Class
"A" Team Tournament Class "B" Team
Tournament
Tournament format and schedule of playThe Class "A" and "B" team tournaments have an identical structure. Each player accrues points for his team based on his finish position in one of seven individual tournament flights, each with feed-in and secondary consolation draws. There is a strong emphasis on participation in the event: players are guaranteed a minimum of three matches over the course of the weekend--most play more--and no competitors are eliminated from the tournament before Sunday. Individual trophies are awarded the champions and the runners-up in each of the seven flights. All entrants can expect to be scheduled to play at least one match on Friday evening. A handul in the Class "A" tournament will play two: some will compete in a qualifying draw to earn a position in either the main draw or the consolation draw. In all main draws in both tournaments, quarterfinal and semifinal matches will be contested on Saturday and the championship finals will be played on Sunday to conclude the tournament. Competitors who lose in either the first or second round of the consolation draws will play in a second consolation division on Sunday. Once a player loses on Sunday, he is done in the tournament. In the Class "A" competition, 1st through 8th places will be determined through the feed-in consolation and any playoffs necessary. Competitors will play only one match on Sunday, which means there will be ties for 9th, 11th, 13th, 15th, 17th, and 19th places. The smaller field in the Class "B" tournament means all finish places will be determined for the fourteen or fifteen players in each draw, #1 through #15. As such, some players will play twice on Sunday. There will be a meeting of all NEISA coaches at Loomis Chaffee School at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, following the conclusion of play at both venues. The Loomis Chaffee dining hall will serve dinner to all players and coaches between 7:15 and 8:00; the Brandes Trophy and Team Sportsmanship Awards will be presented at the tournament dinner.
About seeding and the drawsThe five-member NEISA Executive Committee determines tournament seeds and supervises the creation of the draws. The tournament director works with four coaches elected by their peers to reflect the geographic and competitive diversity of teams within the Association. The criteria considered in the seeding process include: winning percentage, number of match wins, total number of matches played, strength of schedule, results in and out of a particular position, head-to-head results, scores against common opponents, and other available information. All draws will have at least four seeded players, ranked 1 through 4. The top seed is automatically placed in line #1 on the draw and the second seed in line #16. The third and fourth seeds are assigned to either lines #8 or #9, determined at random. Any additional seeds identified by the Committee are grouped alphabetically (and considered co-#5 seeds) and assigned at random to lines #4, #5, #12, or #13 in the draw. The remaining competitors fill the remaining slots in the draw by random lot. Any first-round byes are placed opposite seeded players beginning with the top seed.
Links to entrant lists and all drawsThe NEISA uses computer software to create draws, schedule matches, and report results. By accessing the sites below, participants, coaches, and other interested parties can check entry lists by event, site information, and--by lunchtime on Friday, February 27--complete tournament draws, including starting times for matches. Coaches will receive more detailed draw sheets, along with instructions on how players move between various qualifying and consolation draws, when teams register on Friday evening. Information about the Class "A" tournament can be accessed by clicking here. Information about the Class "B" tournament can be accessed by clicking here. ![]() School Abbreviations in the Draws
The NEISA is indebted to Dunlop Sports for supplying the official ball, the Dunlop Pro soft ball, for its championships. Dunlop has supported prep school squash by supplying balls for the tournament since 1992. [ NEISA Home Page ] Copyright © 2004
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