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2013 Masters Division Competition Structure Proposal

Posted: March 15, 2012 07:17 PM
 
 
In conjunction with the changes announced to the Club Mixed, Open, and Women’s divisions, USA Ultimate has also announced a proposed plan for changes to the Masters Open, Masters Women’s, and Grand Masters Open divisions.
 
In order to better serve both the players of the age-limited and non-age-limited divisions, a new Masters Series is being proposed for creation starting in 2013. The goal of this series, which will be organized separately from the Club Series, will be to create a competition structure and playing opportunities that are tailored to the teams and players in USA Ultimate’s adult age-limited divisions. This plan is being presented in conjunction with the plans for the Club Division and will follow a similar schedule for gathering feedback and making final decisions for the 2013 season.
 
Timing
 
  • March 15 - Proposed Masters Series plan announced
  • Week of March 26 – Feedback survey released
  • April-May – Survey feedback collection; Focus group feedback (i.e. various sub-groups)
  • June-July – Feedback reviewed and final plan developed
  • July – Final proposal to Board of Directors
  • August – Announcement of final plan
 

Masters Series Plan Details

  • Divisions - The Masters Series will be comprised of the Masters Open (33 years), Masters Women’s (30 years), and Grand Masters Open (40 years) divisions. 
     
  • Age limits - For 2013, the age limits for each division will remain as currently defined, but may be changed in subsequent years. 
     
  • Timing – For 2013, the Masters Series will take place in the summer, with the championship event in the late summer or early fall. 
     
  • Regional structure – The Masters Series will be based on the new 8-region Club Division geographic structure. Regions will be paired into Super Regions, for the purpose of qualifying events for the Masters Championships. The regions will not be divided into sections.
     
  • Roster eligibility – Geographic rostering rules will be based on the 8 region structure. Players may not be on more than one roster during the Masters Series, either within the same division or across divisions. Eligible players may play in both the Masters Series and the Club Season and Series (Mixed, Open, Women’s). 
     
  • Qualification structure – The Masters Championships will include the three Masters Series divisions, with up to 16 teams in each. Each Super Region will be allocated 4 bids to the championship event. Super Regions with more than 4 teams registering for participation in a division will be required to hold a Super Regional event to qualify teams for the Masters Championships. If a Super Region has 4 or fewer teams register for the Masters Series, Super Regionals will not be required. Unclaimed bids to the Masters Championships will be reallocated to other Super Regions based on specified criteria (e.g. demand, size, strength). 
 
By creating a separate Masters Series, USA Ultimate and event hosts will better be able to focus resources on and tailor playing experiences for the players in these divisions. Masters Series qualifiers will only be held when necessary based on participation numbers. The focus on these events, for players and fans, will be exclusively on the Masters Series divisions and teams. Competition rules and the events themselves can be designed specifically around the needs and desires of these divisions’ teams and players. We look forward to collecting feedback about these changes, as well as other ideas for future improvements to the Masters Series, in the Spring of 2012.
 
Some Masters Series questions are addressed in the 2013 Club Restructuring Plan Comparison and FAQ.
 
If you have questions about this proposal, please send in your questions to theultimatenation@usaultimate.org by the morning of Monday, March 19th and we'll try to answer your question on the show.