Registration at NHRL: Difference between revisions

From NHRL
Content added Content deleted
VisualWikitext
m (Gilhova moved page Registration in 2024 to Registration at NHRL)
No edit summary
 
(15 intermediate revisions by 2 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
(Note: This page has been updated for the 2026 season.)
NHRL has grown significantly in the past year alone, and we’ve had to modify registration to give more people a chance to compete. We’re thrilled that so many people are excited to fight at our events, but we had to figure out a way to make the process more fair.


'''Please only register if you are 100% sure you can compete at the event.'''
We’ve solicited feedback from the builder community, and we’ve come up with the following plan. We’re very grateful and thankful for your feedback!


You can register for events at the [[NHRL Registration Hub]].
'''We are adopting a new ballot-style registration system''', replacing the first-come-first-served system we’ve used in the past. We’re also setting up a way that people who need more certainty in their registration can have it.


Note that this system may change and evolve throughout the 2026 season.
We will be monitoring the process closely to see where we can make improvements either for the remainder of this year or for next year. We may make changes (hopefully small tweaks) to this process throughout the year to make sure it’s the fairest possible registration process for everyone.


==Registration==
There will be two ways to register for each event: open registration and event reservation.
We offer 2 events for public registration: the '''NHRL Open''' for 3lb, 12lb, and 30lb, and '''NHRL XP''', for less experienced and more casual competitors. NHRL XP is for the 3lb weight class only, for the time being. Both events happen on the same day at the NHRL House of Havoc.


Because of overwhelming demand, we have registration caps at our NHRL events.
===Open Registration===
Open registration will be the most common way to register for an event. It will not guarantee that you will fight at that event, though! When registration closes, we will select bots randomly, weighting for bots that have not had a chance to fight with us yet.


* 3lb Open: 80 bots
If you do not get selected for a spot, you will be placed on the waitlist in a random order.
* 3lb XP: 16 bots
* 12lb Open: 32 bots
* 30lb Open: 32 bots (up from 20 last year)


Registration opens about 8 weeks before the event (sooner for the January and February events). It closes about 7 weeks before the event, and selections are announced about 6.5 weeks before the event.
This way, it no longer matters if you sign up immediately when registration opens, just before it closes, or any time in between. You will have the same chances to make it in any way.


Registration requires a $75 deposit. You will get it back as long as you are able to make it to your first-round prelim fight.
We will announce the list of bots in the March tournament no later than Wednesday, January 17. This gives long-distance builders over six weeks to make travel arrangements.


==Selection==
There will still be a $25 deposit. This deposit will not be refunded immediately if you are not selected; instead, you will be put on the waitlist. Your deposit will be refunded if you withdraw up to 3 weeks before the event (like in previous events). If you never get selected from the waitlist, you will get your deposit refunded after the event.
Selections are generally announced 6 weeks before the event (it will be a shorter turnaround for the February and March events). Selection is by driver, not bot, although the bot registered is a factor.


Selection will be a lottery, with 2 buckets.
The main reason for these changes is to keep the system fair for everyone. As a result, we will not allow a builder to compete whom we believe is acting in bad faith (for example, renaming a bot to go around the process).


The first bucket will be made up of:
====Waitlisted bots====
* All competitors in good standing who have been Main Driver of a bot that is currently-ranked.
The waitlist is there to make sure that as many people get a chance to fight as possible, and to ensure that we can run a full field of bots fairly.
* (3lb only) All competitors in good standing who have earned at least 10,000 XP.


Anyone in the first bucket must be able and willing to compete at the 2026 World Championships with their entered bot, barring an unexpected emergency or life event.
If you’re on the waitlist, we would like you to be ready when you are called. If you don’t think you will be ready, then we ask that you withdraw from the waitlist to make sure other people have a chance to fill slots.


The second bucket will be everyone else.
If we call you from the waitlist within two weeks of the event and you are not able to fill the spot, you will not get your deposit back.


If there is a waitlist, then any unselected competitors from the first bucket will be at the top in random order, followed by unselected competitors from the second bucket.
====Spot allocation====
When registration closes, bots in each weight class will be separated into the following groups:


==Good standing==
# '''2024 Debut''' - 50% of slots would be reserved for bots that have not fought at an NHRL event in 2024. (We would use the definition of “new bot” to ensure this, but applying it to bots that have not fought in 2024.)
A competitor is in good standing if they meet all of the following criteria:
# '''Missed Last Event''' - 20% of slots would be reserved for bots that did not fight at the most recent NHRL event, and have not already fought at 3 NHRL tournaments.
# '''Under 3 NHRL tournaments''' - 20% of slots would be reserved for bots that have not already fought at 3 NHRL tournaments in 2024.
# '''Open''' - The remaining 10% of slots would be for all remaining bots.


