PSP Xball format changes 2006

[Five Finger Bullet]

Originally posted by Duncster
So... does this mean that if you have a 7 point lead going into the second half, then the game is over? If so, then that seems a bit unfair seeing as it's obviously perfectly possible for the other team to gain 7 points... or at least close the gap and not make the loss look so harsh...

Just think about it though- if the other team has won seven more games than you have, in a single half, you're either having some serious gun problems, or they're simply a lot better than your group.

The only thing I could see having an issue with would be just wanting to play the game out just for the playing time, but the easy argument against that would be that you're in a competition. If you're slaughtering a team then there's really no reason to continue as you've already proven that you're the better team. If the losing team wants more playing time, well, that's what practice is for.

 

[Duncster]

I guess you're right. Admittedly the only Xball I've seen was the short lived EXL, where one team would get loads of points in the first half, then the other team would considerab;y lose the gap in the second half... I take it the game has come a long way since then...

 

[Wadidiz]

Originally posted by Duncster
I guess you're right. Admittedly the only Xball I've seen was the short lived EXL, where one team would get loads of points in the first half, then the other team would considerab;y lose the gap in the second half... I take it the game has come a long way since then...

Out of curiosity I just went through most of the scoresheets from EXL and Open X Ball in Season 2004. I could find no example of any team ever recovering from a 7-point spread. In almost every case the losing team only scored two or three more points at the most after that (only exception was a team that scored five more points but still lost by 6 points). In almost every case it was more or less a slaughter.

This leads me to think a couple of things:

Does the losing team or the winning team really gain anything from all the paintballs consumed and the time and energy spent when it is so lopsided? Sure, there is some training, physically and skills-wise, but really? But I think teams only learn from playing against teams they have a least a little chance of winning or losing against.

Is it entertaining in any kind of way? No, I don't think so.

Then, I wonder if the 7-point rule might not add some incentive to try harder to turn things around before the seven point spread since that would mean game over?

Also keep in mind that we ran longer matches than PSP. 20-minute halves in Open X Ball vs 16 with PSP. And 25-minute halves for EXL like NXL have done.

I think the mercy rule is a good idea meaning a better use of everyone's resources and time, especially since so many people cite paint consumption as a problem with X Ball. I just wonder what would be done with all that extra time since most of those games would be over pretty close to half-time.

PS. For Millennium X Ball in 2004 that rule would have meant over 25 games that would've ended around half-time.

 

[Duncster]

Fair enough - my memory must be marred by heat-stroke, or something... thanks for putting me straight

Based on what you say then, and if similar results can be seen in the NXL/PSP, then I totally agree with the mercy rule. This could potentially make Xball far more accessible for poorer (financially) teams.

It will be interesting to see the effect this has on the average team's paintball consumption.

D.

 

[Wadidiz]

Originally posted by Duncster
Fair enough - my memory must be marred by heat-stroke, or something... thanks for putting me straight

Based on what you say then, and if similar results can be seen in the NXL/PSP, then I totally agree with the mercy rule. This could potentially make Xball far more accessible for poorer (financially) teams.

It will be interesting to see the effect this has on the average team's paintball consumption.

Please don't think that I was trying to beat you down with statistics; I just think such things are interesting. Another factor in the equation for EXL was the race for position in which the point-spread was a tie-breaker and the need to reduce the point-spread might have been significant. Unfortunately that race ended up only giving bragging rights.

Concerning the paint consumption, if the tournaments are done double-elimination style the mercy rule might be helpful to the teams that would need to work their way back around the losers' bracket.