And the FAQ says:

When performing a barrel roll, a player must first declare from which side of

the ship’s base the action will be performed. Then, he measures to see if the

ship is able to perform a barrel roll action from any legal area on the declared

side. If the ship can perform the barrel roll action, it must do so. If the ship

cannot perform the barrel roll action, the player may declare a barrel roll in

the other direction, or he may declare a different action.

Which made me wonder about Zeta Ace. He can use a 2 template for rolls instead of the 1. Does that mean if he declares a BR to the right, but can't fit with the 2, he has to use the 1 if that would fit?

I'd say Echo precedent: if you have a choice of templates you must declare the template.

Not only can you move the template all you want, after you've picked a side (and regardless of whether you've moved the model), but in many cases you must move the template after you've picked up the model (because the BR won't fit there, but might fit elsewhere, and you must complete the BR if possible).

I can't see how this fact isn't dispositive of the question.

That said, if there's any doubt of the model fitting into the chosen BR, the player needs to take care with noting the exact placement before picking up the model. In fact, if there's any doubt at all, and the template is anywhere but the far front or far back, the best practice is using another base to test it.

I did have this situation come up once in a tournament:

Opponent is flying PTL Dash. He executes a maneuver that puts him in the middle of the board in a wide open area. He declares a barrel roll to the left. Places his template. Picks up Dash. Places Dash (all his options were legal). Then decides that he didn't like the placement. Tried to take the barrel roll back. I told him that if it's legal he must execute it. Then he said that he would execute it on the same side but wanted to take Dash back and move the template to a new position. I told him that he executed a legal roll already and was not allowed to do that. He didn't push the issue any further so we just continued.

There is no rule that lets you go back to "STEP 2" of the barrel roll rules just because you don't like the position of your ship. The only time you would go back is if you could not complete a legal roll.

I did have this situation come up once in a tournament:

Opponent is flying PTL Dash. He executes a maneuver that puts him in the middle of the board in a wide open area. He declares a barrel roll to the left. Places his template. Picks up Dash. Places Dash (all his options were legal). Then decides that he didn't like the placement. Tried to take the barrel roll back. I told him that if it's legal he must execute it. Then he said that he would execute it on the same side but wanted to take Dash back and move the template to a new position. I told him that he executed a legal roll already and was not allowed to do that. He didn't push the issue any further so we just continued.

There is no rule that lets you go back to "STEP 2" of the barrel roll rules just because you don't like the position of your ship. The only time you would go back is if you could not complete a legal roll.

I had the same argument on the Reddit thread, but my counterparts argued that the FAQ gives you blanket privilege to do the barrel roll however you want in your direction.

I do admit that the FAQ does say you can measure to see if it fits, and that is pretty vague.

Ideally, you shouldn't be able to move your template once you've placed it, and that you should be committed to that move if you can make it. That seems consistent with the spirit of the rules in most other cases.

But the rules don't say that, and until they do, I don't have a problem with adjusting, backing up, readjusting. You have to pick a side, but you can move your template around on that side until you're happy with it.

Somebody should make a barrel roll template. A square with a line down the middle so a person can slide forward and backward without having to actually move the template.

"a player must first declare from which side of
the ship’s base the action will be performed. Then, he measures to see if the
ship is able to perform a barrel roll action from any legal area on the declared
side"

It looks pretty clear in the FAQ. Pick the side and anywhere legal... forward or back... doesn't say you can't re-position the template.

That said, if there's any doubt of the model fitting into the chosen BR, the player needs to take care with noting the exact placement before picking up the model. In fact, if there's any doubt at all, and the template is anywhere but the far front or far back, the best practice is using another base to test it.

Easier solution: borrow your opponent's 1-forward template for your BR if you think this is going to come up.

Position your 1-forward at the front of your base, position his 1-forward at the back of your base. Pick up miniature, move back and forth as desired until you find a spot you fit. If you can't fit at all, it's super easy to see where you were - as you have two templates marking the two ends of the original base location.

You do realise that a BARREL ROLL represents a fast sequence of HARD turns and ROLLS, while under acceleration. technically it is Part of the move action that proceeded it.

Any compertant pilot trained in this sort of defensive Flying will know roughly where and when he will pass though a point in space and will recognise enemy fire zones that he wants to minimise his exposer to. This is why you can move the barrel roll as you wish so as to represent the Very wiggly line that the ship actually took to get to its position at that second at the end of the move round.

You do realise that a BARREL ROLL represents a fast sequence of HARD turns and ROLLS, while under acceleration. technically it is Part of the move action that proceeded it.

Any compertant pilot trained in this sort of defensive Flying will know roughly where and when he will pass though a point in space and will recognise enemy fire zones that he wants to minimise his exposer to. This is why you can move the barrel roll as you wish so as to represent the Very wiggly line that the ship actually took to get to its position at that second at the end of the move round.

2) The way a barrel roll is executed by a fighter plane in atmosphere doesn't necessarily have any correlatation to how it works in Star Wars Magic Space Wizards Vacuum Physics.