10-17-2018, 04:02 AM
The way I would understand it is the NC is a tournament played on a weekend, with 4 teams competing. Very similar to the Final Four. The bracket is that part leading up to that weekend. You can see last year's for an example. I would not describe it as the NCAA did, which I quoted previously. (In the NCAA Water Polo history page is "Note: From 1969 through 1994, the championship was composed of eight teams. Since 1995, the championship has been composed of four teams." I presume the 1995 format results in less expense for the East Coast teams as they play their bracket game in the East.)
But, the good news is that people can see it in action at Stanford December 1st and 2nd.
Btw, the NCAA rules now provides penalties for simulating being fouled. For a defensive player, it results in an ejection; for an offensive player, it results in the loss of possession. (I didn't see whether this is a major for a defensive player but not for an offensive player, where 3 majors disqualifies a player. As I type this, NCAA publications is offline so I can't check on it) Seems like an appropriate rule, but it may make a sport that is (IMHO) very difficult to officiate into a nearly impossible one.
In one of the games this weekend, Ben Hallock was injured in a way (yeah, that way) that left him unable to swim back on defense. However, Stanford got the ball and threw it to the wide open Hallock. It certainly appeared to me that he was only barely able to get the ball and shoot it (for a score). After the score, he swam very slowly to the sideline to get out, but appeared better than I expected once out of the water.. Without the ability to watch replays, I couldn't see just what happened. When possession changes, one player will often kick off their opponent to start faster. Hallock looked like he'd been hurt by an upward, not downward, kick or knee or hand. (The best player I ever played used a technique of putting is foot in your stomach, rotating it so his toes where inside your suit, kicking off (pushing you backward), and then jerking his toe so it would pop the string in your suit. All in an instant. I always wore two suits, but he'd do it multiple times.)
But, the good news is that people can see it in action at Stanford December 1st and 2nd.
Btw, the NCAA rules now provides penalties for simulating being fouled. For a defensive player, it results in an ejection; for an offensive player, it results in the loss of possession. (I didn't see whether this is a major for a defensive player but not for an offensive player, where 3 majors disqualifies a player. As I type this, NCAA publications is offline so I can't check on it) Seems like an appropriate rule, but it may make a sport that is (IMHO) very difficult to officiate into a nearly impossible one.
In one of the games this weekend, Ben Hallock was injured in a way (yeah, that way) that left him unable to swim back on defense. However, Stanford got the ball and threw it to the wide open Hallock. It certainly appeared to me that he was only barely able to get the ball and shoot it (for a score). After the score, he swam very slowly to the sideline to get out, but appeared better than I expected once out of the water.. Without the ability to watch replays, I couldn't see just what happened. When possession changes, one player will often kick off their opponent to start faster. Hallock looked like he'd been hurt by an upward, not downward, kick or knee or hand. (The best player I ever played used a technique of putting is foot in your stomach, rotating it so his toes where inside your suit, kicking off (pushing you backward), and then jerking his toe so it would pop the string in your suit. All in an instant. I always wore two suits, but he'd do it multiple times.)