New Championship Layout 2015

[Clinton Bolinger]

My thoughts on 2015 CMPs:

• 8 Divisions - 8 Fields
• 64 Teams Per Division
• 32 Teams Make the Eliminations (4 Team Alliances)
• 12 Matches Per Team (Thursday & Friday)
• Alliance Selection Friday Night
• 1-2 Hour Robot Work Period for Alliances
• Division Awards during the Elims (like 2014)
• Division Eliminations Saturday Morning
• Division Winners Move to Einstein
• Einstein Eliminations (QF, SF, F) Saturday Afternoon

Fields Configured in a "/ \" Shape, which allows for the following:

• Spectators can watch more robot action (similar to VEX events)
• Field Reset takes place when the other field is playing a match
• Robots Connect to the field and get setup while other match is being played
• Two MCs that pass the audience back and forth

My favorite part is alliance selection on Friday Night (talk about GP) ... this would allow for the alliances to talk about their strategy, scout / watch videos on their opponents, and maybe even "hang out" that evening. The downside that people will bring up is the 32 x 8 Teams (256) that do not make the eliminations.

But I still think there is plenty of things to do:

• Check out Jr. FLL, FLL, FTC
• Goto the Arch
• Goto the City Museum
• Goto the Finale Party Thing
• I Don't Know ... WATCH the Elimination Matches
• Check out the teams that made the Elims

-Clinton-

[AdamHeard]

Originally Posted by Clinton Bolinger

My thoughts on 2015 CMPs:

• 8 Divisions - 8 Fields
• 64 Teams Per Division
• 32 Teams Make the Eliminations (4 Team Alliances)
• 12 Matches Per Team (Thursday & Friday)
• Alliance Selection Friday Night
• 1-2 Hour Robot Work Period for Alliances
• Division Awards during the Elims (like 2014)
• Division Eliminations Saturday Morning
• Division Winners Move to Einstein
• Einstein Eliminations (QF, SF, F) Saturday Afternoon

Fields Configured in a "/ \" Shape, which allows for the following:

• Spectators can watch more robot action (similar to VEX events)
• Field Reset takes place when the other field is playing a match
• Robots Connect to the field and get setup while other match is being played
• Two MCs that pass the audience back and forth

My favorite part is alliance selection on Friday Night (talk about GP) ... this would allow for the alliances to talk about their strategy, scout / watch videos on their opponents, and maybe even "hang out" that evening. The downside that people will bring up is the 32 x 8 Teams (256) that do not make the eliminations.

But I still think there is plenty of things to do:

• Check out Jr. FLL, FLL, FTC
• Goto the Arch
• Goto the City Museum
• Goto the Finale Party Thing
• I Don't Know ... WATCH the Elimination Matches
• Check out the teams that made the Elims

-Clinton-

I ran the numbers on the plane back and agree on the Thurs-Fri 8 division setup.

I don't like that it waters down the divisions a bunch, but if we're going to more divisions this happens no matter what.

It deepens the elims at champs without adding any funky structure.

[JB987]

Interesting ideas. I see one area of concern from the scout groups perspective...alliance selection Friday night leaves little time prior to selections to do a detailed analysis and ranking of prospective teams. It takes our guys at least 4 hours to do a thorough job of ranking prospects.

[Clinton Bolinger]

Originally Posted by JB987

Interesting ideas. I see one area of concern from the scout groups perspective...alliance selection Friday night leaves little time prior to selections to do a detailed analysis and ranking of prospective teams. It takes our guys at least 4 hours to do a thorough job of ranking prospects.

Possibly have a 2 hour "dinner" break, then the last match for all of the teams, before alliance selections begin. We would probably make a rough list on Thursday Night and refine the list all day Friday before alliance selection.

Hopefully the depth of CMPs will start to mimic MSC, as more and more areas go to the District Model.

-Clinton-

[Wayne TenBrink]

I completely agree with Clint. 8 divisions would allow up to 800 teams to play 10 matches (although I would prefer 64 teams/division with 12 matches). Friday alliance selection would complicate things, but it would be great to have an evening to work out strategy, etc. If I were one of the teams that didn't make it into the eliminations on Saturday, I would gladly do something I rarely get to do (except during Einstein, unfortunately) - just sit back and enjoy some good matches.

[XaulZan11]

Originally Posted by Clinton Bolinger

We would probably make a rough list on Thursday Night and refine the list all day Friday before alliance selection.

I'd have my team take it a step further and put teams in tiers even before the event started (I've done it for myself the past two years to determine overall depth of the field). This past year, I believe there was only 6 or 8 teams on Curie that did not have any match videos online.

On the whole I really like this layout. In the short run, it may water down the eliminations too much but with more places moving to districts, the depth of the 64 teams will only improve.

