Yep, Von, that is exactly it.
There are pros and cons each way when deciding whether to play or take a bye. Sometimes a coach may feel there's too much time between the last regular season game and a sectional final, and they don't want their team getting too "stale." They want to keep their team in a normal routine.
Of course, there's always an injury risk in playing a first round game, so other coaches may choose a bye.
The 1 seed puts their team anywhere in the bracket they want, and the 2 seed goes anywhere in the opposite side from the 1. And so on, down the line. Often, the 3 and/or 4 seeds (possibly even further down) will get the byes.
Edited by Pulitzer, 04 February 2013 - 02:30 AM.