Screening & Team Placement Process
Showdown Tournaments draws teams from various leagues and levels of play. To ensure divisions are competitive we employ several processes and refine our placement decisions over and over until we release the game schedule about 3-4 weeks before the tournament. This process begins at the time we receive your application and intensifies as we form the divisions.
- Step 1 – teams identify whether they are Tier I, II, or III and play travel, recreational, or at the house select level in their application. For travel they also identify their league level as: AAA, AA, A, B, or C; A1, A2, B1, B2; or gold, silver, bronze.
- Step 2 – teams identify whether they are entering their regular season team or a tournament team. For regular season teams we continue screening with steps 3-7. For tournament teams we first understand the difference between the regular season team and the one coming to the tournament. For example a travel A and B team from the same association combine teams.
- Step 3 – we review league website to confirm the level of play indicated in their application is correct as some teams provide the level they think they should play at in the tournament rather than the actual level they play in their respective leagues.
- Step 4 – we review records and league standings to evaluate each teams competitiveness within their divisions. We look for teams at the bottom that are struggling and consistently losing all of their games by 5 or more goals. We do the same for the teams at the top of the division. Identified teams are considered for the next level below or above their level of play.
- Step 5 – we review game results, especially tournament and non-league play to find common opponents for teams coming from different leagues. Finding common opponents and comparing the results provides a level of comfort in how the teams match up. Having one opponent in common is helpful, but finding two or three is common provides more insight.
- Step 6 – we speak to managers and coaches to gain insight on their level of play if we cannot determine placement in steps 1-4. We typically start with emails and then call if necessary.
- Step 7 – we reach out to hockey contacts that may be familiar with your team or other teams in your league to get their insight when we cannot confidently place your team in steps 1-5.
The purpose of our screening process is to ensure the best competition for teams participating in the tournament and want every team to have an equal opportunity to win. The most difficult teams to place are house select/allstar teams. It’s imperative that we get information on their players and games to determine whether to place at the A or B level in our tournaments.