My efforts to keep things short worked so well yesterday with the Malaga layout I'm gonna try again today.
The not so Grand Tour may finally be getting some traction as registration nearly doubled over last week--which isn't saying a lot but it's movement in the right direction. Still no pro teams registered but I know at least one that intends to compete this season. Among this week's registrants was Empire (out of Italy) which has also nabbed a D1 spot in the MS.
In the Millennium it's becoming clear that promotion and relegation only matter when there is a demand for an artificially limited object--in this case, a spot in a locked division--as Dagnir Dae joins the ranks of the CPL, hopscotching teams that finished ahead of them in the SPL last season. (The same holds true for other teams like the aforementioned Empire buying into D1 and others.) Currently the CPL is at 13 teams, missing one "promoted" team--as neither Lisbon Benfica or Consilium Dei have claimed their CPL spot and neither CPL regulars Joy or Instinct have registered yet. Registration across all divisions stands at 80 teams. Last year Malaga had 147 teams compete. It would be interesting to know if some of the new locked division teams are paying full price to get in. The same thought applies to league sponsors like the recently signed up, Valken. With the move from 5 events to 4 it wouldn't be unreasonable for the league to negotiate fees differing from those initially given in this year's sponsorship package just as they adjusted entries for the teams. Of course no one would ever admit to it.
UPDATE: It's being reported that Joy and Instinct will be back in the CPL and that it may end up being Art Chaos Moscow making the move up from the SPL as the MS is determined to have a full CPL division.
In the NPPL 3.0 the first payment deadline passed last night. (I got my notice from the league time stamped 11:05 pm.) By my count only a couple of teams took advantage yesterday. Registration stands at 119 total teams including 10 pro teams with 91 paid (including the 10 pro teams) according to info available on the league's website. It is however unclear if all the teams identified as having paid have paid in full, including the pro teams. Additionally 40 of the 119 are pump or 5-man teams with much lower entry fees than the 7-man teams. Still, in comparison to what's happening in the PSP and the MS the raw numbers may be considered better than expected. However, given that HB is the NPPL's premier event if it turns out to represent the best the league can expect it could be another long year.
In the last couple of days the league also announced a couple of pre-HB Cali events targeting the lower division teams. One to be played at Warped and the other at Jungle Island on the same weekend of March 27,28. Both are giving free HB entries to division winners with no apparent minimum number requirements I could find. And both will be competing on the HB layout.
The die is cast for PSP Phoenix and there's no reason to expect anything other than the usual well run weekend of national level competitive paintball. There were more than a few last minute unknowns in the Race 2 - 7 divisions but those have finally been resolved with the posting of the 2010 rule book at the PSP website in the last day or so. Even so there will be a few unknowns until matches are actually played. How will the 90 second turnaround work? How quickly will the refs adjust to changes that affect them? What will results coming out of the prelims look like? With 6 of 10 moving out of the prelims it should make the prelim results less controversial but we will still see some teams move on by virtue of tie-breaking procedure rather than clear cut superiority on the field of play. Scoring has also been modified with no OT point for the loser anymore, in fact, no overtime in the prelims anymore. 2 points for a win, 1 point for a tie and zippo for a loss. Now if you need two points you need to fight for it in regulation because there's no "free" point anymore. And in a 3 match prelim a tie isn't quite as bad as a loss but especially early in an event it is not a result any team will want either. The only objection I have after a quick look at the rules is the swing point in OT for a major penalty. If OT time is open-ended there is no need to decide the outcome by rule.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
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10 comments:
If the final paid numbers for HB are 93 I should get a prize for being dead-on, and a formal apology from VFTD for doubting my mystic voodoo-powers...
I heard the PSP has balanced-out the lack of webcast, with the signing of a top-quality superstar announcer. Apparently its the same one that wow'ed the crowd at the last 2 World Cup events. I thought he was amazing...
In the absence of Matty Marshal, I understand that the announcer will make multiple references to the plight of the Professional Paintballer, and make sure everyone is aware of how hard those guys work, and how much heart & drive those guys have, etc.
Does 5-man and pump really count though? But yes, if it turns out to be 93 you will receive a VFTD formal apology--prize to be negotiated at an to be determined future date.
Matty who? Everybody said he was fabulous.
Perhaps he could pass the hat, too? You know, even a token of appreciation would make a difference.
Gumption!
Does 5-man and Pump really count? Is there a demand for it? Is there somethng wrong with changing your product line to fill the demands of the consumer? The times they are a changin'. ;-)
Baca,
There are no ties in the prelims in Raceto-4/5/7.
4.2.8. If game time expires and both teams have scores the same number of points, the teams will play an overtime point.
4.2.8.1. There is no time limit for an overtime point.43
4.2.8.2. If an overtime point ends with no point scored, an additional overtime point will be played.
5.1.1.6 is likely an oversight and I'll pass that on to Tim. Although as written, you'll never get to the final 60 seconds of an unlimited overtime point.
Re: MS Locked divisions.
Bacca, you make reference to the Millennium wanting to fill the CPL with 16 teams and allowing SPL teams to 'leapfrog' into the division. It occurs to me, and others, that with the addition of an new race to 2 division and decline in overall team numbers that it might make a lot of sense for the MS to abolish the locked Race to 4 Division 1 and combine it with the same format Semi-Pro SPL Division, bringing one division closer to the 32 teams SPL was originally locked at.
Though, if it makes any sense, they will never do it.
Chris
I appreciate the clarification but dispute your claim on 2 counts; 1) Lane recently approached a number of the pro teams for their views on ways to modify the scoring system--which included allowing ties and 2) 5.2.2 which states, "A team scores 1 match point for each match ending in a tie."
This suggests to me that at least with respect to Race 2-7 the rules may be unclear or actually contradictory.
Re: 5.1.1.6--as written it's ambiguous as to its meaning. I read it to mean a swing point is given within the last 60 seconds of regulation and during an overtime period should a major or gross penalty be administered. That may not have been the intended meaning but as written that seems the plain interpretation.
Full Bore
I've heard some talk along those lines being suggested. I wonder what the current batch of D1 teams think of the idea of competing against mostly SPL teams if the MS decided to go that way.
The remaining D1 millennium teams are not the top dogs thats for sure. Everyone else quit. Remaining teams had positions 24, 12, 20, 17, 18, 14 or where promoted from D2 after 2009 season.
Merging these into SPL would create hilarity. 9 teams in D1 so far compared to 27 last year.
MS..
With Div1 teams already having paid part/fully their entry fees and one month away from Malaga its hard to see chagnes like that to happen.
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