3 Games a day

Thanks for the info on the 2008 worlds.

I read with interest that for the next worlds due to player concerns regarding the length of the competition that we may be playing 3 games a day.

I consider that i was reasonably fit at each of my previous 3 worlds, having done a significant amount of fitness training and in both NZ and canada was totally exhausted throughout the comp. That was with 2 games a day. As far as i am concerned going to 3 games a day risks undermining the standard of play with results been determined on fitness alone, skewed by when you play teams in a day rather than the quality of the players and team play.

The issue in sheffield was not that we couldn't play 3 games a day but the fact that we had too many rest days and single game days, drawing out the competition.

We need to realise that this is the pinacle of the sport, the new proposal is like changing the rugby world cup into a sevens tournement. Both may be enjoyed but we have to recognise it would be a totally different competition and is this what we want.

Have we grown to a size where we need to consider other alternatives?, what is an appropriate number of games to travel for and against what standard competition? Should their be qualification tournements? Is it time to review the traditional competition structure or rules i.e do we have squads of 18 players or have 4 groups?

Hamish

good points. just as well the game didnt go to 40 minutes with 4 10 minute quarters as was proposed a few years back huh? that would have been carnage.

i do actually think that the fitness advantage of a fitter team has been eroded in recent worlds by more and more refs calls, so maybe it would be a good thing to have fitter teams who have put more effort training get an advantage again, but hamish is right about luck of the draw... whoever you hit on your third game must be on their third game too to keep things fair and even then the day will be draining and the teams you play the next day will have an advantage, not to mention different timing of games giving teams different rest periods for refuelling in the course of the day, bringing those windows down to a scale where an extra halfhour one team has to digest food and hydrate that another team doesn't will make a big difference when they play each other.

it will certainly be tough. but then again if we know what to expect going into it we can all plan for it and i don't think the competition will be compromised... people will still push their limits and there will be a winner at the end.

I concur 100%

Agree with this as well.
The whole experience would certainly be more draining. I see most teams having to spend most of their day at or around the pool rather than back and forth from the dorm. But with proper planing I don't see three games a day affecting the outcome of the tournament. The better teams will find their way to the podium either way.

I find an international test takes at least 4 hours out of my life. So two games a day is 8 hours of intense concentration and physical activity. Asking for another 4 hours every day is a big thing, and it does make a big difference, especially if the opponent is only on their first or second. I coached Ireland in the Europeans a couple of years ago, and a lot of teams had to deal with 3 games in a day at that tournament. I'm still adamant that we would have won our final game (against a team we beat in the round robin) if it hadn't been our third game of the day and their second. It's nice to say that if everybody receives the same treatment then it's fair on everybody but when you get right down to it, how much of this forum is filled with questions and concerns about the running of our sport? So how much chance do you think any guarantee of 'if it's your third game it'll be theirs as well' has being realised once we get to the tournament? Right...

__________________
It's not whether you win or lose - but whether I win or lose.

I agree with bent about the input required to 'do' a game. I can't see how you can do three games a day properly.

And could a proponent of the 3 game a day idea explain how this makes us look like a serious sport?

Other elite sportsmen think we're nuts doing what we do twice a day. Now we want to do it thrice? We should be playing less. Not more.

Can you take a bigger squad in order to rest players throughout the schedule?

__________________
Slayer of Trolls amongst other things.
Made for the Love of a Good Woman, and not a bad little player too ;-)
Chumba Concept Salon
Professional Hair Stylist

I really like the way you put it as taking four hours per game. I think that is agreat perspective on high level play and the time needed to prepare play and recover.
The rational I heard was that to keep the costs of the Tournament down and to be able to include as many countries as possible able to compete. Less time, less money, grow the sport are all good things but not at the cost of quality competition.
The idea of expanding squads might be a solution for larger countries (player wise) The US women only brought 11 to sheffield, only 14 tried out. Small squads would be at an even greater disadvantage having to play more FRESH players.

B

I understand the desire to grow the sport making it shorter, open to more countires. But we also have to remember that this is the pinacle of our sport. If we are to be taken seriously this is what we are to be judged on. If anyone watched any of the recent cricket world cup it is evident that their is a such a thing as a tournement that takes to long but what is a reasonable length for our premier tournement.

Personally i think 8 days (5 days round robin including cross overs and 3 days finals assuming 2 games a day, every day except for semi and grand final for a total of 14 games) every two years is not too big a committment for a world championships. Very few world championships would go for less than a week (excluding preparation).

Are we getting extra games as a result of playing 3 games a day. i.e. will the top 8 bottom rest be abolished or will the comp be over in a long weekend?

For me it is the quality that is important not the quantity. I would much prefer to travel half way around the world to get one really enjoyable game of hockey that i can't get anywhere else rather than 10 crap ones.

The 8-day theory is good until you add in that there are 6 divisions, not the 2 there were when that was first created. One way to compromise here would be to make the elite divisions 2-a-day and the others may have up to 3-a-day.

As far as balancing it out, in the discussions of going to 3-a-day I recall that each team would have the same number of 3-a-days thoughout the tournament as the other teams, but nothing suggesting that they would have them the same day. Schedule-wise, it would be easy to ensure that the 3rd game is against another opponent on their 3rd game. Or it could be a crossover game, should they be needed, so that the results don't matter.

Duck

__________________
Just in case you weren't sure, it's official -- CMAS sucks.
Oh yeah, and now they're broke.

I was thinking exactly the same as Liam with regard to the amount of time that it takes to play a half hour game of hockey at that level.

Sure growing the sport is a great thing but are the World Championships the place to do it?? And are the extra countries that may potentially attend be up to World's standards?? Surely there are other competitions that may be more suitable to get these countries involved and lift the level of their game so that the committment (time and money) to a World's is more worthwhile.

We have started inviting other countries, such as Singapore, Phillipines and Japan to our National Titles to give them more exposure to the game. Interclubs in SA is a good option too as there are up to 10 divisions there so teams can play at a suitable level for their standard. It would also be cheaper for a certain countires to attend Euro's, Pan Pacs and such to get them more involved and maybe the organisors of these types of comps should encourage more of the "fringe" teams to attend.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for getting as many countries represented at our World's as we can but not to the detriment of the level of elite game that those who play there sacrifice so much for.

__________________
Breathing is overrated!