Playoff expansion creates confusion

Don't turn in the gear just yet you fourth-place baseball and softball teams.

You might be in the playoffs next week, and you might not know why.

A rule change made by the CIF-Southern Section Council last spring changed the playoffs structure for all team sports except football and team dual wrestling. This school year, except for football and dual wrestling, teams that finish fourth in five- and six-team leagues, finish third in four-team leagues and finish fifth in leagues of seven or more teams can qualify for the playoffs if they have an overall record of .500 or better and as long as they submit the correct paperwork by the prescribed deadline.

Huntington Beach's baseball team went into Thursday's Sea View League game against Woodbridge thinking it had to win to make the playoffs. That game determined third place, which for years was the final playoff berth in the six-team Sea View League. Huntington Beach did win the game, 11-3.

Huntington Beach coach Benji Medure knew about the new playoff system, but he was unaware of it until Monday of this week, when Woodbridge coach Tim Murray informed hm of it.

Medure did not tell the Huntington Beach players that even if they lost both Huntington-Woodbridge games this week, the final week of the regular season, the Oilers still would be in the playoffs as a fourth-place team with their 13-13 record.

Medure preferred that the players approach the game like their playoff lives depended upon it.

"I didn't want our guys to settle or have that in the back of their minds," Medure said. "I wanted our guys to keep competing."

Murray knew about the change when the season began in early March, when Woodbridge started play in the Loara Tournament. Because of this rule, the Warriors might not be in the Loara Tournament next March.

The Loara Tournament draws top teams from all over the Southern Section, and even good teams can go 2-3 in it. With coaches looking at that .500 plateau for entry into the playoffs, if their teams fail to finish high enough in the standings for a guaranteed playoff berth, coaches might soften their tournament and other nonleague scheduling to make sure they don't go 2-3 in a tournament.

Woodbridge went 2-3 in the Loara Tournament, with losses to Dana Hills, Santa Margarita and Vista Murrieta and victories over El Modena and Los Alamitos. Murray is wondering if he will stick with the Loara Tournament in 2010.

"I like the Loara Tournament a lot," Murray said, "but I have to think this over."

Murray appreciates the new rule.

"If you're a fourth-place team in a league like the Trinity League or the Sea View League, you deserve a shot at the playoffs," he said.

Once the rule was changed by the Council, made up of league representatives from the gigantic 571-school section, league coordinators and athletic directors needed to make coaches aware of the change. But not all coaches knew. Maybe they were not told, maybe they were but forgot.

Information about the rule change is included in the season preview and in the playoff preview available at the CIF-SS Web site (cifss.org). Perhaps the previews are not as easy to access at the section Web site as they could be. After the CIF-SS start page loads, one needs to scroll down to see a yellow rectangle that reads "click here to download sports previews and playoff bulletins."

Important facts about the playoff system: Eligible teams need to have their application for at-large consideration submitted to the CIF-SS office by 9 a.m. Saturday.

This new rule is not a good rule. Varsity athletes are old enough to accept the lesson that sometimes you won't succeed, but there always is value in trying. The kindergarten soccer league mentality should be abandoned at this level.

Being a fourth-place team in a great six-team league is better than being an out-of-its-league bully wiping out inferior competition. That reminds me to remind you that releaguing appeals will be heard by the CIF-SS Executive Committee on Wednesday.

Contact the writer: sfryer@ocregister.com