FRC Blogged - 2013 FIRST Championship Registration and Request for Proposals for 2013

[Chris is me]

http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprogr.../blog-09-06-12

Quite the bombshell dropped here - the end of open Championship registration.

[Taylor]

I didn't get that at all - just that non-merit-qualifying veterans will be wait listed for a longer time.

[EricH]

Well... It's the end of open registration in a sense.

At this point, all the open registration does is fill slots left by the merit-based qualifiers. Previously, there were some open registration slots that were filled by open registration only.

In other words, now, to make Championship, you have to qualify.

If you don't qualify, you have a slim chance of making it, if you are high enough up on the waitlist.

[MARS_James]

This bugs me a little from a math perspective:

As of this year you have the 12 teams who were on Einstein, The Engineering Inspiration award winner, the 16 Hall of Famers and the 7 teams that have sustained since 1992 bringing the total prequalified teams to 36. Assuming that we keep the number of teams at national the same as last year (400) we are left with 364 teams.

So I will add 3 events to the schedule for this season for simplicity sake bringing the Total to 57 events where teams can qualify for Championship. So we have The Chairmans Award Winner, Engineering Inspiration Award Winner, and the 3 winners of the competition (assuming no alternates are used) which brings the number of teams that qualify on merit (with no repeats which usually doesn't happen) to 342

So 22 teams can qualify from the wait list.

Here is where the math bugs me, if after this year we have the 1 new hall of fame member and only the three winners. So that is 30 slots next year which means under the current structure of qualifying and 400 teams at championships FIRST can only support 63 regionals which is only 9 more then we just had

[IndySam]

There will be many teams that will qualify for multiple spots. There are always plenty of multiple event winners and winners that also win Chairmans or EI. There will be merit teams that won't be able to afford to go.

Also many waitlisted team will get in via merit. It's gonna be fun after each weeks payment deadline passes to see who gets pulled off of the list.

We also don't know what will qualify a team on merit. They specifically wrote that the qualification criteria has yet to be announced. Could be some changes in order.

Maybe they will take away EI, who knows what may happen.

Darn. We were gonna go to champs for the first time this year.

[EricLeifermann]

Originally Posted by MARS_James

This bugs me a little from a math perspective:

As of this year you have the 12 teams who were on Einstein, The Engineering Inspiration award winner, the 16 Hall of Famers and the 7 teams that have sustained since 1992 bringing the total prequalified teams to 36. Assuming that we keep the number of teams at national the same as last year (400) we are left with 364 teams.

So I will add 3 events to the schedule for this season for simplicity sake bringing the Total to 57 events where teams can qualify for Championship. So we have The Chairmans Award Winner, Engineering Inspiration Award Winner, and the 3 winners of the competition (assuming no alternates are used) which brings the number of teams that qualify on merit (with no repeats which usually doesn't happen) to 342

So 22 teams can qualify from the wait list.

Here is where the math bugs me, if after this year we have the 1 new hall of fame member and only the three winners. So that is 30 slots next year which means under the current structure of qualifying and 400 teams at championships FIRST can only support 63 regionals which is only 9 more then we just had

Don't forget rookie all-star...

[MARS_James]

Originally Posted by EricLeifermann

Don't forget rookie all-star...

I forgot to put the name but they are in the math as one of the 6 I swear

[rachelholladay]

It would be really nice to have teams who havent been to CMP for a while be able to go for the experience. Its sad that this is becoming less and less likely but you could kind of see this coming. I'm not sure how FIRST will tackle the growing size but cutting back on the wait list, however sad, was an obvious way.

I'm not so sure they should take away EI as a way to get to CMP, although I've heard a lot of people suggest. The heart and spirit of FIRST is embodied by awards like RCA and EI. You send three teams for robot (regional winners), one rookie for robot/impact (rookie all-star) and two for outreach and impact (RCA and IE). I think FIRST will want to keep the balance of what earns a trip to CMP.

[BrendanB]

Originally Posted by SuperNerd256

Darn. We were gonna go to champs for the first time this year.

Register ASAP and maybe a team will qualify twice!

Originally Posted by BrendanB

Register ASAP and maybe a team will qualify twice!

When does registration start?

[BrendanB]

Originally Posted by SuperNerd256

When does registration start?

10/25 and then you are waitlisted.

[BugByte]

I thought we would finally sign up this year Oh well, we'll just have to win instead

[cgmv123]

Originally Posted by SuperNerd256

When does registration start?

October 25 @ Noon (ET, I'm assuming) if you didn't go last year.

November 8 @ Noon if you did.

[PVCpirate]

Originally Posted by EricH

In other words, now, to make Championship, you have to qualify.

Finally! I knew they were going to have to make some changes after last year. This way, there aren't any slots specifically for teams who "just want to go", yet the waitlist definitely favors teams that didn't go to Championship, giving some teams who haven't been yet a chance to go. But the bottom line is to be given a chance to become one of the world champions of FRC, I think you should have some award or distinction which got you there. That is what we are headed toward with this change.