I've been told that it is because a team hasn't played as many games as the team that is ahead. well that's fine if a team has played more games but they are a whole game ahead because they played an extra game. there is no such thing as a half a game, unless the game is in progress. you either have a full game or no game. there is no such thing as a half a game. Maybe this so many games and a half behind needs to change. I've told this to many people and they agree with me and don't understand it other than that is how people refer to it as. I've never head in any other sports when a team is behind. that "they need 4 1/2 points to make the playoffs" as in hockey, or i've never heard that in football term being used in football either.
2007-08-13 15:41:42 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Sports ➔ Baseball
If two teams have not played the same number of games, then it is possible for "half games" to separate them.
If we think of the first place team as Team1 and the second place team as Team2, games behind is calculated by:
1) Team1 wins minus Team2 wins
PLUS
2) Team2 loses minus Team1 loses
DIVIDED BY TWO.
Eg:
Red Sox 71-47
Yankees 66-51
71 - 66 = 5
51-47 = 4
5 + 4 = 9
9 / 2 = Yankees 4 1/2 games out.
When the teams play each other, then they gain or lose a whole game in the standings (relative to each other that is... whoever wins picks up a full game)... but if they don't play each other, 1/2 of the GB is contributed by the Red Sox winning or losing , the other 1/2 is contributed by the Yankees.
2007-08-13 15:50:06 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Team A is 40 and 30
Team B is 39 and 30
If only one team plays on a given day.. then a 'half' game would change in the standings..
Frankly, tracking games behind is simpler and as logical as the Pythagorean Theorem. When first learning either, it makes little sense, until the light comes on and you blush at just how simple and perfect each is..
I.E. Team B wins, then they are tied at 40-30.. But if they lose, then they are now a full game behind.... This is proven by going to the second day where Team A at 40 and 30 loses, and Team B at 39 and 31 wins, they would be tied again, no games behind..
Based on your logic.. If Team A at 40-30 is idle, and Team B is 39-30, you would consider them 1 game behind.. If Team B plays and loses, while Team a is idle, the records would be 40-30 for A, and 39-31 for B.. but you would consider Team B two games behind.., even tho there is only one win difference in the standings.. The half game is a mathematical representation that one team plays or has played an uneven number of games compared to another team.. It also signifies how many days it would take to catch a team ahead in the standings..
To figure out the games behind.. simply take the team with the best winning percentage in the standings as the base line.. 40 and 30
Team 2 is 38 and 31.. take team A wins, minus team B wins.. or (40-38 =2) + Team B losses minus Team A losses or (31-30=1) divide the total by 2 and you have Team B's games behind (the two represents the Wins column and the loss column.. 3 divided by 2 is 1.5 or 1 and a half games behind..
Team 3 is 35 and 35.. they would be (5+5)/2 or 5 games behind..
And team 4 is 29 and 40.. they would be (11+10)/2 or 10.5 games behind.
Is pure mathmatics at it's basic level
In Football, they don't use games behind, because everyone plays once a week, with the occasional bye in place..
Basketball does use the 1/2 game behind
and Hockey uses points.. 2 for a win and 1 point for an overtime loss.. they use a system called points behind with games in hand.. they could use 1/2 points, by awarding one point for a win, and 1/2 point for overtime loss.. it would 'equate' to the same measurement..
2007-08-13 16:14:42 · answer #2 · answered by thorfin39 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is really just a way to keep track if the system.
For example, a team plays their first game and wins; they would have 1 win and zero loses and another that has not played a game yet, zero wins zero loses.
The team that won their first game would be up by 1/2 game because the lead depends on the outcome of the other teams game. It means that they are not completely behind or ahead because they still have make up that game.
If the team behind a half game wins, they become tied and if they lose they become an whole game behind.
2007-08-13 15:59:26 · answer #3 · answered by Wads 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's just bookkeeping. Consider: each game has two teams involved, so the outcomes (win, loss) are worth one-half game (to each team) in the relative standings.
The 0.5 game thingie arises when two teams have played an odd differential of decided games (1, 3, 5, ...).
2007-08-13 15:50:01 · answer #4 · answered by Chipmaker Authentic 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
OK, Yeah you're right. It's impossible. We've all been keeping track of the standings in an impossible manner. Thanx for bringing that to our attention.
2007-08-13 15:48:56 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
you gain a half game for a win and lose on for a losse so that if you played a team in your division you will only gain a game on them and half a game on everyone else.
2007-08-13 16:22:15 · answer #6 · answered by Mr. Smith 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
its easy say the top team is 55-33 and the 2nd place team is 55-34 becuase the second team has one more loss but the same number of wins they r a 1/2 game back
2007-08-13 15:49:52 · answer #7 · answered by crump01234 1 · 3⤊ 0⤋
wow just wow
2007-08-13 16:12:57 · answer #8 · answered by Indian Fever 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
crump01234 is right
2007-08-13 16:02:42 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