[Deimus85]

Over the past few seasons, I have talked to many players, coaches, and other members of the paintball community regarding the PSP. Most of the discussion has been positive. PSP has the best refs, the best infrastructure, the best format of ranking, the best teams and players, and the best management. However, the current format is what seems to be the major complaint from the majority of people. Below is a simple suggestion regarding a change to the format which would make most players happy.

Pro: Keep it the same.
Semipro/D1: Same exact format as pro.
D2: Stays the same, reduce entry cost.
D3: Race to 5
D4: Race to 4
Race to 2 format remains the same.

Please post your thoughts, prayers, and suggestions.

As always, thank you Lane, Camille, Tom, Chris, and the rest of the PSP/APPA staff for doing an amazing job year in and year out!

[Marmaduke]

Meant to vote for your proposed changes. For what it's worth, I approve.

[igotbanned-ibra5]

Race to 7 for d1 would be awesome but im not sure if some d1 team could afford it.

Even tho is not that much difference in points but throught a tournament it will add up and increase paint spending big time.

[bre3zy]

i think you hit the nail on the head

[Metsfan323]

This is basically perfection all stated here about the format. Good stuff, Zap.

[Hobbes The Tiger]

I voted for keeping things as they are, but I like where your head is at. I think instead of making D1 a Race To 7, I'd say Race To 6. That way teams are still getting some experience in playing longer matches, but don't quite have to have that pro endurance. I've only watched D1, but I think RT6 would be a pretty good format, especially for teams that are thinking about making the jump to Pro.

[TheREVYman]

Don't change anything except lower the price for D2...all of the format changes and such are not needed....I'm sure the psp will release some new bunkers and what not but other than that I see no need for any changes

[TherealInsomniac]

Originally Posted by Hobbes The Tiger

I voted for keeping things as they are, but I like where your head is at. I think instead of making D1 a Race To 7, I'd say Race To 6. That way teams are still getting some experience in playing longer matches, but don't quite have to have that pro endurance. I've only watched D1, but I think RT6 would be a pretty good format, especially for teams that are thinking about making the jump to Pro.

d1 LONGER!? do we not recall the 45 minute point?

[Hobbes The Tiger]

Originally Posted by TherealInsomniac

d1 LONGER!? do we not recall the 45 minute point?

How often does that happen, though? Yeah, I'd like to see D1 a RT6. Just another step for teams that want to go Pro. The jump from D2 to D1 doesn't seem as daunting as the jump from D1 to Pro, IMO.

[robs45]

if they are going to have more pro teams, then maybe limit ot. That way there is more control on the scheduling/times to rectify running late.

[cp kid]

Race to 5 in D3 would be a nice change for sure.

[pedrofb19]

i feel like if they ran 5 man like mini xball matches it would make things move along a lot faster rather than having to play so many points throughout the day.

[shredxcam]

Non padded jerseys
Make d4 a true rookie div not a sand baggers dream ie. no series points just event. Play 2 d4 events and forced to d3

Make d1 more of a semi pro div. combine d2-3 for amateaur div

[venice empire77]

Voted for proposed changes.
However, I think Raceto2 for all divisions should be changed to an "Xball" format. Instead of running a round robin in the bracket have them run the points back to back. The CFPS has done this and it's turned out great.
Just a suggestion

[charmin]

My Feeling of how to take Paintball next level will be:
PSP divisions (in my opinion):
D4 same format
D3 same format
D2 same format
D1 same format (Open to all like normal)
Semi Pro (Pro format, maybe race to 6)
Semi pro should be a locked division, invitational only based on rosters. No teams like reckless (no offensive) should be allowed in. If you take the top 6 d1 teams, drop down the bottom 2 pro teams, and add 2 wild card teams based on roster, you will have a 10 team bracket aka the Semi Pro division.
I believe if everyone truly wants to move to the future of paintball, and make it a positive transformation for the sport to grow, and compromising with the player’s happiness. Semi Pro must be the same format (penalty boxes) Hobbes the tiger had a great idea with the race to 6. If you want a team to be able to reach pro, and at the same time be a contender, they have to practice playing like a pro. Look at every Mainstream sport: College football to NFL, Minor League Baseball to MLB, and College Basketball to NBA.
I also believe that Semi Pro should mirror the Millennium League by: at the end of the season the bottom 2 Semi Pro teams move down back to D1, and the top 2 D1 teams move up to Semi Pro. The top 2 Semi Pro teams move up to Pro, and the bottom 2 Pro teams move back down.
This will increase skill, heart, and desire to not be the last two seasonal ranked teams. People will complain that, “the bottom 2 Semi pro teams will win d1!” or “The bottom 2 pro teams will win Semi Pro”. If you are a player trying to move up into the Semi Pro level, or Pro level and you can’t beat the 2 weakest teams in that division, THEN WHY ON EARTH DO YOU DESERVE TO BE COMPETING IN THE HIGHER DIVISION?
I don’t see semi pro bring in much money, but I do see it bringing in advertisement dollars (pbaccess.com views), Gear sells; divisional players can relate more to Semi Pro teams and want to emulate them more (example Vicious). Semi Pro will also, if done the right way, will change this sport forever. People love College mainstream sports because they like to see the young up and coming players. If you monitor them like the Pro league you will acquire an audience you never truly had, this is your higher divisional players. They don’t care to pay to watch Pros play, with the exception of their friends. By doing so you have just added a new group of interested spectators, because everyone wants to see themselves on the webcast and everyone has more of an opportunity to become Semi Pro more so than Pro, and this could make paintball more mainstream. I know you tired out the Semi Pro division once already, but the old expression goes “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” 2 events was not enough time to see if the division would really work. I believe if Semi Pro is done right. The Skill of paintball will increase dramatically, new fans will be acquired, and unintended consequences will be positive in the long run.

[Andocommando]

One thing I think needs to be changed is the time limit in Rt4, which is currently 12 min. Aside from smashing a team 4-0, a huge majority of the matches this year have went to time. On Thursday at cup we 4-0'd both teams we played. on Friday, we went 3-2(went to time) and 2-2 (went to time), Then played an overtime point, and lost. Friday we definitely played harder teams but I dont feel like we truly got to battle it out with them. I felt more like we were racing the clock rather than playing and trying to beat the other team. There are just way too many matches going to time instead of letting them play (in my opinion), and when it comes down to an overtime point, teams are very content with carrying a ton of pods and just sitting back, because there is so much on the line. If matches were 15 min, I feel we could definitely get that extra point or two in there.

I dont mind losing to a team that is better than us, I just want to do it by being beat, and not by the clock expiring on a 2-1 game or something because the fields are set up for slow. heavy-paint consumption layouts.

I wont even go into what i think about penalties. "Just let the kids play" is what comes to mind. Im tired of losing 3/5 of my team on the top-of-a-hopper or some garbage penalty

[skwirnmn]

keep everything the same, make the fields smaller.. saves space at the events, runs quicker points, less paint consumption, easier for the webcast to cover as opponents are closer to one another and this will eliminate the long drawn out overtime points.

[jesters22]

their cant be a semi pro, theirs not enough d1 teams as it is.. invitational or not. it didnt work a few years ago. bc theirs not enough teams.

also race to is gay in all forms.. but since we have to play a "race to" format. then make it just like pro.. d1 is 1 step under pro, we should be playing a format just like pro's

[sliverclan]

How about we not **** with anything for 1 year.

[zerokai]

Regional and affiliate league events should not carry the same ranking point weight as national events.

[bonusballas]

I think the level below pro should be RT7. It will better prepare teams for the next level.