Making sense of the high school playoff system

The Florida High School Athletic Association has been using a broken playoff system for football.

Convince of me why it makes sense to automatically reward a second-place district finisher, regardless of record, with a playoff spot, and I’ll buy you lunch.

So when the FHSAA announced last September it would switch to a new, points-based system for the 2017 season, there was much rejoicing. Now that the intricacies of the system are known, though, is it as great an improvement as initially thought?

For context, I’m going to summarize the system. I apologize for any headaches the next three paragraphs might cause. They gave me one, too. 

The new system is based on win-loss records of a given team and its opponents. Points are awarded for defeating a team within given win-loss percentage range. For example, a team received 50 points for defeating a team with an end-of-season mark of .800 or above. It's 30 points for a loss to that team. Conversely, beating a winless team will net you 35 points, so winning is always better than losing, no matter the opponent. 

The FHSAA also awards three bonus points per each opponent that has made the playoffs within the last two seasons, an odd attempt to reward playing historically good teams when the rest of the system focuses on the current season.

Points are tallied at the end of the season. In classes 5A-8A, district champions still get an automatic berth, but the slots previously reserved for district runners-up will now be awarded to the four teams in each region (not district) with the most points. Theoretically, but unlikely, that means five teams from one district could make the playoffs. It should also be noted that the system is even more radical in classes 1A-4A, where districts have been eliminated. Teams such as Cardinal Mooney will independently fill their entire schedules, and points are all that matter. Four teams will be selected from each region, just like in classes 5A-8A.

Phew, we made it through all that. For an even more in-depth breakdown, visit fhsaa.org.

 I wondered what local coaches think, so I chatted with a few of them about it.  

“I've been around when teams that were 3-7 went to the playoffs, and teams that were 9-1 or 8-2 didn't qualify,” Riverview coach Josh Smithers said. “I guess it's a fair thing, because you get some districts that are pretty loaded and others that are weak. It should favor the loaded district and help get some of those teams in (the playoffs).”

Booker coach Dumaka Atkins agreed with Smithers, saying it was a step in the right direction and necessary to “weed out some of these (undeserved) entries into the playoffs.”

The system is progress, but it also has its share of drawbacks. Not all districts have the same number of teams, so teams with two or three district games have more freedom than a team like the Class 8A-District 6 Rams, who have six district games, or more than half of its yearly schedule, each season.

It also doesn’t account for what happens to teams during the season. If Riverview beats powerhouse Venice High when the Indians have a healthy Bryce Carpenter, committed to Coastal Carolina University, at quarterback, but he gets injured later in the season, misses games, and Venice sinks without him, why should the Rams be punished in the point system for that?

Those teams play on Sept. 1, by the way.

In that same vein, if the best teams in the state all play each other to try and increase strength of schedule, and they all win some and lose some, doesn’t that hurt everyone in the end? Those teams’ records would not be as strong as they typically are.

With this system, it might be advantageous to load up on cupcake teams you know you can beat, go 10-0 or 9-1, and bet on other top teams to cause each others’ win-loss records to drop. It’s like the Southeastern Conference’s East division in college ball, where all the teams beat each other up and the division champ always has two or three losses.

Riverview is hoping that's the case. Smithers admitted the Rams didn’t do a great job of scheduling for points, instead keeping local series with teams like Booker, whom they beat 35-0 last week, intact. Those teams draw more fans to games, and more fans means more money for the school and program. It’s also a higher chance at a win, and in a system where winning is always better than losing, no matter the quality of opponent, that means a lot.

The Tornadoes took the opposite approach, intentionally loading their schedule with as many playoffs teams as possible to accumulate bonus points. They had 21 bonus points before playing a single game, tied with Cardinal Mooney for the most among area teams. Sarasota High had 15 while Riverview had nine.

There isn’t a right or wrong answer in scheduling method. It’ll take a few seasons to work out kinks and roadmap a perfect playoff campaign. As for the playoffs themselves, the move toward valuing teams’ records more is good, but there are so many holes in the system remaining. I’m thinking of this season as a test: If it works with no complaints, great, but I’m guessing there will be more than a few at season’s end.

The best solution to these issues though, as always, is to take former Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis’ famous words of wisdom to heart.

"Just win, baby."