[AdamHeard]

Originally Posted by JB987

Interesting ideas. I see one area of concern from the scout groups perspective...alliance selection Friday night leaves little time prior to selections to do a detailed analysis and ranking of prospective teams. It takes our guys at least 4 hours to do a thorough job of ranking prospects.

I overlooked that in Clinton's post, my plan is the same except selections Saturday morning, then 1-2 break before elims start.

[Jared Russell]

I'd rather have quals later into the afternoon/evening on Friday to ensure that each team gets as many plays as possible, and then do selections first thing Saturday morning. I predict that giving each alliance captain a whole evening (with full knowledge of the standings) to come up with their pick list will increase the quality and strategic depth of eliminations in huge ways.

I totally agree with everything else in Clinton's post and would be VERY excited to see it implemented!

[Tom Bottiglieri]

Originally Posted by Jared Russell

I'd rather have quals later into the afternoon/evening on Friday to ensure that each team gets as many plays as possible, and then do selections first thing Saturday morning. I predict that giving each alliance captain a whole evening (with full knowledge of the standings) to come up with their pick list will increase the quality of eliminations play and strategic depth in huge ways.

I wonder if teams would even show up to the venue on Saturday if they were not picked on Friday.

[Basel A]

Originally Posted by Tom Bottiglieri

I wonder if teams would even show up to the venue on Saturday if they were not picked on Friday.

This has to be the main concern with Friday night alliance selections. Obviously all of us on CD would stick around, but nobody wants to see empty stands for Einstein, least of all FIRST with their sponsors, VIPs, and speakers.

From a team perspective, I don't think Friday night or Saturday morning is absolutely superior. In a game like this one, where strategising is incredibly important, being able to work with your partners all evening is great. But in a more regular game, I'd prefer to have the time to refine a pick list. Currently, that last half hour before alliance selections is just awful. Would personally lean towards Saturday morning alliance selections, with a break afterwards (there's time for it, gone are 2 hours of quals, only adding about an hour to Einstein).

[Clinton Bolinger]

Originally Posted by Jared Russell

I'd rather have quals later into the afternoon/evening on Friday to ensure that each team gets as many plays as possible, and then do selections first thing Saturday morning. I predict that giving each alliance captain a whole evening (with full knowledge of the standings) to come up with their pick list will increase the quality and strategic depth of eliminations in huge ways.

I totally agree with everything else in Clinton's post and would be VERY excited to see it implemented!

Saturday Morning would work as well and there is still potential for the first few teams to get together Friday night to make their remaining pick list for the next morning.

I like the idea of having all night to refine the pick lists and not guessing what the ranks will be after everyone plays their last match.

Either way I hope we increase the number of matches per team and decrease the number of teams per division. 100 Teams is way too many teams properly scout and rank (via the actual FIRST ranking).

-Clinton-

[PayneTrain]

Originally Posted by Clinton Bolinger

Either way I hope we increase the number of matches per team and decrease the number of teams per division. 100 Teams is way too many teams properly scout and rank (via the actual FIRST ranking).

-Clinton-

It is really unfortunate that at Championships I only share the field with half of my division. The other half might as well not even be on the same division.

With 12 matches to play (6 on Thursday and 6 on Friday) I can play with/against everyone in the division once if there are 60 teams. It doesn't have to be absolutely everyone, so even a number like 66 or 72 teams in a division would allow me to see the overwhelming majority of teams in my division.

[Chris is me]

Why not have alliance selection first thing Saturday morning? Maybe even alliance selection before opening ceremonies to allow more strategy or inspection time.

Benefits of this over Friday night are numerous:

• Qual matches can go as late as desired Friday
• Teams get essentially all of the time they need to make pick lists.
• Rankings are known for certain during pick list meetings, allowing for better strategy.
• No "surprise captains" without lists (happens less often at Champs but occasionally an issue)
• Saturday doesn't have to be rushed, allowing for a longer Einstein
• No team would ditch Saturday morning as they might still be playing

I think 6 divisions of 70-80 teams is probably the way to go. A round robin on Einstein would mean 6 matches total for the "semi finals" (compare to 4-6 for current semis) and then the top two advance. Tiebreakers could either be a rubber match or highest total score. Finals are same old best of three.

[Mike Norton]

Place to hold the Championship: Walt Disney Florida

1) Big Airport cheap to fly into
2) Lots of hotel rooms
3) Lot of things to do during down time
4) EPCOT big into new technology
5) Lots of space for all the teams.
6) Good weather in April.
7) Very safe

About rookies going to Championship. If they earn the right to go the same way as any other team then great. But they need to change the way seeding rounds are held. They would have to really randomize the seeding.

[Koko Ed]

Originally Posted by Tom Bottiglieri

I wonder if teams would even show up to the venue on Saturday if they were not picked on Friday.

More seats for Einstein!