2020 UFO World Cup Series Changes-Pandemic response
The UFO board has been discussing our plans given the chaos the pandemic is causing.
At this point, the UFO World Cup Finals, scheduled for October 2-4 in Italy, are still likely going to happen.
We have already lost several qualifying events in Europe and the USA, many, many postponed, and many events will likely not get an opportunity to reschedule.
This means normal qualification for the World Cup Finals is growing more difficult, and is likely impossible for some people.
To this end, we are changing the format of the World Cup Series this year.
Our World Cup Final is going to be open to all players. An "All-comer" meet. No qualification is necessary.
Since Italy is a hotspot of disc dog activity, we anticipate that this might mean a lot of teams will show up-possibly more than we can handle. We are not going to announce any limits to the numbers at the finals at the moment, but we may need to limit the number of teams. (These limits will apply to Freestyle/Combined teams. We should be able to handle all the T&C teams that attend)
We will have a web page to help us get an idea of how many teams may show up ready soon.
For those event hosts that are planning to run their scheduled UFO events this year, the top 3 combined and top 3 FS and TC teams will have their spots at the finals guaranteed. This means that even if we have to limit the total number of teams, those "guaranteed teams" will not be cut no matter what. We are not "sliding" guaranteed spots down if teams aren't attending, since the finals is going to be an open event.
Even if travel restrictions are lifted, and COVID19 is beaten back, and we feel almost normal in October, it is still possible that some people will have a hard time getting to the finals this year. Financial concerns alone are going to have a big impact on many of us. But if you and your dog are able to attend local UFO events, rest assured that your efforts will not be wasted; Any UFO World Cup points or qualification spots earned this year WILL carry over into 2021 as well. The points series will consist of 2 seasons instead of merely 1.
Please be aware that with an Open World Cup Final, we may charge an entry fee to help make up for lost sponsor support.
Also, keep in mind that this is an early plan. It is entirely possible that in a few weeks or a couple of months from now, we are in a totally different situation. If the pandemic does not recede sufficiently, and international travel is prohibited, the UFO may elect to simply cancel the World Cup Final for 2020. We will try to make this decision in a timely manner, but be aware that this possibility will be hanging over our heads for the entire season.
But for now, the 2020 UFO World Cup Finals will take place as scheduled in Italy, with an "all-comer" format.
We do sadly report that the 2020 European Cup Final will be canceled. The final location of this event wasn't quite ready when the quarantines and lockdowns started. But now, we feel it will be simpler to not hold it. We apologize to those folks who look forward to this event.
The UFO North American Cup Finals, with the UFO Small Dog Championship, is still going to take place. It is being planned for Southern California in November of this year.
For any UFO events that take place this year, qualifications and points will carry over, so we hope a few of you get to return to the field for some play during the regular season.
We will be issuing updates to our overall plans as more information about quarantines and travel restrictions is updated.
Stay safe.
- The UFO
The UFO board has been discussing our plans given the chaos the pandemic is causing.At this point, the UFO World Cup Finals, scheduled for October 2-4 in Italy, are still likely going to happen.
We have already lost several qualifying events in Europe and the USA, many, many postponed, and many events will likely not get an opportunity to reschedule.
This means normal qualification for the World Cup Finals is growing more difficult, and is likely impossible for some people.
To this end, we are changing the format of the World Cup Series this year.
Our World Cup Final is going to be open to all players. An "All-comer" meet. No qualification is necessary.
Since Italy is a hotspot of disc dog activity, we anticipate that this might mean a lot of teams will show up-possibly more than we can handle. We are not going to announce any limits to the numbers at the finals at the moment, but we may need to limit the number of teams. (These limits will apply to Freestyle/Combined teams. We should be able to handle all the T&C teams that attend)
We will have a web page to help us get an idea of how many teams may show up ready soon.
For those event hosts that are planning to run their scheduled UFO events this year, the top 3 combined and top 3 FS and TC teams will have their spots at the finals guaranteed. This means that even if we have to limit the total number of teams, those "guaranteed teams" will not be cut no matter what. We are not "sliding" guaranteed spots down if teams aren't attending, since the finals is going to be an open event.
Even if travel restrictions are lifted, and COVID19 is beaten back, and we feel almost normal in October, it is still possible that some people will have a hard time getting to the finals this year. Financial concerns alone are going to have a big impact on many of us. But if you and your dog are able to attend local UFO events, rest assured that your efforts will not be wasted; Any UFO World Cup points or qualification spots earned this year WILL carry over into 2021 as well. The points series will consist of 2 seasons instead of merely 1.
Please be aware that with an Open World Cup Final, we may charge an entry fee to help make up for lost sponsor support.
Also, keep in mind that this is an early plan. It is entirely possible that in a few weeks or a couple of months from now, we are in a totally different situation. If the pandemic does not recede sufficiently, and international travel is prohibited, the UFO may elect to simply cancel the World Cup Final for 2020. We will try to make this decision in a timely manner, but be aware that this possibility will be hanging over our heads for the entire season.
But for now, the 2020 UFO World Cup Finals will take place as scheduled in Italy, with an "all-comer" format.
We do sadly report that the 2020 European Cup Final will be canceled. The final location of this event wasn't quite ready when the quarantines and lockdowns started. But now, we feel it will be simpler to not hold it. We apologize to those folks who look forward to this event.
The UFO North American Cup Finals, with the UFO Small Dog Championship, is still going to take place. It is being planned for Southern California in November of this year.
For any UFO events that take place this year, qualifications and points will carry over, so we hope a few of you get to return to the field for some play during the regular season.
We will be issuing updates to our overall plans as more information about quarantines and travel restrictions is updated.
Stay safe.
- The UFO