2015 Worlds qualification criteria

[Cgkdisc]

Always prior calendar year for points.

 

[KenTyburski]

Always prior calendar year for points.

Thanks, Chuck. I went and looked it up in the interim.

Alright! Time to start planning next summer's tour calendar with hopes for 2016! Who's with me! :hfive:

 

[Magicweed]

Thanks, Chuck. I went and looked it up in the interim.

Alright! Time to start planning next summer's tour calendar with hopes for 2016! Who's with me! :hfive:

I already started looking at this past years schedule to see what A and B tier events are nearby and have a pretty large field. More competition and more points all in one.

 

[1978]

IMHO, they didn't make it hard enough. They should have raised the initial MPO/MA1 standard back to 1000 like it used to be. The current 500 pts. could then be used as a second tier standard. If that doesn't fill, you go to the waiting list.

Even under the new standards, 198 players got enough points to qualify for Am Worlds just by going to Bowling Green. 37 of them did it playing Rec. Several more people got a lion's share of what they would need.

Another 150 players got enough points for Am Worlds at the Glass Blown Open. Almost two-thirds of them doing it in Intermediate.

I think the PDGA needs to address what to do about the points system in regard to these super tournaments.

This is a tough thing...if you are a decent amateur, world wise, say 970 rated but in your area outstanding, you might only want to play Am Majors, but then open in all the local events. (if you live in an area like Maine) Am Majors can cost 1000-1500 to travel to and play in, plus vacation time. To push for more tournaments played or putting less importance on Worlds, Am Nats, Bowling Green, etc...means that you will have higher rated Am's playing Advanced more often, then all the 950 rated players will be mad.

 

[1978]

A simpler way to perhaps go is to leave the points dispersed alone, but do one (or more) of the following...

1. Cap the number of points that can be carried from a single event that can be applied to a World's qualification. (Even if you got 1000 points at a super tournament, only 250 can be applied).
2. Add a second requirement that X number of events have to played (say 5).
3. Instead of making registration first come/first serve, people wishing to go to Worlds would apply to register by putting down a deposit (say $25-50) on their entry fee. There would be no cap on the number of players who could apply. At the end of a set application period, if the number of applications exceeds the number of spots available, players are sorted by the number of points. This way those with the most points get the spots. If you make the cut, you have a set period to pay the balance of the entry fee. If not, you get your deposit back.

#1-#2 Dont agree with this at all. This would mean the best amateurs or the top % that play open to be fair to their local scenea and gain experience for major Am events would be forced into additional tournaments or have to play local events as Advanced greatly annoying other lower skilled Ams.
#3 IMO just a really bad idea. So, if you are unemployed or funded or have a job that gives you weekends free, you have an edge on someone in school, with a family, a 9-5 job. This really makes it unfair for players getting in.

The current system is fair, very fair infact. You have the ability to qualify for worlds by just sacrificing for large 1 event. A lot of people can qualify for worlds... then it comes down to, whether or not you register in the first few days it is open. If someone wins finishes top 10 in bowling green, Am Nats, GBO, etc, they SHOULD be at Worlds if they want to be.

Many/most people can't take an entire week off for worlds, if they save for it, they shouldnt have to spend 10-12 other weekends going to tournaments, and playing less quality players (than they would see in majors) to qualify.

 

[1978]

I do agree that Intermediate and Rec should not be able to qualify for worlds through 1 event and they should be capped. If you aren't willing to play Advanced, you shouldnt have an equal opportunity to compete for the Am Open world championship. Similarily, if you arent willing to play Open events, you shouldnt be able to play in Open worlds or NT's.

 

[The Hammer]

I think the qualification requirements should be bolstered for Pro Worlds. I thought it was kind of a joke that I was able to qualify as a 970-rated golfer that only played one event. I was grateful for the opportunity, but I had no business being there when there were a number of much more deserving golfers that didn't get in.

 

[1978]

Open is a different story, because that requires you to play UP to qualify. At least you played an event in the Open division.

What scarpfish laid out would entice players to play DOWN and more often down to qualify. Players that know their skill level, in their local radius exceeds, the Advanced division but does not exceed national level talent would be forced to play advanced (or travel and play) to qualify for Worlds.

 

[The Hammer]

Yeah, I know. I just wanted to weigh in from the perspective of someone that actually benefited from the lax requirements, but doesn't agree with them.

