Here are the rules for the 2012 NC$$ contest.
The contest rules are identical to that of last year. There will be six
contests. The entry form will be the same as in previous years. However, I
have finally added simple arithmetic to the spreadsheet I use for tracking
points. For the entry for the tiebreaker 2 (total goals), the tiebreaker
will be automatically calculated by adding the goals you specify for each
game so you will no longer have to add them up manually. However, if you
choose to fill in the total goals, I will use the number you enter. If you
leave it blank, I will add up each individual game. For those few people
who choose not to enter the score of any games, you must enter the total
goals scored for the tiebreaker since I do not have individual scores to
add up.
Before filling out your entry, please read the note at the end of these
instructions (labeled Posting of Results) to see if this applies to you.
Once again, the first tiebreaker will be the total number of overtime
periods; i.e. if a game goes to two overtime periods, that counts as two.
Please remember this when calculating your tiebreakers. The second
tiebreakers will be the total goals scored by both teams.
There will be one entry form for all contests.
For all contests: submit your name, email address and your address (city
and state only please).
Contest 1 consists of picking the winner of each game.
Contest 2 consists of picking the winner of each game as well as the goal
differential (i.e. the difference between the winner and the loser’s score).
Contest 3 consists of picking the winner of each game as well as the score
of each game.
Contests 4,5 and 6 are the same as contests 1, 2 and 3 except that
contests 1, 2 and 3 award more points for correctly picking winners in
later round games where 4, 5 and 6 award the same number of points for
every game.
For details of contest points see below.
If you want to enter contest 1 (and 4) only, pick the winner of each game.
If you want to enter contests 1 and 2 (and 4 and 5) only, pick the winner
of each game and the goal differential of each game (i.e. the difference
between the winner’s score and the loser’s score).
If you want to enter all 6 contests, pick the winner of each game and the
score of each game.
For each contest, there will be two levels of tiebreakers: the first
tiebreaker will be the number of overtime periods; the second tiebreaker
will be total goals for the tournament.
The games will be designated as follows: NE (Northeast) games 1 and 2, NE
final,
W (West) games 1 and 2, W final, E (East) games 1 and 2, E final, MW
(Midwest)
games 1 and 2 , MW final, (national) semifinal 1, semifinal 2 and finals.
The scoring of the contests is as follows:
Contest 1 (pick the winners):
1 point will be awarded for picking each winner of Northeast games one and
two, West games one and two, East games one and two and Midwest games one
and two.
2 points will be awarded for picking each winner of the 4 regional finals,
the 2 national semifinals and the finals.
In case of a tie, the first tiebreaker will be the total number of
overtime periods played. If a game goes into a second overtime period, that
counts as 2.
If that tiebreaker fails to produce a winner, the second tiebreaker will be
the total number of goals scored in the tournament.
If the second tiebreaker doesn’t produce a winner, the contest will be
declared a tie.
Contest 2 (pick the winners and goal differential):
4 points will be awarded for picking each winner of Northeast games one and
two, West games one and two, East games one and two and Midwest games one
and two.
6 points will be awarded for picking each winner of the 4 regional finals.
8 points will be awarded for picking each winner of the 2 national
semifinals and the finals.
In addition, points will be awarded for choosing the goal differential for
those games where you have correctly picked the winning team. 3 points will
be added for picking the correct goal differential, 2 points will awarded
if your goal differential is
off by one and 1 point will be awarded if your goal differential is off by
two.
The two tiebreakers will be number of overtime periods and the total
number of goals scored in the tournament. See tiebreaker rules for contest
1 for details.
Contest 3 (pick the winners and the scores)
4 points will be awarded for picking each winner of Northeast games one and
two, West games one and two, East games one and two and Midwest games one
and two.
6 points will be awarded for picking the winner of each of the 4 regional
finals.
8 points will be awarded for picking the winner of each of the 2 national
semifinals and the finals.
In addition, points will be awarded for picking the winner’s and the
loser’s score in each game. These points will only be awarded if you
correctly pick the winning team. If you correctly predict the winner’s
score, 3 points will be awarded. If your prediction of the winner’s score
is off by one, 2 points will be awarded. If your prediction of the winner’s
score is off by two, 1 point will be awarded . If you correctly predict the
loser’s score, 3 points will be awarded. If your prediction of the loser’s
score is off by one, 2 points will be awarded. If your prediction of the
loser’s score is off by two, 1 point will be awarded .
The two tiebreakers will be number of overtime periods and the total
number of goals scored in the tournament. See tiebreaker rules for contest
1 for details.
Contests 4, 5 and 6:
Contest 4 is identical to contest 1, contest 5 is identical to contest 2
and contest 6 is identical to contest 3 with the following exception:
For contests 1, 2 and 3 more points are awarded for correctly picking
winners in later rounds. For contests 4, 5 and 6, the same number of points
will be awarded for picking a winner no matter which round. For contest 5,
the same bonus for goal differential will be awarded as in contest 2. For
contest 6, the same bonus will be awarded for picking the score as in
contest 3.
If the rules are unclear in any way, contact me privately via email for a
better explanation. If I’ve mucked up the explanation in any way, I’ll post
comments to the list .
Posting of Results:
Since this contest has been going on since 1998, I have the data entry and
point calculations reduced to an Excel spreadsheet. In order to make my
life a bit easier, I take short cuts to enter data so I can use a single
spreadsheet for all six contests.
For example, if someone only enters contest 1, I enter 2000 for the
winner’s score and 1000 for the loser’s score. If they want to enter
contest 2 and choose a differential of 2 (for example), I enter 2000 for
the winner’s score and 1998 for the loser’s score. This pretty much
guarantees that contest 1 (only) entrants will not get any points in
contest 2 or 3 for choosing scores. Likewise, it guarantees that the
contest 2 entrant will get credit for the differential in contest 2 but not
for picking correct scores in contest 3. At the end of the contests, I just
sort based on total points for the 3 contests and I get the winners.
However, when I sort for contests 2 and 3, I must go back and cut out those
few people who chose to participate in only contest 1 or just contests 1
and 2. This takes a bit of time, especially in the editing of the final
document to be sent out (which, believe it or not, takes more time than
determining the winner). In addition, at the point the note about final
results are to go out, I’m usually frantic because I’m scrambling to finish
my income taxes which I always delay until the last minute.
So this year, I am going to sort and send. Everyone who enters any contest
will have their position sent out for all 3 contests. For those who enter
only contest 1, you will see your name appear in the final list for contest
2 and 3 also. Your position for contest 2 and 3 will probably appear lower
since your results will most likely include just your winning and losing
picks; you will have zero points for differential or score picks because of
my data entry methods.
Hopefully, this is no big deal to you, but, if it is, I urge you to take
the extra few minutes to actually enter scores for each game so the final
tally reflects what you actually put down for scores in each of the games
|
