2008 Regional Registration Progress

[Mark McLeod]

The quick answer is if you really want to get in somewhere it's best to pay in advance. FIRST is also likely to be more accommodating if you do have to switch Regionals. I imagine they'll make room for you somewhere close if they have to.
There's no way to view the wait lists this year, nor a way to tell how many teams are cooling their heels on them. Only the Regional Director's are permitted to see the wait list. You could try taking one out to dinner and prying the information out of them. Even if it doesn't work the Director deserves the dinner.

Just so we're clear...

It's easier if you think of registration as involving three lists, in this order:
-- Team List = already in and guaranteed (either paid or it's your first Regional choice).
-- Wait List = paid (or first Regional choice), but waiting for additional slots to be opened up. In order of first registration or payment date.
-- Pending List = payment is pending (not an ordered list)

The use of "Pending" and the wait lists are somewhat complicated by how FIRST accepts teams as fully registered.

- first Regional
Everyone is automatically fully registered for their first Regional choice. Think of us as paid from the get-go for all intents and purposes even though we haven't written a check yet (and paid teams are not reflected by "Pending"). It's first-come though based on "Open Capacity" or rookie status. When "Open Capacity" is gone we go on the Regional "paid" wait list in the order we sign-up. FIRST has most Regionals reserve maybe double the number of slots anticipated for potential rookies, so unused slots will open up. The question always is "how many slots?" and "how many are ahead of us on the wait list?"

- second+ Regional & Championship
The "Pending" count only records teams that have signed-up for the Regional as a second+ choice (or Championships). Because, after the first Regional it's a "first-paid = first-registered" system, so payment is "Pending."
"Pending" doesn't reflect the number of teams already on the wait list for this Regional as a first choice or those who have already paid.

"Pending:0 Capacity:0"
means everyone who signed up for this Regional as their first-choice (payment isn't part of the equation in this one case) are either on the team list (Open Capacity # of teams plus rookies) or on the wait list for slots to be released. It also includes teams that registered as a second+ Regional AND who have paid.

-------------
For example, if you registered today for Hawaii as a third Regional, you would be added to the Pending count. As soon as FIRST received your P.O. or check you would be moved to the wait list behind the other teams that registered as a first Regional and teams that paid before you. The Pending count would go down by one. Finally, when the remaining unclaimed rookie slots are opened up, you might get one, the Regional Director might decide to make all the pits a little smaller to squeeze you in, or FIRST will work with you to find you space in another Regional.

By the way, you can pay for your events in any order you choose. So you might want to pay for the iffy one first to get as high on the wait list as possible. For instance, my team's funding comes from several different sources and due to agreements about who pays for what we actually paid for our Championship slot first (moving us to the Team List), and a portion of our second Regional next. Since our first Regional is already guaranteed, we can wait for the payment deadline and not risk our spot.