Today pool play is wrapping up in Ostrava and the top two teams per pool will advance to the knockout stage. Teams are put into order based on match points earned in pool play. Teams get two match points for a win, one for a loss and zero for a forfeit. That sounds pretty straight forward, but when playing full pools with four teams, there are several scenarios that will leave teams with equal match records. So, who wins these ties? Don’t worry, the Beach Volley Blog has you covered with it’s latest beach volleyball explainer. Read on to learn about the Elite 16’s tie breaker rules.
Possible scenarios
With four teams playing three matches each, there are three possible scenarios that will leave teams with equal match records.
| Team | Wins | Losses | Match Points |
| Scenario 1 – Three tied at the top | |||
| Team A | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| Team B | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| Team C | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| Team D | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Scenario 2 – Three tied at the bottom | |||
| Team A | 3 | 0 | 6 |
| Team B | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Team C | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Team D | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Scenario 3 – Double ties | |||
| Team A | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| Team B | 2 | 1 | 5 |
| Team C | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Team D | 1 | 2 | 4 |
In the first scenario a team dominates while the other three teams exchange victories. In the second, one team gets beat up on while the other three exchange victories. This happened in women’s pool B in Ostrava. In the third scenario everyone gets at least one win and one loss. This is going to happen in women’s pool C, which is finishing up as I write.
Tie Break Rules
In the two-way tie scenario, the top two teams are into the quarterfinals and the bottom two are out. The tie breaker is still important for placement in the knockout stage draw. Pool winners theoretically have an easier path to the finals. For the losers, all important ranking points are determined based on these tie break rules. The third place team finishes 9th in the tournament and earns 600 points while the fourth place team finishes 13th overall and only gets 460 points.
In the three-way scenario the stakes are even higher as advancement in the tournament is determined.
What is the rally points ratio?
From the graphic above, rally points ratio is the most important factor. It is the ratio of points earned vs points conceded by a team. The importance of this ratio should drive home the fact that every point really does matter. If your favorite team jumps out to a 19 – 11 lead in set one and gets a bit…
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