Defending Champions - Should they be given extra time to enter a competition?

[Watch_Man]

When organising an annual recurring competition should defending champions be given advanced copies of the entry form to allow them to ensure they can defend their title?

[Schme1440]

Originally Posted by Watch_Man

When organising an annual recurring competition should defending champions be given advanced copies of the entry form to allow them to ensure they can defend their title?

Yes they should. I think that champs should be given every chance to defend their title. I think it makes things more special if you have to defend your title. I always treat shoots like this when I do them. Id rather defedn a title then go a shoot some other shoot. Returning champs should be given first choice to enter. Im sure this is the case in many other sports so why not archery?

[Raedwald]

The "annual recurring" bit kind of says it all.....

If it's every year, then you know it's every year....... not rocket science, is it!

So, surely, entry should open at the same time for everyone, irrespective of who or what they are.

If they need reminding, well.............................

[Watch_Man]

Originally Posted by Schme1440

Yes they should. I think that champs should be given every chance to defend their title. I think it makes things more special if you have to defend your title. I always treat shoots like this when I do them. Id rather defedn a title then go a shoot some other shoot. Returning champs should be given first choice to enter. Im sure this is the case in many other sports so why not archery?

This is what we did and gave a weeks advanced notice to defending champions. Unfortunately not all returned their entries in time (most did) and one unfortunately returned their entry too late because they were waiting to add other entries from their club.

This is another issue that arose where we sent entries out to defending champions but instead of just returning their entry they sent returns with several additional club members tagged on the end. Probably our fault for not making it clear the entry was only for them. However by hanging on waiting for other members of their club to get back to them, they lost the advantage.

We want to learn from this for next year and I think the first thing we have learn't is to make it very clear that defending champions can only enter themselves and not all their club members.

[Furface]

At Adel, we have recently taken to sending invitations to enter our shoots to everyone who entered either our indoor or outdoor in the previous year, as well as sending entry forms to local clubs and suppliers. It is simply a letter with a tear-off slip with entry details filled in. This seems to have improved our take-up, so is economically worthwhile. So there is no need to treat defending holders any differently.

[BowSurfer]

I think that they should have to abide the same deadlines as everyone else, which makes it ewasier if they have multiple club entires, but that if the shoot is oversubscribed by the closing date they should be given priority as long as their entry was in by the closing date, even if it did not qualify on a first come-first served basis.

[clickerati]

It would be nice to see clubs using online registration and payment. Our club has found that increases uptake in beginner's courses and we are in the process of doing so for national record status shoot.

[darthTer]

I Opted for "no - give everyone the same chance".

However, I think that a defending champion should be given preference if places are restricted.

[MATTeL]

A deadlines is just that, why should the defending champions be given any extra time.

It would also increase the complexity and hassle for the organisers if they did something like this. What is the defending champion who had a grace period was allowed in but the others on the form weren't, hardly likely to foster good feelings.

[h20vrrq]

In my first incarnation as an archer, I remember a few shoots used to always send completed entry forms to defending champions as a reminder to return trophies.