Why the Pro Division?
This shift makes the season as a whole and the Regional Championships more important. It rewards teams who get results throughout the season and turns the Regional Championships into high-stakes events by making them true Nationals qualifiers.
Having a division of 16 top teams at Nationals allows for better coverage of games, the flexibility of structure, and helps ensure fair matchups. It also makes for a more interesting Premier Division by allowing us to focus on teams and matchups that don’t always get featured.
Grand Slams:
The number of Premier teams registered for a Grand Slam will determine the size and format of the Pro Division.
- >16 teams - Standard Premier Division
- 16 - 23 teams - Top 8 teams compete in Pro Division
- 24 - 31 teams - Top 12 teams compete in Pro Division pool play. Top 8 teams from pool play qualify for Pro A Bracket. Bottom 4 teams play in Pro B Bracket.
- 32+ teams - Top 16 teams compete in Pro Division pool play. Top 8 teams from pool play qualify for Pro A Bracket. Bottom 8 teams play in Pro B Bracket.
For the Pro Division we look at:
- Top 5 Points earned together as a team.
- We want to encourage established teams playing together and more closely reflect the structure of the Pro Division at nationals.
- We only depreciate points earned in a previous season.
- Since so many points are earned at the end of the season at nationals, if we don't depreciate those points we don't allow enough room for movement for up and coming teams.
Nationals:
The 2020 Spikeball™ Roundnet National Championship will feature a Pro Division made up of the best of the best Premier teams. Only 16 teams will qualify for the Pro Division.
The top two teams from each Regional Championship will earn a spot. If a team does not accept their bid from regionals, it will fall to the next highest placing team. Remaining spots will be determined by taking the sum of the top 5 Premier Points earned at sanctioned events (without depreciation). Ties will be broken by cumulative season points. More info on points can be found here. The last day for points to count toward a team's total is September 26th. All teams must officially accept their bids by Wednesday, September 30th.