Midway through last year, we moved from an old, 12 lane house to a 24 lane house.  Our league is now 16 teams instead of 12.  What we've always done is had 2 halves, and the winners of the first half met the winners of the second half for the championship.  I'd like to see more teams have a shot, and at our meeting tonight I intend to suggest just that.  These are the options I have come up with, what do you think?  Which do you like better, and why?  Thanks!

Proposed change option 1:

•   Three 11 week thirds (10 weeks plus roll-off, championship in weeks 34-35)
•   Four team championship – 3 different “third” winners and a fourth, wild card team (Wild card team would be team w/ highest point total that did NOT win a third.)
•   A team CANNOT win more than one third, though point total at the end of season would determine seeding.  In the event a team wins more than one third, the team in second place would get a slot in the championship.  We could also elect to award some additional prize money should a team win multiple thirds.
•   Teams are seeded based on point TOTALS for the season, 1 vs 4, 2 vs 3 in week 34, the winners of those matches meet in week 35 to determine the champion

Proposed change option 2:

•   Four 8 week quarters (7 weeks plus roll-off, championship in weeks 33-35)
•   Six team championship – 4 different “quarter” winners and 2 wild card teams (2 teams w/ highest point total that did not win a quarter)
•   Same as above, a team CANNOT win more than one quarter, though it does factor in seeding.  The next highest team in that quarter that did not already win gets a spot.
•   Championship would work as follows:  Teams are seeded 1-6 based on point totals, wild cards can NOT be seeded higher than 5, however.  Seeds 1 and 2 would get a bye in week 33, while 3 bowls 6, and 4 bowls 5.  Week 34 would pit seed 1 against lowest seed and seed 2 against highest seed.  Winners of those matches would meet in week 35 for the championship.

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Mr. Lebowski, this is Bill Salnicker with the Southern Cal Bowling League, and I just got a, an informal report, that a member of your team, uh, Walter Sobchak, drew a firearm during league play. If this is true of course, it contravenes a number of the league's by-laws, and article 27 of the league...

The remaining teams will STILL be bowling for position on those nights, and we have a plethora of side pots still being run as well.  We've always held our championship on the last week, and most guys still bowl!  One of the reasons for this is just what you said, a lot of teams get knocked out EARLY in the two half format.  I've been on teams that were pretty much done in February, and believe me, it's not fun!
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Mr. Lebowski, this is Bill Salnicker with the Southern Cal Bowling League, and I just got a, an informal report, that a member of your team, uh, Walter Sobchak, drew a firearm during league play. If this is true of course, it contravenes a number of the league's by-laws, and article 27 of the league...

Option 1....the other makes the roll off too drawn out and complicated for a league.

However you need to reward a team for winning more than one third.  My team ran into this ridiculous rule a few years ago in a 24 team mens league.  We won two thirds and finished second in the other one.  We went into the rolloff and ran into a hot team and ended up finishing third.

I am not a fan of that rule....but I like the 4 team rolloff.
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