Playoff- time and place negotiations, "coin-toss"

[TrinityTrojan80]

Who knows exactly how the playoff time and place negotiations work? Is it always handled the same? Is there a strategy, art, or just luck?

[KattTx]

Who knows exactly how the playoff time and place negotiations work? Is it always handled the same? Is there a strategy, art, or just luck?

Nope - don't know exactly. But...

The first discussion is whether the two teams want a home and home flip or a neutral site. If they can't decide - they flip. Whoever wins the flip gets what they wanted (neutral or home and home)

It's not an actual flip. I think they each have a book of zip codes. One coach says a city or county with one zip code. The opposing coach says even or odd and he's talking about the last digit in the zip code. They each check their book and if the guessing coach gets it right - he wins.

They do the same for choosing the site. Then there are negotiations that go into coaches wanting a home and home flip if each school chooses a stadium other than their own to be their "home". This one makes no sense to me.

[TrinityTrojan80]

Nope - don't know exactly. But...

The first discussion is whether the two teams want a home and home flip or a neutral site. If they can't decide - they flip. Whoever wins the flip gets what they wanted (neutral or home and home)

It's not an actual flip. I think they each have a book of zip codes. One coach says a city or county with one zip code. The opposing coach says even or odd and he's talking about the last digit in the zip code. They each check their book and if the guessing coach gets it right - he wins.

They do the same for choosing the site. Then there are negotiations that go into coaches wanting a home and home flip if each school chooses a stadium other than their own to be their "home". This one makes no sense to me.

I had heard something about the zip code thing before. I don't know how good of a system that is now-a-days.What would keep(besides good ethics) a coach from using high-speed internet to cheat?

[KattTx]

I had heard something about the zip code thing before. I don't know how good of a system that is now-a-days.What would keep(besides good ethics) a coach from using high-speed internet to cheat?

Good point!:D

[mojoguy]

Apparently it's complicated enough that ECISD is currently employing an old friend to help out in the negotiations. This is just what I heard, but I do hope it's right. It's never a bad thing to have A.G. working behind the scenes during the playoffs.

[twhfan#1]

Good point!:D

the internet is used now -- every coach tries to get an edge & is not adverse to have an asst on the net trying to get a zip code real fast -- but that is really only used if any driving used -- if esay to be face - face theyt still could use flip

there were times when there were coin flips to determine who gets to call the coin flip. EVERYTHING is decided by flip ( or zip code ) place , date , time , home , tickets , passes , etc , etc

The only rule that UIL has is when 2 teams meet that met previous year --the choices go to the team that lost the choices the previous yr. For example last year TWH - Westfield last yr TWH was home --so this yr TWH was visitor -- BUT the Westfield got choice of which side to sit-- they chose to make TWH sit on home side ( never saw that b4 )-- must be that Westfield won 3 games at Klein stadium sitting on visitor side so the WF coach didnt want to change luck ---coaches are a very superstious bunch

[Favpack]

The current system is so old and stupid - it's literally stupid.

My rules:

District winner or higher seed hosts game 1 at their choice.

Games 2 - 6 are decided by the UIL based on the best neutral site available that fits the needs of the two teams.

This way coaches can't whine about - "well Kyle Field people were mean to us last year." Get over it and deal with it.

Coin flips and other stupidity was cool back before cars were invented. Times have changed.

[KattTx]

I don't know... I kinda like coaches of the teams having some control over what their team is doing. I dern sure don't want the UIL determining what they think is reasonable. :D

[Boss Hawgette]

Nope - don't know exactly. But...

The first discussion is whether the two teams want a home and home flip or a neutral site. If they can't decide - they flip. Whoever wins the flip gets what they wanted (neutral or home and home)

It's not an actual flip. I think they each have a book of zip codes. One coach says a city or county with one zip code. The opposing coach says even or odd and he's talking about the last digit in the zip code. They each check their book and if the guessing coach gets it right - he wins.

They do the same for choosing the site. Then there are negotiations that go into coaches wanting a home and home flip if each school chooses a stadium other than their own to be their "home". This one makes no sense to me.

That's about as clear as mud.

[TulsaHale74]

The current system is so old and stupid - it's literally stupid.

My rules:

District winner or higher seed hosts game 1 at their choice.

Games 2 - 6 are decided by the UIL based on the best neutral site available that fits the needs of the two teams.

This way coaches can't whine about - "well Kyle Field people were mean to us last year." Get over it and deal with it.

Coin flips and other stupidity was cool back before cars were invented. Times have changed.
The UIL, as a part of the University of Texas, doesn't have the staff, nor do we want it to, to manage the details of the football playoffs. The UIL is a member based organization, where each school/school district has to manage the administrative details. That's why each UIL district has its own district committee to resolve and administer details within the district as opposed to sending every dispute to Austin.

Each game involves a contract where the financial, administrative, and other agreements are written. Since the game is a legal agreement between the two school districts, the UIL provides the procedures for making decisions that go into the contract.

A coin flip, or other system of making a binary decision, seems to provide the most impartial outcome. Decisions of an outside group (UIL staff or otherwise) will always result in howls of protest. A system based upon equal chance is accepted. Even if a school loses a coin flip for seven straight years they accept it as bad luck, not conspiracy.

[Orangebred]

It's not very popular with the coaches but some times it is just settled at the AD level and they make deals. For example, in suburban Houston (probably Dallas too) One school district accounts for most of the schools in a district and will have a shared stadium. A good example would be Cy Fair and Katy. If those 2 districts play each other in first round games the ADs may just divide it up and say, OK our Cy Falls and Cy Ridge will play your teams at your big stadium and then our other 2 teams will play your other 2 teams at our big stadium. Then the ADs tell the coaches they flipped and it's all been settled. Like I said, not real popular with the coaches but it happens.

[TulsaHale74]

It's not very popular with the coaches but some times it is just settled at the AD level and they make deals. For example, in suburban Houston (probably Dallas too) One school district accounts for most of the schools in a district and will have a shared stadium. A good example would be Cy Fair and Katy. If those 2 districts play each other in first round games the ADs may just divide it up and say, OK our Cy Falls and Cy Ridge will play your teams at your big stadium and then our other 2 teams will play your other 2 teams at our big stadium. Then the ADs tell the coaches they flipped and it's all been settled. Like I said, not real popular with the coaches but it happens.
That makes sense because a coin flip is not required. The flip is only used if the two districts cannot come to an agreement. In your example the districts came to an agreement. The issue is who represents the school when making the agreement. Technically, I think it's the School Superintendent but it gets delegated to an AD or school principal or head coach.

[slorch]

I don't know... I kinda like coaches of the teams having some control over what their team is doing. I dern sure don't want the UIL determining what they think is reasonable. :D

I do too. It lends itself to the traditions of Texas High School football. the scene in Friday Night Lights is one of the more realistic in the movie. i like this the way it is.

I don't like the subjectivity of seeding, any better than a coinflip, and the coinflip plays no favorites. this would be a total mess after the area round, and teams like Katy and SLC would never have to travel. The current system is more fair across the board.

Actually there used to be a form of seeding with the champion playing the runner-up from the other district, that is, until they let every team in the district make the PO's:rolleyes::mad: and decided to have 2 divisions within each classification, so the district record is now almost irrelevant.