[FRC Blog] Inter-District Play for 2015

[MagiChau]

http://www.usfirst.org/roboticsprogr...-Play-for-2015

I’ve got some good news. A cross-functional task force, which included volunteers from all five FRC Districts, has developed a way to allow district teams to participate in district events other than their own.

In the 2015 season, FIRST In Michigan, IndianaFIRST, Mid-Atlantic Robotics, NEFIRST, and Pacific Northwest FIRST will collaborate with FIRST HQ to fill any “open” district event spots with teams from other districts. An “open district spot” is defined as a spot that remains open after all teams in a district have had the opportunity to sign up for their two events plus any additional plays they desire.

Points and Awards

Teams playing at a district event outside their home district will treat the out-of-district event in the same way that an in-district team treats an additional district event, meaning no points will be earned, but with a few additional changes:

The event will be considered an “additional event” regardless of when it actually occurs. Example: A team from MAR signs up for its two official MAR district events, one on Week 1 and one on Week 4. Additionally, the team signs up for one of the open spots in New England during Week 3. Even though the New England event is before the team’s second official MAR event, the event will be treated as an additional event and the team would not earn any points at the New England event. In this first attempt at an inter-district play option in 2015, we wanted to retain the concept of teams only being able to earn points within their own districts, though our standard points system will facilitate our ability to move toward more comprehensive inter-district play options in later years.
Additionally, the out-of-district team would not be eligible for the three Culture Changing Awards: Chairman’s Award, Engineering Inspiration Award, or Rookie All Star. These may be earned only at events within their home district. They will be eligible to win all other awards, but again, they will not earn points for these. The task force felt strongly that these most prestigious of all FRC awards should be reserved for in-district participants in 2015, and recognized that presenting these awards to teams from outside the districts would lead to complications at the District Championship level. This direction, though, as the one above, may change in later years.
The cost to register for an additional play at a district event outside a team’s home district is $1,000. Teams will continue to transport their robots to the event themselves. Each event may decide whether or not to provide drayage facilities for out-of-district teams. Drayage arrangements, if any, will be posted on the event’s website. If no drayage arrangements are available through the district, it will be the out-of-district team’s responsibility, logistically and financially, to make their own arrangements to get their robot to the event.

Unrestricted Inter-District Play registration will be open January 9, 2015 and close January 12, 2015. Teams will be notified shortly after the closing of this registration period as to whether or not a slot is available for them.

Non-district FRC teams will continue to not be eligible to participate in events within districts.

As you can see, this is a very small step into inter-district play in 2015. I’m sure some of you will be disappointed at its limited nature. Keeping in mind one of our guiding principles for district events, that they be less expensive for teams to attend, we wanted to make sure in-district teams had first dibs on in-district events. This is the reason, for 2015, that only “open district spots”, as defined above, will be available to district teams from the outside. As we see how this first attempt proceeds, we are committed to reviewing our approach, and hopefully expanding it, for 2016 and beyond.

Frank

[Steven Donow]

Excited for the opportunities this opens up, though I doubt we'll see many MAR or NE teams rush across the country to PNW, simply due to logistics. Once more districts start closer to each other though, this will be great.

My big question though is, despite not being eligible for culture awards, will teams be allowed to present/submit Chairman's "for exhibition", to essentially get a " practice run" at Chairman's.

[AllenGregoryIV]

This definitely an interesting concept. I'm glad we're moving in this direction.

It's feasible, to go play in two out of district events in weeks 1-3 and then play in your two home district events in Weeks 4-6. That would be a great way to get a ton of practice in before your matches start counting.

It's little weird that they still aren't letting regional teams have this opportunity. Since the event doesn't count for points. The only reasons I see are finical or to incentivize regions to move to districts. Any other reasons that I'm missing?

[Link07]

Originally Posted by AllenGregoryIV

It's little weird that they still aren't letting regional teams have this opportunity. Since the event doesn't count for points. The only reasons I see are finical or to incentivize regions to move to districts. Any other reasons that I'm missing?

Keep in mind that it's becoming increasingly difficult for district teams to register for regionals. This may be the only chance for some district teams to play an event outside of their area.