* They have not forfeited either of their first 2 fights at the last 2 NHRL events at that weight class.
We will evaluate and possibly tweak these percentages throughout the year.
* They have not dropped out after registering in the last 2 NHRL events at that weight class.
* They have not forfeited either of their first 2 fights or dropped out after registering at multiple events in the last 12 months at that weight class.
* They have not been disqualified from NHRL events in the past 6 months due to demerits, or forfeited multiple fights due to excessive TKO points in any weight class.
* They have not acted improperly with a timeout, or ban in the NHRL Discord in the past 6 months.


==NHRL XP==
You will find out if your bot has a slot at the event or is on the waitlist after registration has closed.
NHRL XP is a separate 3lb tournament we run on the same day we run NHRL Open. It is open to any competitor, regardless of experience. We encourage inexperienced competitors to cut their teeth here.


The XP tournament will use the same format as the Open tournament, with a 3-round prelim feeding a single-elimination bracket. Additionally, competitors that go 0-2 in the Open prelims may sign up to compete in the XP single-elimination bracket, if they want more stick time.
To assign bots to slots, we will start with the 2024 Debut group. All bots in this group will be drawn in a random order until either all bots are assigned a slot OR there are no more slots left.


After each event, competitors gain XP for the following.
If there are additional slots, these are added to the next group’s allocation. If there are additional bots, these are added to the next group’s list of bots.


{| class="wikitable"
We will repeat this process for all four groups in the order set out above.
! Achievement !! XP
|-
| Made first fight || 500
|-
| Made it to bracket || 1500
|-
| Made semifinals || 2000
|-
| Made final || 2500
|-
| Won event || 3500
|-
| Forfeit in prelims first round || -2000
|-
| Forfeit in prelims second or third round || -1000
|-
| Forfeit in bracket || -500
|}


A competitor who reaches 10,000 XP becomes eligible to be selected for Open.
Any unassigned bots will move to the waitlist in a random order. This order will be published. As bots drop out, bots of the appropriate weight class will replace them from the waitlist.


==2026 reservations==
We will have 96 slots for 3lb bots, 24 slots for 12lb bots, and 16 slots for 30lb bots. We may swap the number of slots for 12lb and 30lb bots if we get more 30lb signups than 12lb.
Reservations at NHRL will work differently in 2026.


Reservations for 2026 will open on January 26 (this date is subject to change). Any competitor in good standing in a weight class may reserve for ONE event in that weight class, starting with our April event.
Each group will have a set number of slots allocated to it for the event. Starting with the first group, if there are fewer bots registered than slots available for that group, all bots will be added to the event and the remaining slots will be added to the allocation for the next group.


You no longer need to apply for a reservation and give a reason. (This policy is subject to change if we get a lot of dropouts and/or forfeits from competitors who have made reservations.)
If there are more bots in the group than available slots allocated to that group, bots from that group will be drawn randomly until all slots are filled. The remaining bots will automatically be added to the next group. This process continues until the final group where all remaining slots are filled and then the waitlist is created by randomly drawing all remaining bots.


You may reserve once in multiple weight classes, as long as you are in good standing for those weight classes. You may reserve in different weight classes at the same event or different events, if you wish, as long as you only reserve once per weight class.
If a bot has participated in at least 3 tournaments during the season, it will only be selected if there are available slots after all registered bots have been selected.


Each reservation is by Main Driver, just like registration.
We will use the [[January 20, 2024#What_is_a_new_bot.3F|January “new bots” rule]] to determine what is a new bot and what is a returning bot.


At 3lb, NHRL reserves the right to place any competitor in the XP tournament if we feel they would not be a good match for the Open tournament.
If we determine that a builder is trying to circumvent these rules by re-entering an already-entered bot under a different name, or some other means, that builder will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including event bans.


For the time being, you may reserve a spot in the Open tournament at 12lb or 30lb regardless of experience. This policy is subject to change if we get a lot of dropouts and/or forfeits from inexperienced competitors who made reservations at 12lb or 30lb.
===Event Reservation===
We are also offering event reservation to competitors for whom travel and logistics limit the possible dates they can attend (long distance flights, visa letters, etc.). If you can potentially attend most events on the schedule and travel doesn’t require extensive planning on your end, we ask that you use the open registration system instead.


You will make your reservation through the NHRL Registration Hub. Reservations will now require the regular $75 deposit at the time of reservation.
If there is one specific event that is best for you to fight at, you may contact us to apply for a spot for it before open registration ends. There may be situations where we cannot honor your request (e.g. other reservations met the cap for that weight class), but in most cases, we should be able to reserve a spot for you. Note that we may closer reservations several weeks or months before the event if we have a lot of reservations.


Reservations cannot be moved. Please do not reserve a spot unless you are absolutely sure you can make it.
Any single bot may only be included in one reservation for the entire year. We will use the definition of "new bot" to judge this. Any competitor who tries to get around this by renaming a bot, or some other means, will face disciplinary action.


