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[tripleplay]

3Play, is this it? (http://www.coastsoccer.com/CSL-Brackets-2009.pdf)

The Board of Directors has the absolute discretion to bracket teams applying for admittance into Coast Soccer
League in any manner that, in the opinion of the Board, will provide the best competition and meet the objectives of
the league.
The Board of Directors will utilize the following guidelines in bracketing teams. These guidelines are advisory only,
and the Board of Directors is not required to follow them if, in the opinion of the Board, adherence to the guidelines
in a particular case will not provide the best competition or meet the objectives of the league. These guidelines do
not apply to the CSL Premier League. As an "Invitational League", the CSL Premier League sets its' own guidelines
in order to achieve the most competitive bracketing.
1. Returning teams will be given priority in admittance into the league. A returning team means a team which played
the prior season in Coast Soccer League and has a minimum of seven (7) returning players [Six (6) for U9-U10],
a returning coach with an administrator's pass, and is playing or applied to play out of the same club. A returning
player means a player who has a valid player pass for that team and played a minimum of FIVE league and/or
league cup games with that team during the prior season. The required number of returning players MUST be
submitted on the team application by May 15.
2. Premier teams from other leagues may be given priority in admittance into the league over new teams. A Premier
team from another league means a "gold-level" team that played in another competitive league the prior season
and which in all respects qualifies as a returning team.
3. New teams will be admitted into the league as space permits; however, CSL reserves the right to deny
admittance to New Teams.
4. Returning teams, which finished in 1st will be promoted. 2nd and 3rd place teams from the prior season, MAY be
considered for promotion (e.g., from silver elite to gold). Said teams will only be considered for promotion in the
event of a spot being available and only after all 1st place teams have been promoted. A team MAY, at the sole
discretion of the CSL Board of Directors, be promoted more than one bracket (e.g., from bronze to gold).
Returning teams, which finished in 5th place or below the prior season, WILL be considered for relegation (e.g.,
gold to silver elite). A team MAY be relegated more than one bracket (e.g., gold to bronze).
5. It is the intent of the Board of Directors to promote all 1st place bracket teams) and to relegate at least two teams
out of each bracket from the prior season; however, the Board may, in its discretion, refuse to promote or relegate
teams out of a particular bracket if, in the opinion of the Board, such promotion or relegation will not provide the
best competition or meet the objectives of the league.
6. A premier team from another league may be bracketed in gold, silver elite or silver if in the opinion of the Board
such bracketing will provide the best competition and meet the object of the league.

Although I haven't looked at this for a while, my characterization that there is a  baseline neutral algorithm with an allowance for flexibility appears accurate. It is clearly not a situation where teams self-select. Self selection is very common at the lower levels including rec, and there are many, many examples of it producing competitive absurdities.

The superiority of the above over the traditional Washington method is also evident. First, the board does not answer to Cal South political officials. They act autonomously with the sole objective of producing good and proximate competition for its members. Second, because they are gaining valuable performance data as early as U9 when everyone is playing local, the placement errors get corrected early and at low cost meaning that over your soccer career you get more of your games close to home and against like competition.

[Left Foot]

3Play, is this it? (http://www.coastsoccer.com/CSL-Brackets-2009.pdf)

The Board of Directors has the absolute discretion to bracket teams applying for admittance into Coast Soccer
League in any manner that, in the opinion of the Board, will provide the best competition and meet the objectives of
the league.
The Board of Directors will utilize the following guidelines in bracketing teams. These guidelines are advisory only,
and the Board of Directors is not required to follow them if, in the opinion of the Board, adherence to the guidelines
in a particular case will not provide the best competition or meet the objectives of the league. These guidelines do
not apply to the CSL Premier League. As an "Invitational League", the CSL Premier League sets its' own guidelines
in order to achieve the most competitive bracketing.
1. Returning teams will be given priority in admittance into the league. A returning team means a team which played
the prior season in Coast Soccer League and has a minimum of seven (7) returning players [Six (6) for U9-U10],
a returning coach with an administrator's pass, and is playing or applied to play out of the same club. A returning
player means a player who has a valid player pass for that team and played a minimum of FIVE league and/or
league cup games with that team during the prior season. The required number of returning players MUST be
submitted on the team application by May 15.
2. Premier teams from other leagues may be given priority in admittance into the league over new teams. A Premier
team from another league means a "gold-level" team that played in another competitive league the prior season
and which in all respects qualifies as a returning team.
3. New teams will be admitted into the league as space permits; however, CSL reserves the right to deny
admittance to New Teams.
4. Returning teams, which finished in 1st will be promoted. 2nd and 3rd place teams from the prior season, MAY be
considered for promotion (e.g., from silver elite to gold). Said teams will only be considered for promotion in the
event of a spot being available and only after all 1st place teams have been promoted. A team MAY, at the sole
discretion of the CSL Board of Directors, be promoted more than one bracket (e.g., from bronze to gold).
Returning teams, which finished in 5th place or below the prior season, WILL be considered for relegation (e.g.,
gold to silver elite). A team MAY be relegated more than one bracket (e.g., gold to bronze).
5. It is the intent of the Board of Directors to promote all 1st place bracket teams) and to relegate at least two teams
out of each bracket from the prior season; however, the Board may, in its discretion, refuse to promote or relegate
teams out of a particular bracket if, in the opinion of the Board, such promotion or relegation will not provide the
best competition or meet the objectives of the league.
6. A premier team from another league may be bracketed in gold, silver elite or silver if in the opinion of the Board
such bracketing will provide the best competition and meet the object of the league.

Although I haven't looked at this for a while, my characterization that there is a  baseline neutral algorithm with an allowance for flexibility appears accurate. It is clearly not a situation where teams self-select. Self selection is very common at the lower levels including rec, and there are many, many examples of it producing competitive absurdities.

The superiority of the above over the traditional Washington method is also evident. First, the board does not answer to Cal South political officials. They act autonomously with the sole objective of producing good and proximate competition for its members. Second, because they are gaining valuable performance data as early as U9 when everyone is playing local, the placement errors get corrected early and at low cost meaning that over your soccer career you get more of your games close to home and against like competition.

I get your point about not being beholdin' to state officials. But this bracketing methodology would seem to be "We'll do what we want so that it serves competitiveness. Not really so much of your neutral algorithm IMHO.

[tripleplay]

I get your point about not being beholdin' to state officials. But this bracketing methodology would seem to be "We'll do what we want so that it serves competitiveness. Not really so much of your neutral algorithm IMHO.

I'm not sure what we're arguing about any more. Is it that any discretion makes the word "neutrality" inappropriate?

My point is that it is a good system even though not invented here. It's non-political, low travel, and like vs. like.

The original poster suggested something along the lines that self-selection of divisions was somehow more evolved. Not so. I have seen this in district level with teams ending up misplaced by two divisions. AFAIK, the PDL did not have written rules for division formation (but somehow used the secret and inaccurate Crap calculation) but they also factored in team wishes. For example, in one age group, local teams slated for the highest division did not want to play there, but a remote team jumped at the opportunity (and finished winless).

Alternatives to forming pre-defined all-play-all divisions is found in other activities. For example, all teams in a geographic region could be placed in the same large group. Who you would play within that group would depend upon how you've done against the group to date. Sort of a tournament format. That method of incremental self correction is faster and more efficient than the traditional season-to-season promotion/relegation schemes.