3v3 Haxball European Competitions

Dear Haxball Greece Admins and Players!
I represent a Polish 3v3 haxball league called HMTL (short for Haxball Manager Transfer League). I would like to offer you a chance to participate in prestigious 3v3 haxball competitions: the Haxball Champions League and the Haxball Europa League.
The Haxball Champions League is a competition aimed at finding the best European 3v3 haxball club. The champions of each league enter the competition and play against each other in order to determine which team is the best.
The Haxball Europa League is a competition for the best clubs that failed to qualify for the Haxball Champions League. Two or three teams (the second- and third-placed team from each league and the winner of the league cup, if a particular league holds one) from each league compete in the second most prestigious competition in European 3v3 haxball.
We would be honoured if you would like your league to play in the European competitions with us. Please contact us at komputerowiec21w@o2.pl.

Yours faithfully,
qtasse @ www.haxball-manager.pun.pl

It sounds interesting, but I have some concerns and questions... Should I post them here?

It doesn't make a difference to me. You can post it here or to my e-mail, whichever you prefer.

Aha. I'd prefer to post them here, so if any member has any more questions they can either post them or pm me to ask, so:

Are you (or somebody in particular) going to "host" the tournaments (take care of the fixture lists, the organisation, etc)?

Are you planning to make a forum/website to organise the tournament better and enable communication?

Do you have an exact format for the tournaments in mind?

There will be many difficulties for 3v3 for all the players to go online at the same time, we had the same problem on a tournament of ours, how will you face it?

Of course the biggest problem called lag, 6 players form different countries in the same room, the non-host country is bound to have bigger lag, and there are many players (here also! ) who complain all the time and want matches cancelled and re-played from the start, etc

You leave the choice of the players to us, right?? So, since you plan to emulate the actual football european competitions, are you planning to make a coefficients table so that each forum will send more or less teams according to its power?

Prety much these are the questions I can think of now, other than that it's a really nice thought

Are you (or somebody in particular) going to "host" the tournaments (take care of the fixture lists, the organisation, etc)?

Are you planning to make a forum/website to organise the tournament better and enable communication?

Do you have an exact format for the tournaments in mind?

Yes to all three. Rest assured, the organisation will be flawless. I'm even planning to transmit the round draws as live video feeds for everyone to watch (I actually did this today, I was doing the draw for HMTL Cup and it was available as a livestream from my living room ;d).

There will be many difficulties for 3v3 for all the players to go online at the same time, we had the same problem on a tournament of ours, how will you face it?

Each team will choose two players. One will become the "coach" and the other the "assistant coach". These players will have to share their contact information (e-mails, ICQ, Skype, whatever) with everyone else. For each round there will either be a deadline (e.g. you have to play the preliminary round matches until dd.mm) or a short period to play the particular game(s) in (e.g. you have to play the second group fixture between dd.mm and dd.mm). The coaches (or assistant coaches, if the coaches are for some reason not available) will contact each other, set a date and time for the match and make sure that the players of their teams are present at that set date and time. That's the way we do it at HMTL.

Of course the biggest problem called lag, 6 players form different countries in the same room, the non-host country is bound to have bigger lag

It will be advised that the teams play a test game (before starting a match) in order to test the connection and make sure there is no inconvenience (or the existing inconvenience does not affect the game significantly). Also, all the rounds (except for the final, but the final will be hosted in a neutral area) will involve facing the same team twice (this goes for both the cup stage and the round robin), and so the games will be played in a home-away system. One game will be hosted in the country of one team, the other in the country of the other team. This solves the problem you mentioned in that in each match the "visitors" are more lag-prone and therefore there will also be an away goals rule (because it's harder to play well if you're lagging).

You leave the choice of the players to us, right??

The rule is simple: the champions enter Champions League, the second- and third-placed team (and the cup winner, if you have a cup) enter Europa League. This mimics the UEFA eligibility rules for most federations (including Poland). If what you meant was the choice of players for a particular match, then the rule is also simple: once or twice (this depends on how many leagues participate) during the season, each team sends us a list of up to 10 players and the players on the list are the only people allowed to play for that team in that particular season.

are you planning to make a coefficients table so that each forum will send more or less teams according to its power?

