Proposal to reform the Worlds Break

Update 1st January 2011.  Given that council voted to expand the break to all teams on 18 points this morning it is fitting that I move this post back up the blog.  I haven't figured out the impact of the decision on how to tab future worlds and won't try until I hear exact details of what was passed at council.

You will also find more information on Andy Hume's Facebook post or in the current edition of the Monash Debating review

Here is an extract from a mail from Mai Mokhsein (UT MARA) National Delegate for Malaysia at Council which he sent to the malaysian_debaters mail list:

This message is purely informational in nature. The Worlds Council 2012 has just passed the constitutional amendment to expand the main break. ALL teams on 18 points will now make the main break, applicable to Worlds 2013 henceforth.

Proposal passed with a slim two-thirds majority with strong opposition from the European, Oceania & IONA region. All Asian nations were unanimously stout in holding their ground for expanding the break after a disproportionately long discussion that carried on from last year. Great turnaround as the initial straw voting indicated that we didn't have the necessary two-thirds majority to make the amendment.

Implementation of the new break policy:
1. The bottom 32 teams will compete in Pre-Octos, while high-ranking teams will get a bye.
2. If an odd number of teams make the main break, the room with the lowest-ranking team will have three teams advancing to the Octos.

Update Jan 2011: this is a post that was first published on 24th November. It concerns the proposal to expand the break which is currently being discussed at council. I have changed the date on it to move it back up to the front page of this blog so people can be more fully informed about the proposal. The first 17 comments date from November.

Shawn Briscoe and Steve Johnson have written a proposal to allow all teams with 18 or more points to break at the WUDC. They plan to submit it to Council in Botswana and have asked that it be posted here to promote some discussion.  If you want to contribute to the discussion you can post here or e-mail Shawn and Steve directly at steve.johnson.alaska@gmail.com or shawn.briscoe@uaa.alaska.edu.