The North American Hardcourt Bike Polo Association has officially approved a structure for 2013!
With only a few addendums, the original structure was approved. In case you missed it, the complete proposal is available on the blog here.
The additions that were discussed at the board meetings were as follows:
1. “Trade Deadline” Date
The relevant date for a player’s regional identity is the qualifier registration date. A player’s regional identity is maintained for the entire season, regardless of subsequent relocation.
2. Regional Status of Teams
Team Regional Status is determined at the Team level. 3-Region Teams adopt the Regional Status of the qualifier that it chooses to compete in. Teams must maintain their regional status throughout the entire season. To the extent that a player must be replaced, the replacement player must share the Regional Status of the replaced player, or of the Team.
- Example 1: Three Eastside players, replacement must be an Eastside player.
- Example 2: Two Eastside players, one Northside player. Eastside players must be replaced by Eastside player. Northside player may be replaced by Northside or Eastside player.
- Example 3: Eastside player, Northside Player, Midwest player, qualified out of the Eastside (and therefore an Eastside Team for NAHBPC). Eastside player must be replaced by Eastside player. Northside player may be replaced by Northside or Eastside player. Midwest player may be replaced by Midwest or Eastside player.
3. NAHBPC Bonus Slots Determined by Team Regional Status
For any Team of any composition, the Bonus Slot for a top-24 finish goes to the region out of which the Team qualified. A Northside player on a 2/3 Eastside Team, qualified out of the Eastside (required in that situation), does not gain any credit for the Northside out of top-24 finish. This is intentional, and will hopefully create some interesting meta-game between the regions, wherein the regions should want to discourage talent drain. At the same time, attempts at sandbagging “less skilled” regions, will only serve to enhance those regions’ chances to gain bonus slots at the NAHBPC
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