Wbsc C11

The "Waterfall Rule" is the most critical part of the WBSC Softball regulation. It dictates how ties are handled when a criterion partially resolves a group.

The Rule:

Tie-breaking criteria are applied in a sequential order. Once a tie moves to a subsequent step (like TQB), the calculation is based ONLY on the games played between the teams currently involved in that specific tie. The logic moves forward and NEVER returns to Step 1.

How to Implement (Recursive Logic):

1. Identify the Tied Group: Filter all games to include only those between teams in the group.
2. Apply Current Step: (e.g., Step 2: TQB).
3. Check for Separation:
   • If all teams are separated: Settlement reached.
   • If none are separated (all still tied): Move the entire group to the Next Step (e.g., Step 3: ER-TQB).
   • If some are separated (e.g., Team A is #1, but B and C remain tied):
     • Place Team A.
     • Take the remaining tied teams (B & C) and move them to the Next Step (e.g., Step 3).
     • CRITICAL: Do NOT return to Step 1 for B & C.

Best Practices (Softball Context)

• Innings Format: Always store innings as "outs" internally for precision. Softball uses 3 outs per inning. Format 7.1 means 7 + 1/3 innings.
• Localized Stats: When resolving a tie, "Innings at Bat" and "Runs Scored" must be calculated only from games between the tied teams. Do not use the tournament totals.
• TIE_TOLERANCE: Use a tolerance of 0.0001 when comparing TQB values to account for floating-point math.

Resources

• c11_logic.ts: Recursive engine template.
• rule_c11.md: Official regulation text.