why doesn't FIRST have 3rd place?

[Ziv]

Everyone wants to play more matches. For the price in time and money teams pay, they really should get to play more matches. The solution is far more likely to be found in something like the district system than in making everyone stay longer at an event and get even more tired watching a set of consolation matches between two alliances whose members have already played more matches than most other teams at the event.