Reservations for any given event will close, at latest, the Friday before that event's lottery opens. RESERVATIONS MAY CLOSE EARLY DUE TO HIGH DEMAND. We will make a best effort to give at least 24 hours warning via email if we need to close reservations for an event early; however, we cannot guarantee that much notice if demand is overwhelming.
We recommend long-distance and overseas competitors use this method to guarantee themselves a presence at an event.


[[Category:Information]]
[https://form.typeform.com/to/EAYmOVWF Go here to apply for an event reservation.]

Latest revision as of 20:40, 14 January 2026

(Note: This page has been updated for the 2026 season.)

Please only register if you are 100% sure you can compete at the event.

You can register for events at the NHRL Registration Hub.

Note that this system may change and evolve throughout the 2026 season.

Registration

We offer 2 events for public registration: the NHRL Open for 3lb, 12lb, and 30lb, and NHRL XP, for less experienced and more casual competitors. NHRL XP is for the 3lb weight class only, for the time being. Both events happen on the same day at the NHRL House of Havoc.

Because of overwhelming demand, we have registration caps at our NHRL events.

  • 3lb Open: 80 bots
  • 3lb XP: 16 bots
  • 12lb Open: 32 bots
  • 30lb Open: 32 bots (up from 20 last year)

Registration opens about 8 weeks before the event (sooner for the January and February events). It closes about 7 weeks before the event, and selections are announced about 6.5 weeks before the event.

Registration requires a $75 deposit. You will get it back as long as you are able to make it to your first-round prelim fight.

Selection

Selections are generally announced 6 weeks before the event (it will be a shorter turnaround for the February and March events). Selection is by driver, not bot, although the bot registered is a factor.

Selection will be a lottery, with 2 buckets.

The first bucket will be made up of:

  • All competitors in good standing who have been Main Driver of a bot that is currently-ranked.
  • (3lb only) All competitors in good standing who have earned at least 10,000 XP.

Anyone in the first bucket must be able and willing to compete at the 2026 World Championships with their entered bot, barring an unexpected emergency or life event.

The second bucket will be everyone else.

If there is a waitlist, then any unselected competitors from the first bucket will be at the top in random order, followed by unselected competitors from the second bucket.

Good standing

A competitor is in good standing if they meet all of the following criteria:

  • They have not forfeited either of their first 2 fights at the last 2 NHRL events at that weight class.
  • They have not dropped out after registering in the last 2 NHRL events at that weight class.
  • They have not forfeited either of their first 2 fights or dropped out after registering at multiple events in the last 12 months at that weight class.
  • They have not been disqualified from NHRL events in the past 6 months due to demerits, or forfeited multiple fights due to excessive TKO points in any weight class.
  • They have not acted improperly with a timeout, or ban in the NHRL Discord in the past 6 months.

NHRL XP

NHRL XP is a separate 3lb tournament we run on the same day we run NHRL Open. It is open to any competitor, regardless of experience. We encourage inexperienced competitors to cut their teeth here.

The XP tournament will use the same format as the Open tournament, with a 3-round prelim feeding a single-elimination bracket. Additionally, competitors that go 0-2 in the Open prelims may sign up to compete in the XP single-elimination bracket, if they want more stick time.

After each event, competitors gain XP for the following.

Achievement XP
Made first fight 500
Made it to bracket 1500
Made semifinals 2000
Made final 2500
Won event 3500
Forfeit in prelims first round -2000
Forfeit in prelims second or third round -1000
Forfeit in bracket -500

A competitor who reaches 10,000 XP becomes eligible to be selected for Open.

2026 reservations

Reservations at NHRL will work differently in 2026.

Reservations for 2026 will open on January 26 (this date is subject to change). Any competitor in good standing in a weight class may reserve for ONE event in that weight class, starting with our April event.

You no longer need to apply for a reservation and give a reason. (This policy is subject to change if we get a lot of dropouts and/or forfeits from competitors who have made reservations.)

You may reserve once in multiple weight classes, as long as you are in good standing for those weight classes. You may reserve in different weight classes at the same event or different events, if you wish, as long as you only reserve once per weight class.

Each reservation is by Main Driver, just like registration.

At 3lb, NHRL reserves the right to place any competitor in the XP tournament if we feel they would not be a good match for the Open tournament.

For the time being, you may reserve a spot in the Open tournament at 12lb or 30lb regardless of experience. This policy is subject to change if we get a lot of dropouts and/or forfeits from inexperienced competitors who made reservations at 12lb or 30lb.

You will make your reservation through the NHRL Registration Hub. Reservations will now require the regular $75 deposit at the time of reservation.

Reservations cannot be moved. Please do not reserve a spot unless you are absolutely sure you can make it.

Reservations for any given event will close, at latest, the Friday before that event's lottery opens. RESERVATIONS MAY CLOSE EARLY DUE TO HIGH DEMAND. We will make a best effort to give at least 24 hours warning via email if we need to close reservations for an event early; however, we cannot guarantee that much notice if demand is overwhelming.

Retrieved from "https://wiki.nhrl.io/wiki/index.php?title=Registration_at_NHRL&oldid=22950"