ASA to decide on 2012 format

The Council of the Aquatic Sports Association (ASA) will be meeting tomorrow to discuss next year’s BOV waterpolo league format, which was revamped in 2011.

Last summer nine teams made up the list of contestants. These were seeded and split up into two groups where a preliminary round was played before the composition and starting grids of both divisions were determined.

Direct encounters between teams finishing in the corresponding positions in the groups followed. Bonus points were awarded on the merit of the rankings before the second phase got underway.

The introduction of the play-offs system was the most fundamental change whereby after the second phase, the first four out of the five teams in the top division qualified for the best-out-of-three semi-finals, before the winners proceeded to the final to be played on five ties.

Both finals went the whole distance of five and three matches each (in Div. Two). This innovation proved to be very successful since teams held on to a lifeline and thus interest as to where honours would go never waned. Only that there were some reservations over the wisdom of having four out of five teams in the top division starting the home straight on an equal footing without some sort of advantage being given to the teams on the merit of their final position in the second phase. There was also talk of some stale matches during the ‘normal’ season. Remedies to do away with these flaws were put into the frame.

Faced with this healthy debate on the system, the ASA seems to have an open mind as to whether it should re-touch the format.

Several suggestions have been put forward, the most radical being the scrapping of the play-offs to be replaced by a three-round league.

Those who still favour the knock-out addenda after the league programme suggested that the teams should carry forward the result of the direct encounters to the decisive play-offs.

If necessary these ties could be extended to more matches and should be limited to the top two for the title. A play-off for third spot between the third and fourth placed teams would complete the standings given a five-team league.

Another proposal was a mini-league played over two rounds. This would comprise the top three teams after the second phase is completed, also with bonus points being carried forward. No play-offs would then be necessary.

The ASA officials will now examine all these and other options before deciding on the format of the competitions for next year. A lively discussion is envisaged.