That TECHNICALLY speaking, it's all still up to the T.O.'s discretion. The T.O. can still decide that it is collusion. Some people are aware of this (it does say so in the document after all) but many more seem not to be. People seem to think that the rule is "if the players feel like drawing the match, the T.O. just enters it in the computer". Not the case. So, in a sense, there is nothing wrong with the rule, the problem is the interpretation (even though it is in plain English).
Let's use Roanoke as an example. There is nothing wrong with the top 2 deciding to draw. They were both undefeated. Even with 1 loss, the loser of the match would be in the cut. It just makes that player the 2 seed instead of 4-5ish in the cut. Nothing really wrong with that (except maybe a couple meta mates trying to be on opposite sides of the bracket seeding wise to not meet before the final, but that's debateable. The kind of case by case thing judges are supposed to handle). It's obviously the other 6 that cost up to 3 players a spot in the cut that was the problem (not directing any hate to those players themselves, just looking at the numbers here). THAT'S where the judge should have said the matches needed to be played, and would be within his right to do so since, you know, it's basically the textbook definition of collusion.
People need to realize that going into this regional season, and possibly even still, this was how FFG saw the rule. Now it doesn't take Nostradamus to see how this may become an issue when the document was written, (MANY players pointed it out the day it was released myself included) but chalk it up to FFG growing pains in the world of OP. I can at least see where they were coming from. If they put a little extra emphasis on the fact that this was sort of a "safety valve" rule for strange corner cases, and not something to be abused regularly and reminded people that the T.O.s do have the power to handle this, then maybe we could move forward with it.
There are plenty of threads about whether people like it or not, or why the rules are the rules etc. I just wanted to emphasize this point. I don't like the rule, but I guess that is to say that REALLY I just don't like the way the rule is handled. The rule itself shouldn't theoretically be a problem at all. There is at least one regional I am planning to attend where the T.O. still seems to have the wrong perspective, saying how much he dislikes it, but if players want to draw he can't stop him.
Basically, it is just cleaner to remove the rule instead of hoping/waiting for every T.O. to one day get on the same page. T.O.s still routinely make incorrect rulings, or have fewer rounds than they should, etc. at events (usually store championships since there are so many more of them) about much more simple things that are also spelled out in a document. It's just the nature of things. Even if it's handled well the majority of the time, every time it isn't, it will cause massive damage to the player base in that area. The cons simply outweigh the pros. What benefit does the rule actually provide? An extra hour long break for a couple players? Meh.
Edited by bobbywhiskey
