Code: [B][U]PPG: Home and Away[/U] [U] HPPG APPG[/U] 01 RSL 2.43 01 LAG 1.85 02 CMB 2.15 02 FCD 1.54 03 NYR 2.08 03 SJE 1.50 04 COL 2.08 04 SEA 1.38 05 LAG 2.00 05 NYR 1.36 06 FCD 2.00 06 CMB 1.31 07 SJE 1.75 07 RSL 1.17 08 PHI 1.67 08 COL 1.00 09 TFC 1.64 09 KCW 1.00 10 SEA 1.62 10 CHI 0.92 11 KCW 1.62 11 TFC 0.67 12 NER 1.62 12 CDC 0.62 13 CDC 1.42 13 HOU 0.62 14 HOU 1.38 14 DCU 0.62 15 CHI 1.25 15 PHI 0.54 16 DCU 0.77 16 NER 0.38[/B] Code: [B][U]Remaining League Schedule[/U] [U] WK27 WK28 WK29 WK30[/U] CDC: LAG TFC @SEA SJE ---- ---- ---- CHI CHI: @SJE CMB KCW @CDC @FCD ---- DCU ---- CMB: SJE @CHI @TFC PHI COL: PHI @FCD @LAG RSL DCU ---- ---- ---- DCU: @COL SJE @CHI TFC FCD: CHI COL @RSL @LAG HOU: @PHI NER @SJE SEA KCW: @NYR SEA CHI SJE ---- ---- @NER ---- LAG: @CDC @PHI COL FCD NER: RSL @HOU KCW @NYR NYR: KCW RSL @PHI NER PHI: @COL LAG NYR @CMB HOU ---- ---- ---- RSL: @NER @NYR FCD @COL SEA: TFC @KCW CDC @HOU SJE: CHI @DCU HOU CDC @CMB ---- ---- @KCW TFC: @SEA @CDC CMB @DCU[/B] Code: [B][U]MLS Numbers Resources[/U] [URL="http://www.sportsclubstats.com/USA/MLS.html"]SportsClubStats[/URL] [URL="http://www.kiva.net/~jsagarin/sports/soccer.htm"]Sagarin's MLS Ratings[/URL] [URL="http://playoffstatus.com/mls/mls.html"]PlayoffStatus[/URL] [URL="http://usasoccer.blogspot.com/"]Climbing The Ladder[/URL] [URL="http://www.settingthetable.info/home.asp"]Setting The Table[/URL] [URL="http://www.mlssoccer.com/content/2010-playoff-standings"]MLSSoccer's Playoff Table[/URL] [URL="http://www.mlssoccer.com/playoff-format"]MLS Playoff Tiebreakers[/URL] [URL="http://soccernet.espn.go.com/tables?league=usa.1&cc=5901"]ESPN Soccernet's MLS Table[/URL] Please suggest others.[/B] Notes When I started this thread I mentioned that I had been tracking two numbers in connection with DCU’s terrible season. The first was the 40 point, Historical Despair Number (HD#) that I’ve been highlighting here as something of a lower-minimum for playoff viability. And the second was something I called the Actual Despair Number (AD#), and in the initial post I said I did not intend to talk about it here unless it actually added something to the discussion. As I explained: The moment has changed. And maybe the league has changed. The old 40 point rule of thumb seems to be falling by the wayside in a league with greater and greater disparity between the top and the bottom of the table. The disparity that I highlighted a while back is only increasing (though only by a bit). The 8th place team is currently outpacing the 40 point threshold by 5 points. And this is not a passing phenomenon. The 8th place team has consistently outpaced the 40 point threshold by smaller or larger margins since May. With 4 weeks left to go, it does not look like 40 points will be the lower-minimum for playoff viability this year (though you never know for certain). As such the critical question would seem to be not the pace a team must attain for the remainder of the season to meet the 40 point threshold (the HD#), but the pace a team must attain for the remainder of the season to outpace and thus beat the current 8th place team's actual pace (the AD#). And the AD#’s tell a pretty devastating story for all the bottom half of the table teams not called KCW. TFC, CHI, PHI and CDC cannot possibly beat SEA, or any other potential 45 point pace 8th place team. They cannot make up the points to match that sort of pace even if they won every single one of their remaining games. Even if that pace slows, you're only moving from totally impossible to practically impossible. In other words, for TFC, CHI, PHI and CDC their playoff fate is totally out of their control. They need SEA or COL or even SJE to have a meltdown. In effect, they all need a total change in the playoff outlook. Otherwise they are, as I like to say, toast. Only KCW remains viable, but that viability is teetering on the edge. KCW’s playoff fate is very, very close to slipping out of its control as well. They must win this week against NYR if they want to retain any chance at all. That’s the only way for them to remain truthfully viable into the SEA game, and that game really is their last possible playoff stand. The DC United Dungeon of Doom & Doggies! I am, quite unhappily, combining my much anticipated discussion of the race for the revered Wooden Spoon with my old, holdover discussion of the trials and tribulations of the disaster that is the 2010 DCU. Let us not dwell on what might have been had we broken with tradition and not disgracefully pissed away a lead late in the game. No, let’s instead bask in the glory of the accomplishment of this utter failure: we have, with virtual certainty, won the Wooden Spoon. Last place in the league, baby! For that triumph our prize will be the #3 first round draft pick. If the illustrious DCU brain trust hasn’t already traded away our first round pick for the rights of Chris Carrieri, I’m confident they will endeavor to put this pick to great and intelligent use, perhaps even using it to reacquire Carey Talley. Yes, these are fine times at DCU. Once again we have slipped back into the ranks of the worst 5 MLS teams ever, displacing the 2009 NYR. Things should get even spiffier next week when we travel (coachless) to Denver for our annual away beating at the hands of COL. For the moment, however, no doubt by virtue of some mathematical miracle, the Olsen Pace still exceeds the Onalfo Line. But if things keep going like they have been (and let’s face it, in all likelihood they’re only going to get worse) then it won’t for long. At least we still have the puppies …
I guess it's a matter of perspective, but couldn't playoff viability be measured by what it takes to beat the 9th placed team instead of what it takes to catch the 8th placed team? If KC finished with 39 points then the 8th placed team only needed 40 points, regardless of if they finish with 43.