 

[JC17393]

I think the qualification requirements should be bolstered for Pro Worlds. I thought it was kind of a joke that I was able to qualify as a 970-rated golfer that only played one event. I was grateful for the opportunity, but I had no business being there when there were a number of much more deserving golfers that didn't get in.

Didn't qualify or didn't register in time/make it in off the waitlist? Because there's a clear difference between the two.

For those that want to qualify, there's no mystery to it: acquire the minimum number of points and that's it. Once you do that, you're on equal footing with every other qualifier from there on out. Your qualifying (in one event or 30) isn't knocking anyone else out of contention.

What does prevent another player from getting into Worlds is you signing up. If you feel you don't deserve to go or someone is more worthy to attend, then don't sign up. But if you're going, go without guilt.

 

[djschnabel]

I thought in the past, if you won a tournament, you automatically qualified for Am Worlds. Was I mistaken or is this still true?

 

[JC17393]

I thought in the past, if you won a tournament, you automatically qualified for Am Worlds. Was I mistaken or is this still true?

Not true for as long as I've been playing. Though that doesn't cover the entire "past".

 

[The Hammer]

Didn't qualify or didn't register in time/make it in off the waitlist? Because there's a clear difference between the two.

For those that want to qualify, there's no mystery to it: acquire the minimum number of points and that's it. Once you do that, you're on equal footing with every other qualifier from there on out. Your qualifying (in one event or 30) isn't knocking anyone else out of contention.

What does prevent another player from getting into Worlds is you signing up. If you feel you don't deserve to go or someone is more worthy to attend, then don't sign up. But if you're going, go without guilt.

They did register in time, which is why I did go without guilt. I just don't think I should have qualified so easily.

 

[bradharris]

Great, I have 735 points currently, and am playing Open in my remaining PDGA events....:wall:

Not that it would've changed how I scheduled my year, but any change to the qualification criteria should be announced prior to the start of the qualification period.

 

[E_Rock25]

I was hoping to be able to get to 500 points so I could play AM Worlds next year but there is really no way for me to get to 700 by January since I live in MN and most of the big tournaments are done for the year.

Bad form PDGA bad form... I am not apposed to making it harder just not happy that they did it now.

 

[little oz]

This was my first year playing sanctioned tournaments. I'm an am Grandmaster, but the largest field I played in (an A tier) only had 6 guys in my division, thus it is tough to get points. Do all of my points need to be in the Grandmaster class, or can I play intermediate and have those points count towards my total? thank you.

 

[JC17393]

This was my first year playing sanctioned tournaments. I'm an am Grandmaster, but the largest field I played in (an A tier) only had 6 guys in my division, thus it is tough to get points. Do all of my points need to be in the Grandmaster class, or can I play intermediate and have those points count towards my total? thank you.

Am points are am points. You can earn them in any division and they all count the same.

It is often more beneficial to play a division other than your preferred division if your goal is to earn more points. Beating 6 players in Intermediate (even if it's by finishing 7th from the bottom in a 30 player field) is always worth more points than winning Am Grandmasters over 6 other players.

 

[smarkquart]

I was hoping to be able to get to 500 points so I could play AM Worlds next year but there is really no way for me to get to 700 by January since I live in MN and most of the big tournaments are done for the year.

Bad form PDGA bad form... I am not apposed to making it harder just not happy that they did it now.

I agree with this. The big ones are indeed over. However, we are the land of 10,000 weekly C-Tier tournaments. Unfortunately, and no statement towards your ability, but you need to place consistently well in several of these smaller tournaments to accrue any amount of points.

It seems that most C-Tiers where you play consistently well, but not necessarily finishing high, will earn you about 40-70 points. Assuming you were shooting for 500 points and are almost there, you still have 250-300 more points to go. At 40-70 points per tournament, again averaging and playing well but not lights-out, you would need about five to eight more tournaments. It is possible, but do you have five to eight more weekends you can spare for disc golf above and beyond what you already were planning?

 

[KenTyburski]

I already started looking at this past years schedule to see what A and B tier events are nearby and have a pretty large field. More competition and more points all in one.

I'm with you here. I'm always up for tournaments, anywhere. Problem is work schedule. I work at a place where many weekend responsibilities exist. I'm luck to get to 1-day events while school is in session. I only have to earn about 600 more points, so maybe...

 

[KenTyburski]

I thought in the past, if you won a tournament, you automatically qualified for Am Worlds. Was I mistaken or is this still true?

I won my division at Am Worlds, and everyone kept yelling at me to move up, so shouldn't I get an automatic bid to encourage that?! :clap: :thmbup: opcorn: