So before making this thread, I made sure that there was nothing like it about this year’s worlds.
My team qualified for worlds today and 3 other teams from our organization are going. One of the teams said that back during turning point worlds, there weren’t enough practice fields for all the teams.
My first question is, does anyone know about how many practice fields will be available?
My second question is, about how much pit space will a team have? With 4 teams from our organisation, should we bring a half field, a full field, or just a couple tiles?
Quick disclaimer, I have only been to vex iq worlds, and that was in ringmaster, and there’s a new venue so a lot can change.
But from my experience, you will have a 10x10 pit area, and the other teams in your org will be right next to each other (effectively giving you a 10x40 pit area if you remove the side walls). The exact number of practice fields is unknown and with a new venue, it’s impossible to say if there will be enough.
And about bringing a full field to worlds, I believe there was something said by vex a while ago where they DIDNT want teams bringing full feilds to worlds because it just takes up too much space, but if everything else I have said ends up being correct (the 10x40 pit area) it would probably be fine
In the past it was a relatively common practice to have a full VRC field set up across a couple of teams’ pit areas. But the problem was, with only 10’ of width, the field would jut a couple of feet out into the aisle. IIRC, by the last year in Louisville, the fire marshall caught wind of this practice and they had to put a stop to it.
10 feet is enough width to fit 2/3 of a field though (i.e., 8x12), which should be sufficient to at least work on your autonomous routine.
A lot, like, a lot a lot, but it’s never enough. My experience has been pretty consistent, on average, you will have to wait 10-30 minutes for a practice field. You will then have 10 minutes to practice.
As a result, having a partial practice field is an amazing luxury if your team is able to transport it to the venue.
While at past world championships they were pretty relaxed about teams removing the outriggers, I recall in 2019 there was a crackdown on folks doing this (which was communicated ahead of time). This is because the pipe and drape is running such a long distance that removing the outriggers compromises its structural integrity.
With the added asterisk your pit neighbor is fine losing a little space in their pit if you are not part of the same organization (not a problem for the op, but important to note). From what I heard, teams are fine with it as long as you also let them use your field.
New team. New coach. Going to worlds. Do teams decorate their pit area like at State? Do teams hand out swag? Any out-of-box items we need to bring? Are chairs provided in our pit? Should we bring a partial field & if so, does this include bringing part of the perimeter or just tiles, a platform, & goals? Can we have bottled water & light snacks in our pit area (we couldn’t at State)? Anything I’m forgetting to ask??? TOTALLY NEW HERE!
Congrats for your team!
Last time I went was for iq in next level, so things may have changed a little.
Do teams decorate their pit area like at State?
Yup, all the time. Streamers, balloons, banners, flags, the works. Just make sure to not go too over the top.
Do teams hand out swag?
Yes. Pins, buttons, all of that. I have a huge collection.
Are chairs provided in our pit?
When I went, there was a table at the front of the pit, with 2 chairs. You will probably want to bring more, folding camping chairs are great.
Should we bring a partial field & if so, does this include bringing part of the perimeter or just tiles, a platform, & goals?
In my experience with iq, it’s not worth it. There are a whole bunch of practice fields, and the fields just take so much space up in the 10x10 pits. And that was with 4x8 iq fields. There is no way to fit a 12x12 field in the pits. But you should definitely bring a few tiles and a goal or 2 (assuming you are doing vrc), and some rings.
