Home playoff games

[4Afan]

I know it gets confusing for some so here is a quick layout for how home games are determined so everyone can figure it out with out asking where a potential matchup may be played.

Round 1 - higher seed hosts, nothing more to it than that.

Rounds 2 through semi's - The team that has hosted fewer home games gets the home game, if both teams have hosted equal number of home games then the higher seed gets the home game.

That's all there is to it. If a #1 seed has had 2 home games and a #5 seed has had one home game and one road game then the #5 seed hosts the quarter final game.

In the rare event that all higher seeds win in a given bracket it is possible for a #1 seed to host every game from round 1 through the semi's.

 

[McCaravan]

Such a flawed system and I know it's done to help lower seeded teams from having to possibly travel and pay the costs of travel each week, but to the victor goes the spoils. I can bend on how this goes for the first 3 rounds but I strongly believe the higher seeded team should get home field for the Semi Final game.

 

[hawksfan619]

Such a flawed system and I know it's done to help lower seeded teams from having to possibly travel and pay the costs of travel each week, but to the victor goes the spoils. I can bend on how this goes for the first 3 rounds but I strongly believe the higher seeded team should get home field for the Semi Final game.

Agree. The rounds before that I don't like giving lower seeded team the home game but understand it and can live with it. I cannot ever get behind a higher seed playing a semifinal on the road. At some point being nice to the lower seeded team turns into being unfair to the higher seeded team, who earned the right to play in front of a home crowd in the biggest game of the year

 

[MS4EVER]

Also, I believe the team at the top of the bracket is the home team at State.

 

[LHSTigers94]

Such a flawed system and I know it's done to help lower seeded teams from having to possibly travel and pay the costs of travel each week, but to the victor goes the spoils. I can bend on how this goes for the first 3 rounds but I strongly believe the higher seeded team should get home field for the Semi Final game.

Considering seeds aren’t based anything but record and playoff points how can you be so strong that the higher seed deserve the home game. Are you suggesting that all conferences are equal and a win is a win? We know that isn’t the case. Based on that reality, the only that makes sense is neutral sight semis.

 

[jha618]

Also, I believe the team at the top of the bracket is the home team at State.

That hasnt always the case either. I believe it used to flip depending on the site. Ie the North bracket winner was home team when played at NIU, South bracket winner was home when played at UI.

 

[Snetsrak61]

Agree. The rounds before that I don't like giving lower seeded team the home game but understand it and can live with it. I cannot ever get behind a higher seed playing a semifinal on the road. At some point being nice to the lower seeded team turns into being unfair to the higher seeded team, who earned the right to play in front of a home crowd in the biggest game of the year

I've kicked around an idea in my head that the semi has the same general rule but an extra game spread. So if a team gets all the way through quarters as a road team and their semi opponent has had 2 or 3 home games they earn a home game. So 0-2 or 1-3. But not 1-2 or 2-3. It's helps to address the underlying concept while "punishing" higher seeds less.


For a wilder idea... Let high seeds defer HFA advantage in round 1. Think of the story line of some coach over thinking round 2-3 HFA and losing in a upset in Rd 1!

 

[Carmine Evergreen]

^^^^^ I like the idea of higher seeds having the choice to go on the road round one. I'd also like to see neutral sites for the semis, but I do understand schools and coaches wanting home field advantage for such an important game.

 

[Snetsrak61]

^^^^^ I like the idea of higher seeds having the choice to go on the road round one. I'd also like to see neutral sites for the semis, but I do understand schools and coaches wanting home field advantage for such an important game.

Also just a really cool opportunity for a school to host an event that big. Would be a shame to take that away I think.

 

[Cross Bones]

Considering seeds aren’t based anything but record and playoff points how can you be so strong that the higher seed deserve the home game. Are you suggesting that all conferences are equal and a win is a win? We know that isn’t the case. Based on that reality, the only that makes sense is neutral sight semis.

Amazing how the seeding system goes from being the worst thing ever to being the gospel for who should get home games. I have no issues with how they determine who gets a home game.

 

[mc140]

Amazing how the seeding system goes from being the worst thing ever to being the gospel for who should get home games. I have no issues with how they determine who gets a home game.

As I have said before. Doing a true seeding sounds great in theory but would be a disaster in practice. Very few coaches pay attention to anyone other than who they play or who is close to them. You think may coaches in the Chicago area can properly seed Quincy?

 

[Cross Bones]

As I have said before. Doing a true seeding sounds great in theory but would be a disaster in practice. Very few coaches pay attention to anyone other than who they play or who is close to them. You think may coaches in the Chicago area can properly seed Quincy?

Literally just made a thread about it

 

[LHSTigers94]

Amazing how the seeding system goes from being the worst thing ever to being the gospel for who should get home games. I have no issues with how they determine who gets a home game.

I agree, I have no issue as well. Unfortunately some people love to be a home I guess.

 

[Catch-22]

Quarters and Semis at regular high school stadiums are some of my favorite sporting events of the year.

 

[ClownBaby]

With field turf and 85% of schools now having it home field advantage means a lot less in the playoffs then it did 20 years ago.

The current system is fine otherwise strong schools in weaker conferences would never play a road game in the playoffs.

 

[jha618]

With field turf and 85% of schools now having it home field advantage means a lot less in the playoffs then it did 20 years ago. The current system is fine otherwise strong schools in weaker conferences would never play a road game in the playoffs.

Whether a team plays a road game or not is dependent on the rest of the bracket going chalk, not how good that specific team is.

 

[hawksfan619]

Amazing how the seeding system goes from being the worst thing ever to being the gospel for who should get home games. I have no issues with how they determine who gets a home game.

Fair point here. I'd argue that they have similar SOS differences in NFL and other sports that cause certain teams to have worse records when in reality they are a "better" team. But obviously the disparity in high school is much much higher so understand why one would want to spread the wealth a little for sure

 

[Wilmatucky1]

I have said the higher seed should be able to defer to the road in the first round for years.

 

[Cross Bones]

I have said the higher seed should be able to defer to the road in the first round for years.

What if two teams meet up that deferred?

 

[4Afan]

What if two teams meet up that deferred?

Then higher seed gets the home game. I think that would be part of the fun strategy as to whether or not you should defer in the first round.

 

[Kevin JCHS 1981]

I have said the higher seed should be able to defer to the road in the first round for years.

What if two teams meet up that deferred?

How about: if you defer and lose that away game, you're forced to play up one class the following year?