Actual coefficients and pots based on the strength of a particular league will be made for the second season, once the first season finishes and we know which league is good and which is not. As for the first season, I have two options in mind. Option 1: no coefficients, no pots, everyone can play with everyone. Option 2: coefficients and pots based on the population of a country (the logic here is that the more people live in a country, the bigger the probability of talented haxballers living in that country). I think I'll run a vote and the coaches will democratically decide which option to choose.

If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to ask.

I agree to your answers and I find them quite satisfying. The thing is that I'd like not to be too much involved in the organization, like finding our forum's players to play their match, or being responsible for them to show up. If you leave all the responsibility to the team's captain, it's fine by me. Of course a team that is inconsistent all the time will be "punished" here, but that's outside the tournament, I don't want that extra stress

So if I understood, you want teams of 3 players and up to 7 backups (I think that's too much, 2 backups would be ok), one of them being the captain/coach that will contact the opponent team and find a time to play the match, also, a vicecaptain/assistant coach, right?

The thing is that we currently have no 3v3 tournament ongoing so we can pick our best teams straightaway, and the last 3v3 did not go so well. So if you are planning on hosting a tournament these days we will send some teams without hosting a championship of our own, and in the meantime we will start our own 3v3 tournaments using your ideas for gathering all 6 players, in order to be fully ready for the next tournament. If this is ok with you.

About the coefficient I agree that the most fair rule would be that all forums start with no coefficients and we form them from now on. A second option, more fair would be not the population of the country but the members on a forum (more members, higher possibilities for good players) but still I think that 0 coeff would be best to start.

So, 3 more questions:

Having forum coefficients means that better forums will send more than 1 team in Champions League and more in Europa League, right?

Are you planning to have one forum participating from each country? Because countries like turkey for example have more than 2 forums. So will they participate as a country (one forum representing) or as a forum, meaning all forums send their own teams?

How many teams will the two competitions have (for example ChL 32 teams, EuL 40 etc)?

The thing is that I'd like not to be too much involved in the organization, like finding our forum's players to play their match, or being responsible for them to show up.

All I would like you to do is pass the message to the admins and the non-English speaking part of the community.

So if I understood, you want teams of 3 players and up to 7 backups (I think that's too much, 2 backups would be ok)

The additional players are not backups in the sense that if one of the "primary three" doesn't show up, these "backups" hop in. The list that I had mentioned is a list of all the players eligible to play for a club in the European competitions. The coaches are responsible for choosing a starting three for each match and they can use any three players from the list they had sent.

(I think that's too much, 2 backups would be ok)

10 players is a maximum, a coach can just as well send a list of seven, five, three or even one player (himself). Also, experience tells me that no number of players is too much ;]

one of them being the captain/coach that will contact the opponent team and find a time to play the match, also, a vicecaptain/assistant coach, right?

Exactly. The assistant coaches are "used" if the primary coaches are for some reason unavailable.

The thing is that we currently have no 3v3 tournament ongoing so we can pick our best teams straightaway, and the last 3v3 did not go so well. So if you are planning on hosting a tournament these days we will send some teams without hosting a championship of our own, and in the meantime we will start our own 3v3 tournaments using your ideas for gathering all 6 players, in order to be fully ready for the next tournament. If this is ok with you.

Right now our primary concern is finding any leagues that would like to participate in the competitions, so this is perfectly ok with me. In the long run, however, I would like every forum to create a 3v3 with actual "clubs" that compete for the league championship and for the right to participate in the European cups. But to be honest I'm not really going to check if every forum does things exactly the way I want things to be done, all I want from a forum is a message from the admin: "League champion: <team A> Runner-up: <team B> Bronze medalist: <team C> Cup winner: <team D>" and then lists of players of teams A, B, C and D.

A second option, more fair would be not the population of the country but the members on a forum (more members, higher possibilities for good players)

Makes sense to me.

but still I think that 0 coeff would be best to start.

Like I said, once we have enough participants, the coaches will decide.

