New England Masters Team Racing – Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: The team system seems interesting and I plan to participate, but how will my team be able to compete against another that is composed of ‘ringers’?

A: We have given this issue much consideration, and we have received a number of very thoughtful comments and suggestions from the race community on ways to avoid an unbalance of team strengths. My first comment is that team organizers must objectively assess the strengths of the racers around which they are building their teams. The race community consists of a broad range of abilities, and organizers should do their best to balance speed and consistency (i.e., a fast racer who does not always finish may help a team less than a moderately fast racer who always finishes). Having said that, we clearly recognize that a couple of teams may be very strong, but our hope is that each team will have strengths and weaknesses, and that several teams will be competitive. This is the nature of competition – some teams will do well, one will win, and other teams will probably be disappointed in their performance. Our objective was to create a system that generated excitement, not frustration. We have considered alternate ways of building teams, dropping scores, and handicapping schemes but in the end, we have found many of the ‘fixes’ actually ruin the system that they are attempting to repair. As hard as we have tried to devise a system that is fair, we do recognize that it may need modifications at some point. However, we feel it is important to observe the system before manipulating it to fix something that may, or may not actually happen. Therefore, our plan is to let the system run ‘as-is’ so we can see what happens, and as data accumulates we can look at ways to fix problems that actually do appear.

Q: Does a team need to consist of a minimum of 4 members (one from each “Group”) to be recognized for scoring purposes, or will a minimum of 4 “Classes” suffice?

A: The thought behind the team-racing program is to integrate competitors from a wide range of ages. The best way to do this is to use the existing age grouping system used by USSA at National and Regional level competitions (A=class 1-4 men; B=class 5-7 men; C=all women; and D=class 8+ men). We decided that a team’s race finish should consist of one result from each group, and allow each team to be comprised of up to 8‑members. Ideally, each team will have two representatives from each group, but other combinations are okay. In fact, a team can have fewer than four members, fielding a team with fewer than four members and/or without representation from each group carries a competitive disadvantage. The disadvantage is the penalty score that the team will receive for each missing finisher – a value equivalent to the highest point value from all team racers, plus 1 (see rules for specific details).

Q: What will happen if my team can only make eight races?

A: A team’s best nine races will count toward the season-long point total, just like the individual Sise Cup. Also like the Sise Cup, a team that doesn’t make all the races will put itself in a more difficult position because it won’t be able to accumulate the maximum points. That being said, a team that wins 8 races, but doesn’t compete in any other team races will still be competitive.

Q: I am confused by the points – which is better more points, or fewer points?

A: Both! The first thing we do is create a listing of results for all team racers and assign point values for each place. A racer who finishes first gets 1 point, the second place racer gets 2 points, the 40^th racer gets 40 points, etc. until all finish places are considered. Non-finishing racers will get the equivalent of the last place points plus 1. Then we sum the fastest Group A, B, C, and D scores for each team to generate a team score. The team with the fewest total race points wins that race. Therefore, part of the answer to your question is that fewer points are better, but there is more. After the results of the team competition are determined, we assign World Cup Points for each finishing team (100 points for first, 80 for second, and so on). Teams will accrue World Cup points throughout the season just like we do for the season-long overall and age class competitions. At the end of the season the team with the most World Cup points will win the team trophy. Possibly the easiest way to understand this is to think of it as though it was a golf tournament. To win a tournament, a golfer takes fewer strokes (i.e., fewer points), but after winning the competition the golfer with the fewest points wins the most money (i.e., more World Cup points).

Q: I am a Group B racer, and know a C racer who is interested in forming a team, but we do not know who else to ask?

A: Building a competitive roster is the key! If you do not know who to ask from Group A (Class 1-4 men) or from Group D (Class 8+ men) you should review the results and standings from last year to see who might be a strong competitor. When doing this, don’t be overly concerned about a racer’s overall finish because it is their place relative to other racers in their Group that is really important. For example, while a Group D racer who finishes in the top 25 overall would be a great addition to a team’s roster, a racer who is consistently the second Group D finisher is nearly as valuable, even if this racer seldom cracks the top 30 overall.

Q: My team has six racers on its roster. Can I still add racers even though there are only two races left?

A: Yes. A team can add racers at any time during the season, provided it has not reached the limit of 8 racers. The cost for a team is $100.00 for the first four racers, and $25.00 for each additional racer. A team that has six racers and wants to add another racer must pay $25.00 to register each new racer.

Q: I raced most of the season on a team, but will miss the last five races, can my team deactivate me and bring in a new racer?

A: No. The only time a team may deactivate a racer and replace that racer with another is if a season-ending injury occurs. If an injury does occur, the replacement racer will not need to pay an additional registration fee.

Q: My team is sponsored by a local ski shop – do I have to wear the silly purple sweater with the pink flamingo emblem they gave to each of the team members?

A: First, you should have given more thought to who you asked for money! That observation aside, what your sponsor wants you to wear is between you and your sponsor. While the New England Masters Team Program encourages every team to seek sponsorship, a sponsorship agreement is between the team and the sponsor and the New England Masters will not act as an arbiter to resolve any misunderstandings or disagreements – even if it involves a really tacky sweater!

Q: Half of the season has passed; can I still register a team?

A: Yes. A team can register at any point during the season. To be most competitive, a team should be able to make at least nine races, and it does not matter whether they are the first nine, the last nine, or a patchwork of races from the beginning, middle, or end.

Q: I joined a team and plan to race every chance I get, but I am not interested in my individual results. Do I still need to pay a race entry, or does my team registration fee cover my costs?

A: No. The team program is linked to the existing New England Masters program. If you want to race for a team, you must be a USSA member, a registered New England Masters racer, and you must have paid your race entry. No exceptions.

Q: I had to leave the resort before the awards were presented, how do I find out if my team won anything?

A: The New England Masters Team Program is a season-long quest. There are no prizes for individual races. Results for races and standings throughout the season will be posted on the New England Masters web page early in the week following the race.

Still have questions?? Contact Fred Dieffenbach (fdieffenbach at Bigfoot.com)