There are several parts to the overall process - (Provisional Grading, Assessment of Results, Feedback to the League, and Final Grading.)
Within each AGE group, the "grade" is the standard at which a team plays. As examples, a superior team may play at BS standard or better, this is their grade. Another team may play at CC standard, and should be graded there.
The designation applied to the grades is currently undergoing review, and although there will be changes to the names, the structure will remain the same.
The grade assigned to a team is expected to reflect the standard of each team as a unit, that is, an average.
Within each team, the players will have varying physiques and skill sets, this is the challenge faced by the
selectors as they endeavour to build balanced and successful teams.
Provisional Grading.
This is carried out by the Club.
When teams are built, based on registrations and selection taking place during the PREVIOUS season, an assessment is made of the teams "likely" grading for the season, and the Club advises the League. The League builds the fixture for first set of (typically three) grading games based on that advice from the Club.
Assessment of
Results.
On a weekly basis, as the grading games (up to SIX) proceed, representatives from the Club (typically the registrars) record the results of all games played. The information is assembled manually onto a spreadsheet, one-sided games are noted, and if there is a trend this will be immediately apparent. Care must be taken with one-sided games, as the current standard and later grading of the OPPOSITION is just as important as the simple result of the game. Additionally, any relevant details should be considered, eg the opponents only had four player, or our best player was absent, etc.
Feedback to the
League.
Where a trend is obvious, feedback to the League is made which includes the Club’s
recommendation – movement of a team up or down one or more grades is typical. The League accept all feedback without comment, and the League retains the right to accept or reject the
recommendations from the Club.
In practical terms, it is premature to make feedback to the League based only on the first grading game. Further, the results of the last grading game will only be decisive where there is real and lingering doubt about the tentative grading of the occasional team. (Fine tuning.)
Final Grading.
After the last grading game is played, some of the following morning is spent by the League finalizing the
gradings. The results from the previous day are included where necessary.
THE LEAGUE IS THE FINAL ARBITER.
The rest of the day is spent by the League, with Club representatives heavily involved, building the FIXTURES for the rest of the season.
Comments
The grading process is common to both GIRLS and BOYS teams.
The intention of the grading exercise is to provide competition between teams of roughly similar standard. There is NO virtue for a team to be thrashed on a regular basis, likewise a team consistently thrashing the opposition does little for that team’s REAL AND FUNDAMENTAL enjoyment and appreciation of sport.
There are many reasons why grading will probably NEVER be perfect.
Like all human endeavours, administration of sport can be expected to be less than perfect, this is especially true of grading!
Five or six grading games are probably not sufficient to get a COMPLETE understanding of every individual teams standard and potential. Sufficient grading games are played to get it roughly correct, then the season proper can begin.
Teams can potentially over-achieve or under-achieve during the grading rounds. This immediately devalues the effort invested in grading, is one of the unpredictable variables, but does not diminish the effort expended by the registrars.
The EDJBA is not a "for-profit" organization., and is thus "AMATEUR" in the best possible sense. As such, there is always a shortage of volunteers for the various tasks that must be performed. It is no surprise that the occasional imperfection appears, especially within their time constraints.
Accepting the observation that some teams profit while others suffer, it is probably GOOD that grading will never be perfect! Imagine a perfectly graded competition where each team in a grade wins exactly half of their games and all are narrow victories, or even worse, where all are draws. This would be exciting, but then there is no basis on which participation in finals could be decided, and then all teams suffer!
It seems preferable to tolerate some imperfections in the grading as that allows the fundamental unpredictability of sport to be apparent, while hopefully still allowing a team to win games, or even a premiership, "on a good day".
Within each competition, there will always be weaker and stronger teams. The best that grading is likely to achieve is to realistically minimize the gap between weak and strong teams, and often this will not be possible. (For example, in one age group there may be three outstanding teams, they automatically become A grade teams. For the competition to work, there are usually eight teams at each level so the other five will always lose to the top three. The League accounts for this inequity by allowing A grade to be split into A and AR at the end of the season, and separate full finals are played for both. It is a matter of great pride for our Club to have teams competing at A level, and we will continue to do so where appropriate.
It is the responsibility of the club to look after the interests of the individual team. Where a team has had a bad season (for whatever reason) their provisional grading for the next season needs extra attention.
Some coaches would like to see the their team graded according to its potential rather than its current performance. As a matter of consensus amongst the team, and feedback to the registrar, this will be passed on to the League. Feedback should only come from the coach and team manager.
Where one team is clearly and overwhelmingly dominant at A grade, there is little competition available at its (eligible) age group. There is precedent for a team to be placed by the League into a higher AGE group -this is done after consultation between the League and the Club.
Unfortunately, where a team is graded at the lowest level already, and is still being thrashed each week, the League will not make any adjustment. (This is a matter of potential safety and commonsense.)
It is not unknown for a team to withdraw, but this is done at penalty to the Club. Perhaps more frequently, a team will begin a season poorly and catch up somewhat during the balance of the season. There are OFTEN "supplementary finals" that reward such a team!
The League is experienced with manipulations that clubs may try! Where an inconsistency is detected, the subsequent credibility of the club is lowered, feedback that the club then makes will carry less significance for the League.
Grading games are played for points like the regular games, and those points are, in general, carried into the balance of the season. The exception is where a team absolutely thrashes an opponent during a grading game. In this circumstance, it is apparent that the losing team are GROSSLY
misgraded, and the winning team will typically be awarded two of the possible three points for this game, and this is appropriate.
Ian Anderson, Boys Registrar
Concerns
Grading is a concern to everyone, as a poor grading can result in a season where positives can be difficult to find. This though, as I see it, is the central issue. No matter how a side is graded, coaches, parents and players need to focus on positives and improvement. Winning, although a natural positive, is not the driving focus of the Ivanhoe Knights. Our focus is on:
- maximising improvement as basketballers
- personal development in doing so
- facilitating easy access to the game
- having fun whilst developing friendships and social networks.
Having said this, we also believe that a win-loss ratio of 20/80 or higher is desirable, and a poor grading that results in a team winning less than 20% of games is a failure of the system. On the other end of the scale, we do not like to see our teams winning all their games easily, as this is not the best situation for maximum development either.
In the past few seasons, there have been 5 - 6 grading games to start the season. Adjustments are made by the EDJBA as the grading games progress. Our Registrars work hard during this time (as does the Association), keeping an eye on the comparative results, identifying strong and weak teams from all clubs and making recommendations to the Association where they feel it necessary. If a parent is to raise concerns about team grading, the optimum time for this would be after 3 - 4 games, but only based on results of games 3 and 4. The concern should be expressed to the relevant Registrar via the Team
Manager and coach.
Grading games do count, but ladder points awarded from one sided grading games are adjusted.
Mark Donaldson, Girls Coaches Liaison
