10/29/2020
ANNUAL MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT
As many of our veteran League Operators know, every year around this time NAPA HQ makes an annual announcement of new features to NAPA for the upcoming new seasons. Every year we spend all summer conjuring up new updates to make NAPA better. It’s our never ending quest to continue building the best pool league possible for our players.
This year is no different. And so...below are the cool updates that will either be starting TODAY or be starting January 1st, 2021. We hope you will join us in embracing these new and exciting updates.
SCOTCH DOUBLES 3.0
Scotch Doubles has become one of our most popular formats over the last two and a half years. Our players love the format. It is growing every week in our league and we strongly encourage you to give it a try if you have not started playing it yet. It's a ton of fun for everyone.
Starting today, NAPA Scotch Doubles is now considered an Official NAPA Game Format.
Scotch Doubles & the NAPA NRP
Starting TODAY, all NAPA Scotch Doubles matches that a player plays will count towards their NAPA NRP as a full point, just like their regular league matches.
If you have forgotten how important the NAPA NRP is, be sure to read up on it on our main website: https://www.napaleagues.com/nrp.php
You can also find details on the NAPA NRP in your LOCO System un LO Assistant > NAPA Features Explained.
Scotch Doubles Subbing Players
Starting today, when you log into the Scotch Doubles scorekeeping app you can now sub players "on the fly". For each team member on a team their name is presented to you in a pull down menu (see screen shots). If you need to sub a player out for a match, simply select the player that you need to "sub out" and replace them with the player you want to "sub in".
NOTICE: In the Substitution pull down menus you will only be presented with local players of equal or lesser skill level than the player you are subbing for as per the NAPA Scotch Doubles rules!
Don't need to sub a player at all for either team? Simply click on the Submit button at the bottom without making any selection and it will keep the same players.
NOTE: Subbing a player does NOT change the team skill level. Team skill levels are already determined in advance of your matches. Even though the player you are "subbing in" might be lower in skill level, the team skill level stays the same. After a Scotch Doubles team has played a match with a sub, the team skill level will still gyrate based on the NAPA Scotch Doubles formula and when the original player returns the team skill level will still remain at it's current level. In short, subbing a player does NOT alter a team's skill level. If you are PERMANENTLY replacing a player on a team, that WILL change the team skill level.
Permanently replacing a player on a Scotch Doubles team, as per the Official NAPA Scotch Doubles Rules ( #1.5), must be done through NAPA HQ.
NOTE: When a player subs for another player in Scotch Doubles, the player who is acting as the sub gets the NRP credit for the match played, not the player who had to miss the match.
Scotch Doubles Play Future Matches
NAPA Scotch Doubles now allows you to play matches in the future. At the login screen you can now select Regular Match, Makeup Match, or Future Match.
Regular Match is simply a match that you will be playing on its scheduled date.
Makeup Match is simply a match that you are having to play AFTER its regular scheduled date.
Future Match is simply a match that is normally scheduled in the future that you might need to play in advance due to scheduling issues or prior planned events.
Scotch Doubles & The Geek Stuff
We have hunkered down into the GEEK tank and we have invented a second skill level formula into our system. The formula is called the SD Factor. The SD Factor shows us a skill level "gyration margin" of a player from every Scotch Doubles match they have played alongside a teammate. This formula is then incorporated alongside their Regular NAPA Skill Level in the NAPA main database regardless if they have ever played a regular NAPA match or not and returns to us an incredibly accurate and balanced skill level margin for these players.
We have put this SD Factor to the test on numerous players from different regions, and we are satisfied with the accuracy. Having the SD Factor will allow HQ to evaluate every Scotch Doubles player before tour stops and national events with a deep evaluation and adjust their skill levels accordingly, as needed, before the events.
NAPA HQ will also be using the new SD Factor during requested audits of player skill levels.
2021 TOURNAMENT SL GYRATION
We at HQ have incorporated our standard skill level formula into our standard tournament format which will allow us to record the performances of every player during the tournaments they play in.
As a result, starting January 1st, 2021, at all NAPA tour stops and national events, players skill levels will gyrate after EVERY match they play DURING the events, just like it does in your local league play, with the exception of the final-four championship rounds in each event.
The moment a score card is submitted to the NAPA tournament desk, the result of the match will be entered into the tournament system and an updated skill level will be applied to both players of the match and entered into the NAPA tournament brackets.
So, after every match a player plays in a NAPA tournament they can go up in skill level or go down in skill level. They will never stay the same skill level.
The formula is calculated automatically by the NAPA SL formula and not by a person or staff member.
We hope that you will join us in embracing these new and exciting changes to the NAPA services and we hope to see you playing Scotch Doubles and on the Poolshooters Tour in 2021.
NAPA - North American Poolshooters Association
