Rainbowgym
Active Member
Tournaments there is a lot to say about them.
Keywords: structure, availability, organizers, players and rules.
After basic OP is realized, leagues and providing information about this game.
The next step is Tournaments.
Competition is appreciated by most people. High or Low level, it’s fun.
To ensure competition is fair, rules have to be made and followed.
There is no competition (comparing) if the rules are not equal.
The starting point for competition should be equal for each competitor.
So if you take tournaments as a serious part of a worldwide program, than the same rules should be followed by everyone who joins a competition. Same basics, same standards.
POP made rules for almost everything. Formats are lined out. Playingrules are made. Penalty guidelines etc.
While most players start at a league and learn about playing rules and formats overthere.
It’s important that any league leader and TO has access to those rules.
These rules can be found on the op-tcg.com website. No problem if your English is good enough.
But what about people not reading/speaking enough English?
For those their National OP provider should make local language documents.
Outside the USA, OP providers are responsible for ensuring tournaments are following those rules.
If I play a constructed modified tournament in Alaska it should be done the same as in Italy.
Modified = Modified if you don’t want to follow rules set up for modified, don’t enter the competition.
Is this so hard to realize?
I think POP should not make any concessions on their formats and playing rules.
But what about OP providers? Aren’t they bounded to the same set of rules?
They should be.
There are penalty rules for players who breach the rules, but what about TO’s or even OP providers?
OP providers are the representatives of POP in their country, they should be always following the program rules.
POP should take care that by making any rules, every OP provider is able to follow those rules.
What happens to a TO who is not following the tournament rules and is reported to POP.
This TO can become suspended as TO. What happens to a OP provider who is not following those rules…………..gets reported to POP………………….not much.
There is a tournament structure designed by POP.
There are normal tournaments and prereleases, and higher level tournaments such as CC’s, States, Regionals, Challenges and Worlds.
From country to country there is a difference in what higher level tournaments are available.
This is a choice of the OP provider, but there is so much difference worldwide.
While the one country has, CC’s, States, and Nationals. Others have only Nationals.
Some countries are not “big’ enough to have States or Regionals, but were is that based upon.
Residents? Players? Organizers? Budget?
The whole tournament structure falls or stand with……………. Setting up OP at the base.
And the base is………league play, providing information and advertising.
If you fail in that part of OP than each step higher on the OP ladder is doomed.
OP is a balance of players and organizers and available budget.
This can be caught in one phrase: interest in OP of the OP provider.
It’s stands and falls with the OP provider and nothing else.
OP providers who are really interesting in setting up OP, will try to find organizers.
They will support organizers to do tournaments/leagues.
And even if a league starts without a single player, they will come if you advertise, NO Doubt.
NO player is responsible for a failing OP, no volunteer is. It’s all in the OP providers hands.
Again it leads back to the OP provider, they are the ones who should motivate volunteers to organize.
How to motivate? Well to take care they can obtain materials to run tournaments.
To provide proper information. Award organizers.
There is no better way to get rid of your organizers than forget to thank them. I’m not talking about money or big things. Awarding can be done in different ways, but it starts with simply saying thank you.
Another solid way to get rid of volunteers is not listening to their feedback and consult them about obstacles and solve those.
Were would the USA OP be without volunteering TO’s? You tell me!
If POP didn’t let the “old fossils” in at the start 2003, were would OP in the USA be?
Were would POP USA be if they didn’t award their TO’s, PTO’s for their “work”?
It’s a snowball effect, you start with a limited but dedicate group, you award them, they spread the news and new people join the group.
What about the professor program, it’s not only there to gain knowledge, it’s also a marketing engine.
You work for OP as judge/LL, POP awards you for doing it.
As long as the POP program is running, there has been a reward for volunteers in the higher level tournaments.
Not always in a personal reward, but it starts with having the chance to give away league materials and through that gain players. That’s also a reward and works for the long term.
Next step if you have players you start organizing and get rewarded for doing it (player program). If you have fun in organizing you can become PTO and can even earn some money on it. If you volunteer as judge you are rewarded.
Worldwide OP is growing, due to all awards, volunteers and OP providers following the USA model.
But there are countries were there is still no grow, and almost no OP.
So what can be offered by POP or OP providers: Prereleases, CC’s, States, Regionals, Challenges and National.
In the USA POP offers all of this to their players. International you have to wait and see.
So do USA players really deserve more “seats” at worlds, because they have more players?
That they have much more ways to earn a seat is not the same as deserving more seats.
I compared States USA attendance with Nationals outside the USA and some countries are performing much better than some States.
