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MA1 for Worlds is FULL!!!

It really should have stayed at 1000 points. All a person had to do was finish 44th or better at BG Ams to earn the 500 and qualify.

44th or better in Rec that is.
 
Ratings mean nothing, it has to do with participation and the support of the PDGA and its events. The only reason you see pedestrian ratings in MA1 is because there are no other lower divisions.
My point was that when the points criteria was a bit tougher you generally didn't see folks with 800ish ratings showing up until after the invite-only period ended. Shouldn't the right to go to an invite based championship reward those who have earned it first before you let any joe blow with a fat wallet in?

In short, they should have left the points criteria the way that it was as its much too easy now. At last years Bowling Green Ams, more than 240 people walked away with enough points to qualify for this year's Am Worlds. Several others walked away with a large majority of what they would need.

Showing up at one large tournament to get a bunch of cheap points isn't exactly what I call support. Particularly when there were others who played more events, performed better, and have a higher rating to justify that they should have had a shot at getting a spot first.
 
Attendance has little to do with the invites, since anyone could register in past years after the invite only registration period. Any am event is going to get a lot of locals and a lot of people with disposable time and money, it's the pro events where you can hold a prestigious tournament and get most of the top players.

I'd be interested to see what percentage of the amateur field each year is made up of invited players vs. open registrants. To pushback on your point, if attendance has little to do with invites THEN WHY DID THEY CHANGE IT? If you invite more people you have more people that have more time to make up their minds about coming to your event. . .

Yea, points are points but you get more per person you beat the higher the division you are in. That is one of the benefits for playing up in divisions...

Yes but you should also take into account that in alot of places around the country your field size is DRASTICALLY reduced when you move up from INT to ADV. There are tons of tournaments that the MA2 winner gets more points than the MA1 winner does.

I guess my beef with changing the points requirements for Worlds is that points are ALREADY virtually useless. Qualifying for Worlds was pretty much the only reason to even have points cross your mind. They really mean nothing now.
 
On another note, for those of us that are upset they changed the points requirements . . . it won't stay that way for long if Worlds keeps filling! I'm sure Charlotte will claim that it filled because they are hosting but hopefully it also means our sport is growing. So if its gonna fill every year then all they can do is increase the quality of the players who partake.
 
What about this idea: 500 points AND you must have played at least one event in the division you intend on playing at Worlds.

That's just an idea. I don't like 500.
 
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how about you just sign up earlier and stop crying about the people who got off their ass and did sign up early.
 
I'd be interested to see what percentage of the amateur field each year is made up of invited players vs. open registrants. To pushback on your point, if attendance has little to do with invites THEN WHY DID THEY CHANGE IT? If you invite more people you have more people that have more time to make up their minds about coming to your event. . .



Yes but you should also take into account that in alot of places around the country your field size is DRASTICALLY reduced when you move up from INT to ADV. There are tons of tournaments that the MA2 winner gets more points than the MA1 winner does.

I guess my beef with changing the points requirements for Worlds is that points are ALREADY virtually useless. Qualifying for Worlds was pretty much the only reason to even have points cross your mind. They really mean nothing now.


Yea there are a number of things the PDGA might want to look at. You are right though, when I look at events in other areas I am suprised to see 8-10 Advanced and 30 INT. I think we have pretty even fields in Charlotte... and the Advanced players ARE at least advanced skill level.
 
One reason that I think in some parts of the country we're seeing large MA2 fields is that some TD's are going trophy only with MA3 or aren't offering it at all. MA3 players then play up. When guys who usually play MA1, but are MA2 eligible, see that huge field of likely donators, then they play down. MA1 players who aren't eligible, get discouraged by this and go play MPO or an age protected division if they're eligible. I saw an entire MA1 division disappear once due to this.
 
^if this is the case then why are their so many "INT donators" registered. seems that too many MA1 regulars got lazy and now can play up or watch us get this great experience. I think the reason there are so many people playing INT across the country is that there is added pressure to not play MA3 once you have won. and there are a lot of ADV players who should prob play open but dont, so if your rated 933 or so why play up and get smoked by some local whiz rated 996 or so. just sayin......
 
7 more people register and we can say 2012 AM worlds - Charlotte was biggest am event ever. Its tough without the INT and REC divisions.
 
^if this is the case then why are their so many "INT donators" registered.
Because Am Worlds is always seen as much as a party as a competition, and at $115 for entry compared to $500+ in ancillary expenses, that's a bargain considering an event like this doesn't happen in everyone's neck of the woods every year. Even under the old invite criteria this was the case.

seems that too many MA1 regulars got lazy and now can play up or watch us get this great experience.
Or they just didn't realize the invite criteria had loosened considerably.

I think the reason there are so many people playing INT across the country is that there is added pressure to not play MA3 once you have won.
Or in the case that I mentioned, there's no incentive to stay down since there's nothing to win.

and there are a lot of ADV players who should prob play open but dont, so if your rated 933 or so why play up and get smoked by some local whiz rated 996 or so. just sayin......
Why should a 933 rated player play Open? Why doesn't he just stay in Advanced? If we stopped paying Ams prizes and treated them like true amateurs, perhaps we wouldn't have that issue. Of course, I'm sure attendance at tournaments most everywhere would plummet.
 
Why should a 933 rated player play Open? Why doesn't he just stay in Advanced? If we stopped paying Ams prizes and treated them like true amateurs, perhaps we wouldn't have that issue. Of course, I'm sure attendance at tournaments most everywhere would plummet.

wasnt saying they should play Open, but the 997 rated Am playing adv should.
 
that Paul Priest guy needs to go Pro.. if he started a thread on here i'd tell him that.
 
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