And you thought the BCS selection system was convoluted...

[cartman]

The CBA has come up with what has to be the most complicated playoff system ever. You shouldn't need the computing power of QuikSand to determine the teams.

http://www.cbahoopsonline.com/news_d...tml?newsid=716

CBA'S 2006 PLAYOFF FORMAT TO INCLUDE QUARTER POINTS AND THREE TEAMS FROM EACH CONFERENCE
Boise, ID (January 20, 2006) — The Continental Basketball Association announced today the format for this year’s 2006 playoffs, set to begin following the conclusion of the regular season Sunday, March 12. The format was recently approved at league meetings during the CBA All-Star Classic by the CBA Board of Directors.

Among the unique changes in this year’s playoffs will be the addition of the CBA’s one-of-a-kind quarter point system. For the first time since the CBA began using quarter points to determine regular-season standings in the 1981-82 season, the league will be using quarter points to decide which teams advance from the first round of the playoffs. The two teams that accumulate the most total quarter points in their respective three first-round games will advance to play in the CBA Finals. Potential ties will be broken first by head-to-head playoff play. If two or more teams are tied, or if two teams that did not play each other in the playoffs are tied, then the team that is the higher seed will advance.

The finals will be a two-out-of-three game series using a (1-2) home-court format, with the lower seed hosting game one and the higher seed hosting games two and three (if necessary). Quarter points will not be used in the CBA Finals.

The other unique aspects of this year’s CBA postseason will be that three teams from each conference will qualify and inter-conference play will be a factor.

The top three teams from both the Eastern and Western Conferences (six total teams) with the highest quarter-point averages in their respective conferences will qualify for the playoffs. The six teams will play three contests each in the first round in a round-robin format versus the three playoff qualifiers from the opposite conference. The three teams from each conference will be seeded one through three based upon their quarter-point averages during the regular season. The two top teams in each conference, along with the second-place team with the better quarter-point finish, will play two home games and one road game. The two third-place teams in each conference and the second-place team with the lower quarter-point finish will play two road games and one home game.

“Not only is this an exciting change for our playoff format, but this will also increase interest during our regular season games,” said Vice-President of Basketball Operations, Eric Chapman. “The intensity by now having each team play in essence 12 mini-games in the first round and battling for each quarter point should be very exciting for our fans league-wide.”

Playoff dates and times will be determined based on order of finish and arena availability.


2006 CBA Playoff Scenario (based on league standings as of the All-Star break)

Eastern Conference
1) Rockford – 4.2 avg.
2) Gary – 3.6 avg.
3) Albany – 2.6 avg.

Western Conference
1) Yakama – 4.1 avg.
2) Idaho – 3.8 avg.
3) Sioux Falls – 3.7 avg.

- Rockford (1A) would host Yakama and Idaho, travel to Sioux Falls
- Yakama (1B) would host Gary and Albany, travel to Rockford
- Idaho (2A) would host Gary and Albany, travel to Rockford
- Gary (2B) would host Sioux Falls, travel to Yakama and Idaho
- Sioux Falls (3A) would host Rockford, travel to Gary and Albany
- Albany (3B) would host Sioux Falls, travel to Yakama and Idaho

The two teams with the most quarter points accumulated during this round-robin format would advance to the CBA Finals and play a best two-out-of-three game series using a (1-2) home-court format.

CBA Quarter Point System
The quarter point system is unique to the CBA. Regular season conference standings are determined by points won, with a team receiving three points for winning a game and one point for winning a quarter (four quarters in each game). If a quarter is tied, teams split the point. No points are awarded for overtime. Therefore, there are seven possible points to win in each game.

[rkmsuf]

Let's see Isiah Thomas come up with something this brilliant.

[KWhit]

Why include who wins the quarter? What does that do, other than promote running up the score in a blowout?

[oliegirl]

I've never even heard of any of these teams...not going to bother to try and do the math

[Samdari]

Originally Posted by KWhit

Why include who wins the quarter? What does that do, other than promote running up the score in a blowout?

Well, it gives both teams something tangible to play for in a blowout. Supposedly this makes things better for fans by ensuring four quarters of competitive play in every game.