February 2, 2023
Changes for the 2023 Season
As always, we’re taking learnings from last season and making changes in an effort to keep moving the sport forward.
We understand that with each decision there are tradeoffs. There is no perfect system, but through our choices we put more focus on areas we think are worth prioritizing. So here’s a closer look at some of those choices, the tradeoffs involved, and the priorities that we’re focusing on:
Majors in One Day
Semis and Finals of Premier on Sundays gave us a greater ability to capture content, tell stories, and focus on various divisions. While it removed some of the frantic hustle to wrap up the events, it also extinguished some of the excitement that builds up on Saturday. We found that Saturdays under the lights were electric and it was hard to get back to that level on Sunday.
We want to prioritize creating the best atmosphere for the most people. With the main event concluding in one day that means more players are likely to stick around, we maintain the energy, and we make figuring out travel a little bit easier. This also allows us to use Sunday for Mixed, giving more ways to play at our marquee events.
Two Game Pool Play Matches (Premier and Women’s Advanced at Majors)
Finishing Majors in one day means the day will inevitably go longer. However, we're still aiming for the events to end at a reasonable time. Using best of three series in pool play creates a great deal of uncertainty in the timing of the event. When each round can vary by 30 minutes depending on if it goes to a game three, it’s nearly impossible to create a reliable schedule.
Having teams play two games against each opponent gives us a much more consistent schedule, reduces the workload on players, and puts the focus on bracket play. While some matchups will end in a split, we don’t see that as a bad thing. In actuality, it creates a more level playing field as each team has an opportunity to choose to serve/recieve and more teams are playing the same number of matches going into bracket play.