Continuing the discussion from [Split Thread] Alliance Selection Time Limits @IRI - #83 by Lil_Lavery.
Do teams like this? How is this done at events that do it well? Are there any pitfalls or things to be aware of? What time do events begin tearing down the practice field if they do this?
I generally love the concept. Having private practice field time as an alliance is so much less stressful. A couple times now, teams I’ve been with have had to have a group on the practice field during alliance selection because otherwise they wouldn’t be able to test things out before playoffs. A couple concerns I have is losing lunch time (realistically, I don’t get a ton of that anyway as a competitor) and the massive difference in the quality of practice spaces at events. I think once there’s more consistency (a problem well beyond my capabilities of solving) in practice fields at regional/district event this would be a solid addition.
You mean there are events that don’t rip down the practice field before quals end?
I don’t believe you.
As someone who has to figure out how to get volunteers home and trucks packed before the venue hard out time, I’m intrigued by how this is possible, myself.
Sounds like a districts vs regionals thing to me.
FMA events I’ve been at have done this, and I really like it. It helps to be able to have the practice field all to your alliance and it also helps practice field access more equitable. Formalising and spreading this system would be fantastic.
I’m with you on this one. Here in FNC, the practice fields are always closed at the end of qualifiers. Once we move on to alliance selection, there’s no more practice. It does keep thing equal between alliances, though. Everyone is guaranteed to get the same amount of practice as an alliance…none.
I think I’m New England I’ve seen the practice field sometimes stay open and sometimes not, but it’s always been gone by the end of lunch.
One other thing I have wanted to do, but definitely hasn’t been available is using the practice field during playoffs as a team that wasn’t picked. Could be a useful opportunity for teams without their own field elements if they could use the practice field during that time to prepare for their next event (just realized that’s mostly going to be useful in districts only)
At the FMA district qualifiers the practice fields don’t usually come down until after elims, its not a priority at the events I’ve been to.
At district champs we usually start taking it down after quarter finals (not sur exactly where the break point was this year). I helped break the field down this year and we were just about done and rolling road cases out by finals.
@jaredhk at FMA district champs we run our full second field (excluding electronics) as the practice field. Most years we are packed and heading to dinner by 9pm.
FIM doesn’t consistently have the practice field together after alliance selection, so it’s probably just a regional (not regionals) thing.
Responding to a tangent in another thread over here, since it really fits here more than in that thread
I understand and agree with your desire to make sure that every playoff alliance at the same competition gets equal access to the practice field at that event. That’s the way it should be. Its why IRI used the coupon access system they did, and why FMA has used similar systems at some events in the past (including DCMP). Each playoff alliance should get a designated slot to access the practice field (and ideally some sort of schedule to help maximize the available time - ie earlier matches practice first).
But if you intend to mean that there must be equality from one event to another event, I respectfully disagree there. I’d rather the venues and event organizers that are capable of supporting meaningful practice areas to implement this access, even if some other events are not capable of it due to space, practice field quality, or staffing concerns (although it really only takes 2 people to staff a practice field - given the proper instructions and thought beforehand). Pushing for cross-event consistency is how we ended up with a 2 Champs structure that didn’t maximize the benefit of either venue at the time.
I feel like he was very clear in what he ment.
every event is different, teams are aware of this. within an event though there needs to be equitable access
Good call, didn’t realize this was forked.
Yea, I don’t care about this. It’d be nice if every event was the same so you knew what to expect, but that’s not an achievable goal given the various constraints you already listed.
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