I calculated how many players attending per million residents, and I was amazed.
I took States because of travel distance also has influence.
If you look at Regionals attendance, it’s to compare with larger countries.
Some numbers.
Oregon has related to State attendance the most players per million residents 30,8, followed by Idaho 27,1 – Nevada 25,9 and Kansas 25,2.
Texas 4,2 , Ohio 4,7 , New York 4,7 and California 4,7 are the ones on the bottom.
If I compare that with attendance at Nationals 2005 there are some very good performing countries.
Slovenia 34,5, Norway 30,4 , Denmark 19,4.
And at the bottom Germany 1,2 and Argentina 1,8.
When the coming weeks more Nationals will be completed there is more to compare.
But most amazing is to compare: attendance at States USA with Nationals Europe.
I took states/countries with about the same amount of residents.
Than I calculated total attendance.
And what came out. 539 people attending in Europe against 537 in the USA.
This way travelling distance is a bit equal overall.
I left regionals attendance out because of the travel distance.
Meaby it’s to compare with the upcoming Stadium Challenge in Austria.
So do USA players really deserve more “seats” at worlds, because they have more players?
I would say NO.
It’s even more out of balance if you keep in mind that there are Gym Challenges coming up were USA players can earn a trip+invite.
Some states have 2 or even 3 Gym Challenges.
I also did a quick search in the Modified Rankings, but that’s more complicated.
If you keep in mind that:
A lot non-english speaking players don’t have a clue how to set up such an account.
There are players who never have the change to enter a sanctioned tournament, because there aren’t any.
That kids under 13 are depending on their parents to set up an account, which take some patience I know out of experience.
But it’s still interesting.
10- total 196
10- USA - 135
10- 29 countries present in locator -61
11-14 total 619
11-14 USA - 362
11-14 29 countries present in locator - 257
15+ total 2831
15+ USA - 1152
15+ 29 countries present in locator – 1679
It’s shows the same line as the attendance numbers of States, Regionals, or any other tournament.
This game is NOT only played by kids of 10 and under.
This game is most of all played by 15+.
Even if every kid under age 13 has a My Pokemon account, it would NEVER EVER give as outcome that Pokemon is mostly played by kids under 10 years.
I can’t post this without adding a personal note.
In the Netherlands 4 people were suspended from OP because:
They wanted the playingrules, formats and structure to be followed as set up by POP/PUI.
They warned the LD not to create to much obstacles to join OP, this would lead to NO grow.
They told the LD time after time this is not a game only played by 10 and under.
They showed that with them involved many 10 and under could join OP.
They showed that without a single Euro/Promocard support they could maintain a playersbase.
That we were right from the start, did hurt some ego’s.
It’s hard to admit that some “old fossils” had more knowledge that the ones choosen by PUI.
But we never expected that healing hurt ego’s, came before professional business solutions.
WE did not disturb activities OP in our country.
Our OP provider did and still disturbs OP.
They had 2 years to set up OP and were covered in any way by PUI/POP.
It’s time to change direction.
It’s time to kick this OP provider out and start with another.
It’s time to listen to the old fossils, cooperate with them and let them do what other fossils did Worldwide --à Building up OP.
We talked with another distributor, showed them our plans for Pokemon.
And guess what, they even wanted to work with us WITHOUT PUI (official OP).
The were enthusiast about our plans and willing to find locations to set up unofficial clubs.
They asked how many tournaments we wanted, and if we were willing to teach and guide new locations.
They saw business opportunities even without a contract with PUI.
How come these people needed only 2 hours to see this and even promised their full support.
Because this company is really understands the power of OP.
We only have to call them and we are up and running in no time.
We didn’t use this offer, because we now the dirty practices of the current OP provider.
They blackmail, intimidate, and in case needed, bribe store owners and other companies, to get rid of competition.
Meaby in business this is common behaviour, but we are not willing to get involved in such low standards.
We don’t want people who are volunteering to build up any kind of OP, expose to such kind of practices.
We want honest and equal POP in our country.
Is PUI/POP going to wait another year and see this game die in our country?
POP intl has supported the current OP provider for almost 2 years, long enough to make up the bill and conclude it’s not working. IF other countries have a big grow, than ours should have that too.
At this moment there are still people willing to help building, but will they still be there over one more year? The only way OP is going to grow is use the basic US model and make Pokemon available for everyone who wants.
Get rid of personal preferences, and judge people on facts and not on rumors and lies.
PUI intl get around the table with us, listen for one time to our message. Nobody is going to be hurt by that, it can only clear up things.
