posted Sep 5th, 2007 - New scores from the Northern Plains Skydiving League have replaced the results of the Italian Nationals 2007 on the frontpage. It will only be a few more days until new scores from the ESL Championship 2007 will override the NPSL results. The USPA Nationals 2007 will then be next beginning on Saturday.

Sandy Grillet, NPSL Director, was facing a very unusual situation at the last meet of his 2007 season and called at the NSL headquarters when the meet was just concluded.

Nine teams had completed all six rounds in each competition class, and the results of the AA Class competition in the Northern Plains caused the headache.

Microburst and Tears for Beers have battled with each other mercilessly throughout the last three of the four NPSL meets this year. Both teams collected a total of 29 NPSL points after two first places and one second place each. The NPSL awards ten league points for the winner of each meet, nine points for a second place, etc. The best three meets of each team count for the season's total number of league points.

It was not the first time that NPSL Director Sandy Grillet was faced with such a situation at the end of the season. The tie-breaker of the identical situation in the past was the higher season average of the two teams in first place according to the total number of NPSL points.

Amazingly, the 2007 season of the NPSL teams Microburst (5.3 - 6.0 - 6.7 - 7.2) and Tears for Beers (7.0 - 5.2 - 7.7) turned out to be on exactly the same scoring level, as well. Both teams finished with a 6.6 season average counting the best three meets after last weekend's NPSL Grande Finale.

There was no precedent for such a situation, and Sandy Grillet had to look for a different way how to break the tie.

The teams were not able to meet again for a jump-off next day since some team members had to leave the meet location at the end of the competition.

Next step was to apply the tie-breaking rules of the International Parachuting Commission (IPC) for a single meet to the league situation at the end of the season and at the last competition. The IPC rules require the officials to find the highest score for a single round in the particular event: "For determination of the final placings: the highest score in any completed round."

The interpretation of the same tie-breaking rule for the league situation in the Northern Plains might require Sandy Grillet to look for the highest meet average of these two teams at any of the NPSL 2007 meets. Tears for Beers finished with a 7.7 average at last weekend's NPSL competition, which is also the team's best meet average of the 2007 season.

Microburst finished with a 7.2 average at the same event and posted the team's highest 2007 average, as well. Tears for Beers would be the NPSL AA Class winner with the highest meet average of the 2007 season.

The situation would be the same if the IPC rules were applied directly at the last NPSL meet. The highest score of the meet would be the tie-breaking winner. Both teams scored 10-pointers in Round 4, which would have the officials move on the next step of the tie-breaking procedure.

The IPC rules for such a situation require to compare the scores round by round going backwards: "The highest score starting with the last completed round and continuing in reverse order, round by round until the tie is broken." Tears for Beers won the last round of the meet with a 7-pointer and would also be on top after this rule interpretation. It seems as if Tears for Beers is the official NPSL 2007 Champion in the AA Class.

It was easier for NPSL Director Sandy Grillet to determine his champions in the other competition classes. Good Game and Gang Green challenged each other at each meet of the NPSL 2007 season in the AAA Class competition. However, Good Game came out on top at each of the four meets and won the NPSL AAA Class of the 2007 season.

Top honors go to the Northern Plains in the A Class competition. 3CD finished the NPSL 2007 season with the maximum score of 30 league points (6.8 - 7.8 - 8.5) and posted a new team record average at the last meet. The A Class team of the Northern Plains Skydiving League is currently holding the top position of the A Class Rankings in the country. The Cessna Brats attended the team's second NPSL meet in the Rookie Class and completed the 9-team field last weekend at the Couch Freak Boogie.