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Each event that is a part of the championship series (Challenges, Cups, Regionals, IC’s, Special Events) award championship points based of the results and number of attendees at each event. Points are accumulated during the season by attending these events and performing well. Each event has a specific points reward system and that system can change each season as Pokemon updates their guidelines.
There are some other important terms to know regarding the championship points system in order to understand how these events operate.
Best Finish Limit:
Otherwise known as BFL. The best finish limit is the limit on how many events from each category will count towards your overall points total for qualification. This season there are changes to the Best Finish Limits for Challenges, Cups and Regionals/ICs. For this season, Challenges and Cups have a BFL of 4. This doesn’t mean that you can only compete in that many events, it means that your top 4 Cup finishes and your top 4 challenge finishes will be the results used to. calculate your points total for the season. So, if you have 4 1st place finishes for challenges, you would not be able to earn any more points in that category for the season. You are also able to improve on your finishes by competing in more events in that category.
Example: If you had 3 1st place finishes and 3 2nd place finishes in challenges for the season, and you compete in your 7th challenge and finish 1st, that finish would replace one of the 2nd place finishes which means your points total would improve from 3 1st and 1 2nd to 4 1st.
Kicker:
The kicker refers to the threshold at which more players will be awarded points at a given event. The number of points does not change as long as the minimum attendance to an event is met, however there are kickers in place to award further prize points to those who finish below the standard point thresholds if the attendance in that division meets certain levels. These criteria are set by Pokemon each season and can change.
BFL: 4
Format: Best Of 1 or 3 Swiss Rounds
Challenges are considered the 1st tier in the championship series. These are held at Local Game Stores across the country, usually 1 per month. Challenges are a perfect way to gain championship level experience as these tournaments are usually held regularly, and are also usually the shortest in length. Challenges consist of Swiss rounds only, and do not have a top cut.
The standard requirements will still apply to challenges: A Play! Pokemon Trainer Account, A Standard Format Legal 60 Card Deck, A Deck list for submission. You will need to make sure that you have opted in to the Play! Pokemon program in order to earn points or prizing.
BFL: 4
Format: Best Of 1 or 3 Swiss Rounds + Top 8 Single Elimination Tournament
Cups are generally considered a step up in both competition level and prizing. Cups take place at local games stores once per quarter, which means you can expect to have 4 cups per location per season. The structure of a cup is almost identical to a challenge with Swill Rounds playing out first. After the Swiss rounds are done, there will be a top cut depending on the number of participants and those players will play in a single elimination tournament to decide the winner.
League Cups are an excellent opportunity for players to accumulate points as the championship points awards are much higher. Of course with this usually comes harder competition as many players looking to earn their World’s invite attend cups to win valuable championship points towards their goal.
BFL: Limit of 6 Finishes between Regionals, Special Events and International Championships
Format: 1-2 Days of Best Of 3 Swiss Rounds + Single Elimination Tournament
Regional Championships are premier Play! Pokemon events held at locations throughout the world during each season. These events are attended by thousands of participants competing in TCG, VG and Pokemon GO. These are held in large convention centers and take place over 2 days (Saturday and Sunday). These events give a massive bump to championship point payouts for top finishers as well as offer cash prizing!
Attending a Regional can be one of the most rewarding experiences in competitive Pokemon. These events are a gathering like-minded people and can serve as both a competition and convention in one. With vendors, side events, seminars and more these are truly must-attend events.
With that level of excitement, there also comes a high level of competition. Players will compete in Swiss rounds (as many as 9 rounds on day 1) in order to earn the chance to come back for Day 2. In Day 2, more Swiss rounds are played, at which point, depending on attendance, there will be a top cut of 8. Just like in cups, those 8 will compete in a single-elimination tournament to determine the winner. You can learn more about tournament structure here.
BFL: Limit of 6 Finishes between Regionals, Special Events and International Championships
Format: 1-2 Days of Best Of 3 Swiss Rounds + Single Elimination Tournament
International Championships are the pinnacle of the championship season, only surpassed by the invite-only World Championships. IC’s (as they are commonly referred) are much like regionals. This season there are 3 International Championships: LAIC (Latin America), EUIC (Europe) and NAIC (North America). Unlike regionals, IC’s are held over 3 days instead of 2, with competition starting Friday and culminating with finals Sunday.
The best of the best will be at IC’s, with the worlds elite Pokemon trainers attending for points, prizing and the chance to be crowned champion. Players compete in Swiss rounds (as many as 9 rounds on day 1) in order to earn the chance to come back for Day 2. In Day 2, more Swiss rounds are played, at which point, depending on attendance, there will be a top cut of 8. Just like in cups, those 8 will compete in a single-elimination tournament to determine the winner. The final 2 left standing will come back on day 3 and compete for the title of champion.
To learn more about Championship Points or the Play! Pokemon Championship season, visit www.pokemon.com/play-pokemon