TOPL Survey results and future season plans

Thanks to everyone who filled out the survey that we put up!  We got a good number of responses, and some good feedback that we’ll be considering as we plan the next year for TOPL.  The question of whether or not to go to 14 weeks was pretty decisive:

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It also seems that lots of people want to play most Monday nights:

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The “other” responses had some great comments like this one: “Playing the Monday after a pinball intensive weekend like ReplayFX or Allentown is better than not playing for 13 days. Somehow, I could muster the energy. “ 

In the past, we’ve skipped the Monday after major events like the PAPA world championships, Pinburgh, and Expo, just because we wanted to encourage people to attend, and there were only a few decent sized pinball tournaments every year.  These days though, the IFPA calendar has something virtually every week, and while there is certainly a large contingent of players who travel for tournaments, there are a lot who don’t or are unable to who still want to play pinball.  We’re also not scheduling competing TOPL events during other tournaments, and would encourage everyone to represent TOPL in as many events as possible. 

As for the playoff dates, it looks like Sundays still have the edge if we factor in the “don’t care” responses:

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So, based on all of this, I’ve put together a revised schedule for the next few years that you can check out here.  There are a few changes from what we’re currently doing.  After this current season, we’re running a 14 week season (and in one case, 13), and the only Mondays we’re skipping are the Monday after playoffs, and anything that’s a long weekend.  We’re still allowing players to drop their 3 lowest scores, and league fees will remain the same.  This also means that playoffs and season breaks will be at or very close to the end of April, the end of August, and the end of December every year.  For 2016, we’ll keep the dropped week for PAPA in April.  Conveniently, ReplayFX has been held at the same time as the August long weekend in 2015 and 2016, so if that continues, we’ll probably get a skip week in there as well for the foreseeable future if you really don’t want to have to play after driving back from Pittsburgh. 

2 thoughts on “TOPL Survey results and future season plans”

  1. Wouldn’t it make sense, if the seasons are going to be fixed, to schedule week 1 of the “after summer” season to AFTER labour day? Of the entire schedule, I’d think that starting week would be the most important of the entire year.

    With people on holidays, cottages, school break, etc, it would be prudent to align the start of topl with what everyone associates as the start of Fall (week after Labour Day).

    Just my opinion.

  2. Yes, I looked at that, but the problem was that starting after labour day would push the playoffs too close to Christmas. That meant either having a 13 week season in the fall (since we lose labour day, thanksgiving, and the end of december), or having a week before labour day. Worst case, if someone can’t make it to week 1, they can still make the other 13.

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