Having forum coefficients means that better forums will send more than 1 team in Champions League and more in Europa League, right?

Right.

Are you planning to have one forum participating from each country? Because countries like turkey for example have more than 2 forums. So will they participate as a country (one forum representing) or as a forum, meaning all forums send their own teams?

There is a strict one country = one league rule. The idea is to get the best league in a country to participate in this thing. Of course, not every league might want to play with us, so we'll take any (decent) league that will.

How many teams will the two competitions have (for example ChL 32 teams, EuL 40 etc)?

This depends solely on how many leagues will want to participate. Of course, the more the merrier.

I believe you can count us in, I think that we will find interested members, but i want to clarify one more thing:

The coach and assistant coach are still players, right??

and I would like you to tell me once more a bit more detailed about the 10 player list because I'm at a loss there... There is a 10-player-list for each team, right? and why exactly is that? It's like a squad? Then how is it different from the "backups" I said?

The coach and assistant coach are still players, right??

Yes. You can call them "captain" and "vice-captain", it makes no difference in practical terms.

There is a 10-player-list for each team, right? and why exactly is that? It's like a squad? Then how is it different from the "backups" I said?

It is like a squad. The coaches get to choose a starting three from the players on the list they had sent. It is not different from the "backups" you mentioned, I just misunderstood you when you mentioned them.

I believe you can count us in

This is great news ;] welcome to a unique European experience! ;p

http://euro-haxball.proboards.com/
Before I add your league to the list of participating leagues, I need nicknames and e-mails (or Skype logins or Facebook accounts) of two of your admins. I will contact them later for the list of teams eligible to play in the Cups.

please visit http://euro-haxball.proboards.com/
this is the official forum of the Haxball European Competitions
check out the 'Applications' forum and sign up your league for participation

Just give me a few days to talk with the other admins and inform the members in order to confirm that we are participating! Until the end of the weekend I'll have sent the contact information to you and entered the site

Absolutely ;] I'm waiting for your confirmation

Unfortunately up until now we had only 9 members saying that they are interested. It won't be easy to form the three teams needed, so what we can do is:

-wait until the tournament starts and see if anyone else says that they will play
-send just one or two teams for thw first tournaments and try to gather more interested members
-start the tournament without us and as soon as we can we will inform you to include us in the next tournament.


By the way, are you planing on hosting these tournaments annualy?

It won't be easy to form the three teams needed,

According to recent arrangements, each league will send five teams to Haxball European Competitions: two to Haxball Champions League and three to Haxball Europa League. See http://euro-haxball.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=general&thread=9&page=1 for exact information on how the tournaments will look.

wait until the tournament starts and see if anyone else says that they will play

The tournaments start in mid-September 2011, so you have more than two months to get the minimum 15 people needed. I don't think that will be a problem ;]

By the way, are you planing on hosting these tournaments annualy?

Not annually, but in a 'season after season' fashion. The HEC seasons will most likely be synchronized with the HMTL seasons (HMTL is the Polish haxball league, www.haxball-manager.pun.pl), and thus each HEC season will probably take 3-4 months.

I hope you guys are still with us ;]

Don't worry, we are still trying to organise a league

it would be good if you guys registered at our website
www.euro-haxball.proboards.com
I know you don't have enough people yet, but I'm sure you'll have gotten the minimum of 15 players needed by 15th September (that's when the competitions start) and it will always look better for other leagues if they see that a few leagues are already registered ;]

if you still want to play with us, please register at www.euro-haxball.proboards.com and apply
it doesn't matter that you don't have enough people yet
please please please please ;]
if you don't want to play with us just ban me ;]

Lol, we're not gonna ban you, but until we have enough members to participate you can count us out, and our forum is empty due to summer vacation. Once we have the members needed we will make our application


(I will move this topic in the english section of the forum in a few days, just to be more correct )

OK, but here's what I suggest. Why don't you just make a topic in the Greek forum and ask "who wants to represent Greece in 3v3 European competitions?" and then just wait for the volunteers to appear? I'm sure the minimum 15 people would be found very quickly and then you could just split them into teams and register on our website.

You are wrong