That being said, it may then follow that district teams should be locked out of regionals, because they can go to other districts anyway, with the added bonus that those teams do not have the chance of stealing spots from their own district like in 2014

[Jon Stratis]

Originally Posted by Link07

Keep in mind that it's becoming increasingly difficult for district teams to register for regionals. This may be the only chance for some district teams to play an event outside of their area.

That being said, it may then follow that district teams should be locked out of regionals, because they can go to other districts anyway, with the added bonus that those teams do not have the chance of stealing spots from their own district like in 2014

It's also becoming increasingly difficult for regional teams to register for reagionals as well! A lot of regionals fill up really fast, and the opportunity to play in multiple regionals seems to decrease every year - partially due to increasing numbers of teams fighting for the same spots, and partially due to regionals disappearing as districts pop up.

[Caleb Sykes]

Originally Posted by AllenGregoryIV

It's little weird that they still aren't letting regional teams have this opportunity. Since the event doesn't count for points. The only reasons I see are finical or to incentivize regions to move to districts. Any other reasons that I'm missing?

I agree, I don't see any major reason why this should not happen.

[Link07]

Originally Posted by Jon Stratis

It's also becoming increasingly difficult for regional teams to register for reagionals as well! A lot of regionals fill up really fast, and the opportunity to play in multiple regionals seems to decrease every year - partially due to increasing numbers of teams fighting for the same spots, and partially due to regionals disappearing as districts pop up.

Which is why district teams really should be excluded from regional registration at this point. Clears up more regional space for regional teams while allowing district teams to compete out of the district without negatively impacting teams in their own district

[Andrew Schreiber]

Originally Posted by Link07

Which is why district teams really should be excluded from regional registration at this point. Clears up more regional space for regional teams while allowing district teams to compete out of the district without negatively impacting teams in their own district

We pretty well are. Every regional team gets a crack at 2 events before we get to apply.

[Brandon_L]

The event will be considered an “additional event” regardless of when it actually occurs.

Will the registration cost therefore be the same as if we did a 3rd event in our home district?

EDIT: MAR and MI have a cheaper ($500) 3rd event cost, while PNW and NE have a more expensive ($1k) cost. Which cost would the traveling team have to pay? Saucy Sauce

EDIT AGAIN: Okay, I honestly just skimmed through the blog the first time through. Its answered in there.

The cost to register for an additional play at a district event outside a team’s home district is $1,000.

[Jessica Boucher]

Two things:
1.) No, all inter-district play is $1000, no matter what your home district charges. All of that money goes back to the district in which the event lives.
2.) You just hit on the secret bonus in this announcement. There are no more 3rd plays. Only additional plays.

[Brandon Holley]

Originally Posted by Jessica Boucher

2.) You just hit on the secret bonus in this announcement. There are no more 3rd plays. Only additional plays.

Now who in their right mind would need more than 3 plays....oh wait

-Brando

[Allison K]

Originally Posted by Jessica Boucher

Two things:
1.) No, all inter-district play is $1000, no matter what your home district charges. All of that money goes back to the district in which the event lives.
2.) You just hit on the secret bonus in this announcement. There are no more 3rd plays. Only additional plays.

That's what occurred to me as well. If an out-of-district event in week 1 is a no points event, does this also mean that an additional in-district in week 1 can also be the no points event (i.e. - counting the best two events or choice two events, rather than the first two events)?

[1493kd]

It sure is fun being a team not in a district and having your options so limited. Lets please start the NY district

[efoote868]

I think a feature that should be explored is inter-district trading - two teams in different districts that are able to sign up for an additional event each would be able to trade their additional event to play in each other's districts.

[MamaSpoldi]

Originally Posted by Jessica Boucher

Two things:
1.) No, all inter-district play is $1000, no matter what your home district charges. All of that money goes back to the district in which the event lives.
2.) You just hit on the secret bonus in this announcement. There are no more 3rd plays. Only additional plays.

At the risk of sounding ignorant, can you please explain the difference implied by a 3rd play as opposed to an additional play. Is it just a matter of it being possible for it to occur before the 2nd play (i.e. if it is out of district then it doesn't count regardless of the chronological order of the events)?