| Subject: Thoughts on the new system |
Author:
Harriet
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Date Posted: 19:41:22 05/20/03 Tue
In reply to:
Other Paul
's message, "Next Years Competition" on 17:22:23 05/20/03 Tue
Hi there,
I like the system because it gives a good indication of the contribution that a couple makes to the success of their team. I agree that the old system does mean that whichever heat you're in affects your personal outcome, even if the coaches do try and make the heats as fair as possible. It is in their interest to do so but it's not always possible, (even though they have the added option of having different ones for ballroom and latin).
However, I think that the new system isn't perfect. Surely it reduces the problem of being in a stronger heat, but now it includes the imbalance between the teams' strengths and doesn't give a couple that is best overall, over their own team as well as the opposition..... please do correct me if I'm wrong on what I'm going to try and explain.
Suppose a couple comes 5th in the latin (these are overall placings, comparing everyone's scores after all the heats) and 1st in the ballroom, and another comes 1st in the latin but 5th in the ballroom, and they are both on the Oxford team. If Oxford is much stronger in ballroom, their couples could fill up the places between 1st and 5th, so the couple that won the ballroom will beat all 8 Cambridge couples, and so very well might the couple that came 5th. However, if Cambridge are then stronger at Latin, they may fill up the spaces between the Oxford couples that came 1st and 5th, so the 1st place couple beats all 8 Cambridge couples again, but the 5th placed person only beats 5.
If Overall is to mean overall as in over both universities, assuming their marks for the 1st places are fairly similar, and those for 5th places are fairly similar, they both have done about the same overall. However, if you then introduce the new system, the couple that is stronger in latin does much better, beating many more cambridge couples, but doing about the same overall in placings compared with Oxford and Cambridge. So, obviousely they have made a better contribution to Oxford in beating Cambridge couples, but is that really the same as being the best couple Overall?
When they work out overall positions in dances, they add up the points for both rounds, so assuming that the same calibre of people are in both or the heats for your university, you should lose about the same number of points to people on your own team whichever heat you're put in.
Also, agreeing here with Greg, what if every Oxford couple beats every Cambridge couple in a discipline.....then the placings do have to come into consideration.....so shouldn't they in all situations?
I'm not convinced with my reasoning here....can anyone clear this up for me?
Thanks
Harriet xx
>I like this system a lot. What would the relevant
>people think to adopting it next year?
>
>Paul
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