NZ competition format

[vish]

Hi,
Our association is considering changing our National League. Our current format is three tournaments, one in each major region of the country. Games are 20 minutes, goal line restarts.

NZCPA is considering changing the format of National League for 2002 to the following:
Two regions in each island running Island-based home and away games for A grade teams during April and May to rank teams for entry into National League playoffs.
Based on rankings divide teams into top and bottom pools for national playoffs (25/26 May, Wellington). National B grade competition offered at this tournament.
National League finals (29/30 June, Christchurch). B grade competition offered at this tournament also.
All home and away and tournament games to be 40 minutes long with time out facility.
All A grade teams being travel equalised for playoffs and finals tournaments.

We've had a little discussion on our site, but I wonder who else plays 40 minute games? Do other countries play home and away matches and then attend tournaments? Your opinions would be appreciated.

[clyde]

Sounds like a Man's Game at last !!!

Fitness would show up pretty quickly here.

How many subs are you allowed.

I notice you mentione Goal Line re-starts. So when a team are already winning and they decide to mark 5 out, presumably the organisers think it's ok to just use one half of the playing area. That being the case, maybe you could manage all this in a 20m pool !

The French and Germans have both had a play with the playing time, but in Britain we have just reduced it to the point of almost making it pointless. 6 Minutes was pretty standard here.
This only changed for this season where for Open Div 1 they play 8 minutes and strangly enough for Women's Div 1 they play 10 !

[malcolm]

40 minute games? I've changed my mind, I'm not going to play polo in New Zealand. I'm going to have a years sabbatical and wait till I get back to good old 6 minutes each way.

[vish]

Do you think that training for 40 minutes maximal output in a session will contribute to a good 20 minute game?

Do you play home and away where you travel to play one game against a team from another city, or do you only play tournaments for that? How do teams get rankings?

[vish]

Sorry, forgot to answer your questions.

Yes, we can play in only one half of the pool (argh!!) but we've had some pretty tiny pools to play in anyway!!!! We find the game changes completely when you get into a large pool, in fact, generally round robin is played in 25m and the playoffs (if you're lucky) and the finals are played in 50m.

I don't know how many subs we're allowed, but most of us prefer 2 in 20 minute games.

When I was organsiing a social league (in an outdoor pool in winter) we had 30 minutes per game, generally 7 minute periods of play. It was an attempt to increase playing time and have less people sitting out in the cold freezing between games. Worked a treat!

[vish]

The National League format proposed by the Competitions committee has been adapted.
Teams from each island compete in Home and Away round robin format over a period of 12 weeks. The teams involved in each island decide whether games shall be 20 minutes or 40 minutes before competition begins.
There will be 2 tournaments, each in June, to decide the overall National League Champions. B Grade tournaments will be available at these tournaments, and rules will be based on ICF standards to prepare top comptitors for international competition. (Eg; 20 minute games, centreline restarts)

For further information on the National League for New Zealand, visit http://www.geocities.com/northerncp . You can download the guidleines in PDF format, or the entry form (if you wish).

Visit the National website on http://www.geocities.com/nzcpa for further access to information.

[sarahCPfreak]

...

[Dave]

If you actually read the date you will notice that the posts from Vish are dated in 2002.

I imagine that the comp format for 2008 will be the same as 07.