Thanks for reading and please be free to discuss the attendance numbers and comparings.
Keywords: structure, availability, organizers, players and rules.
After basic OP is realized, leagues and providing information about this game.
The next step is Tournaments.
Competition is appreciated by most people. High or Low level, it’s fun.
To ensure competition is fair, rules have to be made and followed.
There is no competition (comparing) if the rules are not equal.
The starting point for competition should be equal for each competitor.
So if you take tournaments as a serious part of a worldwide program, than the same rules should be followed by everyone who joins a competition. Same basics, same standards.
POP made rules for almost everything. Formats are lined out. Playingrules are made. Penalty guidelines etc.
While most players start at a league and learn about playing rules and formats overthere.
It’s important that any league leader and TO has access to those rules.
These rules can be found on the op-tcg.com website. No problem if your English is good enough.
But what about people not reading/speaking enough English?
For those their National OP provider should make local language documents.
Outside the USA, OP providers are responsible for ensuring tournaments are following those rules.
If I play a constructed modified tournament in Alaska it should be done the same as in Italy.
Modified = Modified if you don’t want to follow rules set up for modified, don’t enter the competition.
Is this so hard to realize?
I think POP should not make any concessions on their formats and playing rules.
But what about OP providers? Aren’t they bounded to the same set of rules?
They should be.
There are penalty rules for players who breach the rules, but what about TO’s or even OP providers?
OP providers are the representatives of POP in their country, they should be always following the program rules.
POP should take care that by making any rules, every OP provider is able to follow those rules.
What happens to a TO who is not following the tournament rules and is reported to POP.
This TO can become suspended as TO. What happens to a OP provider who is not following those rules…………..gets reported to POP………………….not much.
There is a tournament structure designed by POP.
There are normal tournaments and prereleases, and higher level tournaments such as CC’s, States, Regionals, Challenges and Worlds.
From country to country there is a difference in what higher level tournaments are available.
This is a choice of the OP provider, but there is so much difference worldwide.
While the one country has, CC’s, States, and Nationals. Others have only Nationals.
Some countries are not “big’ enough to have States or Regionals, but were is that based upon.
Residents? Players? Organizers? Budget?
The whole tournament structure falls or stand with……………. Setting up OP at the base.
And the base is………league play, providing information and advertising.
If you fail in that part of OP than each step higher on the OP ladder is doomed.
OP is a balance of players and organizers and available budget.
This can be caught in one phrase: interest in OP of the OP provider.
It’s stands and falls with the OP provider and nothing else.
OP providers who are really interesting in setting up OP, will try to find organizers.
They will support organizers to do tournaments/leagues.
And even if a league starts without a single player, they will come if you advertise, NO Doubt.
NO player is responsible for a failing OP, no volunteer is. It’s all in the OP providers hands.
Again it leads back to the OP provider, they are the ones who should motivate volunteers to organize.
How to motivate? Well to take care they can obtain materials to run tournaments.
To provide proper information. Award organizers.
There is no better way to get rid of your organizers than forget to thank them. I’m not talking about money or big things. Awarding can be done in different ways, but it starts with simply saying thank you.
Another solid way to get rid of volunteers is not listening to their feedback and consult them about obstacles and solve those.
Were would the USA OP be without volunteering TO’s? You tell me!
If POP didn’t let the “old fossils” in at the start 2003, were would OP in the USA be?
Were would POP USA be if they didn’t award their TO’s, PTO’s for their “work”?
It’s a snowball effect, you start with a limited but dedicate group, you award them, they spread the news and new people join the group.
What about the professor program, it’s not only there to gain knowledge, it’s also a marketing engine.
You work for OP as judge/LL, POP awards you for doing it.
As long as the POP program is running, there has been a reward for volunteers in the higher level tournaments.
Not always in a personal reward, but it starts with having the chance to give away league materials and through that gain players. That’s also a reward and works for the long term.
Next step if you have players you start organizing and get rewarded for doing it (player program). If you have fun in organizing you can become PTO and can even earn some money on it. If you volunteer as judge you are rewarded.
Worldwide OP is growing, due to all awards, volunteers and OP providers following the USA model.
But there are countries were there is still no grow, and almost no OP.
So what can be offered by POP or OP providers: Prereleases, CC’s, States, Regionals, Challenges and National.
In the USA POP offers all of this to their players. International you have to wait and see.
So do USA players really deserve more “seats” at worlds, because they have more players?
That they have much more ways to earn a seat is not the same as deserving more seats.
I compared States USA attendance with Nationals outside the USA and some countries are performing much better than some States.
I calculated how many players attending per million residents, and I was amazed.