So if Seattle achieves a 1.77 over the remainder of the season, they'll beat themselves? Why's that fun to type? Couldn't this be extended so that the pace needed to leap-frog the team above them, but for every team below the line the pace is to leap knock off the 8th place team? That way the story would extend to suggest which teams are safe in their positioning as well - might explain why certain teams aren't really burdened by current form.
Yes, I see what you mean. And you could set up that sort of measure. Assuming the 40-point rule of thumb is as defunct as it now appears, that may be how I do it next year. But what I was going for was a floor and ceiling. The HD# was the minimum and the AD# was the maximum. Somewhere in the range between them was the probable actual pace needed for playoff viability. I agree -- a sort of gauge of table mobility. It's easy to set up, so here it is (I did treat the top and bottom of the table the same, however). Because they all have the same PRJ, the CDC, HOU, and NER numbers are all set by the PHI PRJ. PHI’s number is, however, set by CHI because their PPG numbers actually differ before rounding off to two decimal places, and this difference results in different PRJ numbers. Code: [B][U] GP GR W D L PTS PPG PRJ MPP MB# MB#÷[/U] 01 LAG 26 4 15 05 06 50 1.92 58 62 -- -- 02 RSL 26 4 13 09 04 48 1.85 55 60 81 2.70 03 FCD 26 4 11 13 02 46 1.77 53 58 78 2.60 04 CMB 26 4 13 06 07 45 1.73 52 57 69 2.30 05 NYR 26 4 13 05 08 44 1.69 51 56 67 2.23 06 SJE 24 6 11 06 07 39 1.63 49 57 64 2.13 07 COL 25 5 10 08 07 38 1.52 46 53 71 2.37 08 SEA 26 4 11 06 09 39 1.50 45 51 57 1.90 ------------------------------------------------------ 09 KCW 25 5 09 06 10 33 1.32 40 48 78 2.60 10 TFC 26 4 08 07 11 31 1.19 36 43 72 2.40 11 CHI 24 6 06 08 10 26 1.08 33 44 54 1.80 12 PHI 25 5 07 06 12 27 1.08 32 42 39 1.30 13 CDC 25 5 07 04 14 25 1.00 30 40 51 1.70 14 HOU 26 4 07 05 14 26 1.00 30 38 53 1.77 15 NER 26 4 07 05 14 26 1.00 30 38 53 1.77 16 DCU 26 4 05 03 18 18 0.69 21 30 98 3.27[/B] The Mobility Number (MB#) means: a team must play like a "##" point team for the remainder of the season to outpace and thus beat the current pace of the team with the next highest PRJ. MB# = [([(Next Highest PRJ) + 1] - Actual Points) / Games Remaining] * 30 MB#÷ = MB#/30 (i.e. in PPG) It's a pretty static picture. Leap-frogging in pretty much every case practically requires a slowdown from the next highest team. PHI is the most mobile team on the table. It certainly makes KCW's playoff quest look even harder. The numbers also support my contention that DCU has effectively won the Wooden Spoon. Meanwhile, according to RSL's Twitter ... I guess they were crazy enough to work through all the machinations. Edit -- Or maybe more likely, they saw the same thing we did (RSL owns the tiebreaker over KCW), and called it a day, not even worrying about the multi-way tie complications. I'd actually bet on this.
Just making sure it's clear for everyone. In fact, that's what MLS did: Yes, of the teams in 9th or below, only Kansas City can match 48 points. But they clearly forgot about the teams above 9th place with less than 48 points right now. So, anyway, I did out the calculations out myself as well (thanks nlsanand for describing the necessary scenario!) and confirmed that a 4-way tie on points is indeed possible. Not that I doubted nlsanand's math, but knowing how messy it can be, confirmation is always good! Of course, it'll all be moot when Kansas City goes to New York.