[EricH]

Originally Posted by Akash Rastogi

We went in 06 and were allowed to preregister in 07 but didn't go. Then we preregistered in 08 but then qualified by winning and went, and then this year we were once again allowed to preregister. Is this odd?

No. It's the order in which pre-registration opens--if you didn't go last year, or pre-qualified, you got first shot. If you didn't go last year, you got a later pre-registration time that you could use. Assuming, of course, that the first registration time don't fill the open slots.

I think that how far down the waitlist they go is determined by how many teams qualify and already have a slot, or choose not to attend, or double-qualify. (It is possible to qualify for multiple spots by winning a regional and winning another award that qualifies you, or winning multiple regionals.)