I took States because of travel distance also has influence.
If you look at Regionals attendance, it’s to compare with larger countries.
Some numbers.
Oregon has related to State attendance the most players per million residents 30,8, followed by Idaho 27,1 – Nevada 25,9 and Kansas 25,2.
Texas 4,2 , Ohio 4,7 , New York 4,7 and California 4,7 are the ones on the bottom.
If I compare that with attendance at Nationals 2005 there are some very good performing countries.
Slovenia 34,5, Norway 30,4 , Denmark 19,4.
And at the bottom Germany 1,2 and Argentina 1,8.
When the coming weeks more Nationals will be completed there is more to compare.
But most amazing is to compare: attendance at States USA with Nationals Europe.
I took states/countries with about the same amount of residents.
Than I calculated total attendance.
And what came out. 539 people attending in Europe against 537 in the USA.
This way travelling distance is a bit equal overall.
I left regionals attendance out because of the travel distance.
Meaby it’s to compare with the upcoming Stadium Challenge in Austria.
So do USA players really deserve more “seats” at worlds, because they have more players?
I would say NO.
It’s even more out of balance if you keep in mind that there are Gym Challenges coming up were USA players can earn a trip+invite.
Some states have 2 or even 3 Gym Challenges.
I also did a quick search in the Modified Rankings, but that’s more complicated.
If you keep in mind that:
A lot non-english speaking players don’t have a clue how to set up such an account.
There are players who never have the change to enter a sanctioned tournament, because there aren’t any.
That kids under 13 are depending on their parents to set up an account, which take some patience I know out of experience.
But it’s still interesting.
10- total 196
10- USA - 135
10- 29 countries present in locator -61
11-14 total 619
11-14 USA - 362
11-14 29 countries present in locator - 257
15+ total 2831
15+ USA - 1152
15+ 29 countries present in locator – 1679
It’s shows the same line as the attendance numbers of States, Regionals, or any other tournament.
This game is NOT only played by kids of 10 and under.
This game is most of all played by 15+.
Even if every kid under age 13 has a My Pokemon account, it would NEVER EVER give as outcome that Pokemon is mostly played by kids under 10 years.
I can’t post this without adding a personal note.
In the Netherlands 4 people were suspended from OP because:
They wanted the playingrules, formats and structure to be followed as set up by POP/PUI.
They warned the LD not to create to much obstacles to join OP, this would lead to NO grow.
They told the LD time after time this is not a game only played by 10 and under.
They showed that with them involved many 10 and under could join OP.
They showed that without a single Euro/Promocard support they could maintain a playersbase.
That we were right from the start, did hurt some ego’s.
It’s hard to admit that some “old fossils” had more knowledge that the ones choosen by PUI.
But we never expected that healing hurt ego’s, came before professional business solutions.
WE did not disturb activities OP in our country.
Our OP provider did and still disturbs OP.
They had 2 years to set up OP and were covered in any way by PUI/POP.
It’s time to change direction.
It’s time to kick this OP provider out and start with another.
It’s time to listen to the old fossils, cooperate with them and let them do what other fossils did Worldwide --à Building up OP.
We talked with another distributor, showed them our plans for Pokemon.
And guess what, they even wanted to work with us WITHOUT PUI (official OP).
The were enthusiast about our plans and willing to find locations to set up unofficial clubs.
They asked how many tournaments we wanted, and if we were willing to teach and guide new locations.
They saw business opportunities even without a contract with PUI.
How come these people needed only 2 hours to see this and even promised their full support.
Because this company is really understands the power of OP.
We only have to call them and we are up and running in no time.
We didn’t use this offer, because we now the dirty practices of the current OP provider.
They blackmail, intimidate, and in case needed, bribe store owners and other companies, to get rid of competition.
Meaby in business this is common behaviour, but we are not willing to get involved in such low standards.
We don’t want people who are volunteering to build up any kind of OP, expose to such kind of practices.
We want honest and equal POP in our country.
Is PUI/POP going to wait another year and see this game die in our country?
POP intl has supported the current OP provider for almost 2 years, long enough to make up the bill and conclude it’s not working. IF other countries have a big grow, than ours should have that too.
At this moment there are still people willing to help building, but will they still be there over one more year? The only way OP is going to grow is use the basic US model and make Pokemon available for everyone who wants.
Get rid of personal preferences, and judge people on facts and not on rumors and lies.
PUI intl get around the table with us, listen for one time to our message. Nobody is going to be hurt by that, it can only clear up things.
Thanks for reading and please be free to discuss the attendance numbers and comparings.