(Story by Marco Stoovelaar)
 Teams set for Promotion/Relegation Pool
Nederlands
 NIEUWEGEIN (Neth.) -
It took a few appeals and a look into the regulations, but the six teams that will participate in the Promotion/Relegation Pool are now set.
DSS, Pickles UVV and De Glaskoning Twins, the bottom-3 teams from the Dutch big league, will be joined by Storks, Quick Amersfoort and Onze Gezellen, the three best teams from the second highest league ('Overgangsklasse').
The Promotion/Relegation Pool opens on Saturday, August 19.
Just over a week ago, after some make-up games, the final standings were published in the 'Overgangsklasse' with Storks being the champion, followed by Quick Amersfoort and Onze Gezellen.
The last two ended in a tie for second place.
However, in the head-to-head games, Quick Amersfoort won both games against Onze Gezellen, giving them second place.
Shortly after the final standings had been published, the game between RCH-Pinguïns (which had finished fourth) and Neptunus Tridents (the second team of Neptunus) had been declared invalid.
That was done due to a presumed ineligible player in the team of Tridents, who had played in a game that was won against RCH-Pinguïns.
The game was re-scheduled for Tuesday, August 15.
When RCH-Pinguïns would have won that game, it would have qualified for the Promotion/Relegation Series.
It would have created a 3-way tie with Quick Amersfoort and Onze Gezellen.
The head-to-head results then would have been in favor of Quick Amersfoort and RCH-Pinguïns.
It was also rumored (but not confirmed) that Onze Gezellen could have a game re-scheduled against Tridents.
When that would have been the case and Onze Gezellen also would have won, Quick Amersfoort woud have been the eliminated team.
Also, Neptunus appealed, stating that the player was eligible to play.
On Friday (August 4), it was confirmed by the KNBSB that the player indeed was eligible to play, according to the regulations, which were adjusted earlier this year.
With that, the game between RCH-Pinguïns and Tridents became valid again and the make-up date was removed from the playing schedule.
That resulted in RCH-Pinguïns finishing in fourth place.
A few weeks ago, a game of RCH-Pinguïns against Euro Stars was declared invalid due to an ineligible in the team of RCH-Pinguïns.
That game was replayed a week ago (Tuesday, July 25) with RCH-Pinguïns winning 3-0.
Storks, which is from The Hague, opens the Promotion/Relegation Pool on Saturday, August 19 against the team that will finish in seventh place in the Dutch big league.
That will be decided this weekend, when the regular season closes.
Pickles UVV in currently in sixth place, De Glaskoning Twins is in seventh, but has a chance to finish ahead of UVV.
In order to do so, it has to win both remaining games against Hoofddorp Pioniers, while UVV has to lose both games against L&D Amsterdam Pirates.
In case UVV and Twins end up in a tie, the head-to-head results will be in favor of UVV.
The team has won five of its six games, with the sixth ending in a tie.
Quick Amersfoort opens the second half of the season against the sixth placed team from the big league.
Onze Gezellen begins against DSS, which will finish in fifth place.
Both teams are from Haarlem.
The four best teams from the Promotion/Relegation Pool will play in the Dutch big league next season, which then will have eight teams again.
As there are no games scheduled in the weekend of August 12 and 13, some teams will play exhibition games.
Twins will play on August 10 and 12 against Curaçao Neptunus, while Quick Amersfoort will play two games against HCAW.
Onze Gezellen plays one exhibition game against Kinheim on August 13.
(August 4)
Complete schedule
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