1. Swiss pairings or mod-swiss will almost always necessitate making some distinction between teams with identical W/L records. 2. There are two generally acknowledged criteria available for making such distinctions--head-to-head record and some variant on PPG. 3. In a timed format such as NAQT, PPG is more subject to variation due to moderator skill. Unless all teams face each moderator the same number of times, there is no way to equalize this variation. Sure, in a perfect world, it wouldn't matter, but even if most moderators in a given SCT average a respectable 22 TU/game and Moderator B averages 26, the team that never sees Moderator B may be at a disadvantage in PPG compared to the team that sees Moderator B three or four times. 4. In any academic quiz tournament, the intent of the organizers is to identify the "best team" through competition. Factors that might affect the outcome but do not pertain to the knowledge and skill level of the teams (moderator quality, misleading questions, etc.) should be minimized. (I should say that these variables are MUCH less evident now than when I played as an undergraduate ****teen years ago.) Assuming that the above numbered propositions are accepted, the logical consequence of Eric Hilleman's assertion that head to head record should have no relevance beyond its effect on W/L record would be that swiss or mod-swiss scheduling cannot be used in an NAQT event. Have I missed something here? Stephen
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