This article is a follow up to Starting from Scratch: Bids to Year End Championships via Points. This article will focus on a way to implement the points system as a way to qualify for Worlds. The summary is this plan would keep Paid Bids, convert Event Producers currently awarding Partial bids to awarding Paid Bids, thus eliminating Partial Bids, and would not award any At Large bids at events. At Large bids would be awarded to the teams based on the Year End Rankings.
Earning Points & Qualifying
- Points would be awarded at events from September 1st though March 31st. Teams would be eligible for Points only if the gym, all listed team coaches, and all team members were USASF members prior to event.
- The Year End Ranking would be the standings on April 1st.
- The Year End Ranking would only consider the 5 best events for each team, per division. If the exact same team competed in multiple divisions the points earned in each division would be tracked separately.
- 1-day events would award 2 points for each team defeated. 2-day events would award 3 points per team defeated.
- Points would only be awarded to the Top 3 teams in divisions of 9 teams or less and the Top 5 teams in divisions with 10 or more teams. EPs would be have more freedom in combining division of the same Age and Level to increase the depth of competition.
- Event Producers could award double points at all events with more than 200 All*Star Cheer teams in attendance, based on the prior season’s results. If an EP doesn’t have an event with 200 or more teams, 1 event could be selected to award double points.
- Events with 100 or more teams that do not award double points could award a 5 point Grand Champion Bonus to the single highest scoring team of each event.
- For Senior divisions 30 teams would be allowed at Worlds and the number of teams going to Worlds via points would be dependent on the number of Paid Bids awarded in each division.
- Initial performance order would be determined by points. Byes would also be determined by points, regardless of Paid Bid status.
- For International divisions 15 American teams would be allowed at Worlds and the number of teams going to Worlds via points would be dependent on the number of Paid Bids awarded in each division.
My Reasoning
This would allow divisions at Worlds to be limited to a predetermined number of teams, consisting of teams that did well at bid giving events and teams that beat several teams throughout the season. I believe this will provide the best mix of teams competing for the World title.
The USASF would get additional funding because the Event Producers would purchase the points they awarded from the USASF. Since the money raised through the points would only need to replace the money associated with teams on At Large bids the Points would be able to cost less than if money awards were based on Points.
