Reclassifying a Prelim or Elim Round
The Reclassify Prelim Round and Reclassify Elim Round tools change the round number saved for one event in one schedule block after it's been paired. For example, you can change Prelim Round 4 to Prelim Round 3, or Quarters to Semis, without deleting and re-pairing anything. They're one of the advanced pair/section tools.
These tools don't turn a prelim into an elim or the other way around. A prelim round stays a prelim, and an elim round stays an elim. Only its number changes.
When to use it
When you pair an event, you choose its Round (for prelims) or Elim Round (for elims). If the wrong one was picked, use these tools to fix it. A wrong round number causes problems like these:
- Postings show the wrong round. Postings name the round from its saved number, for example Pattern A - Prelim Round 4 when it should say Prelim Round 3.
- The next round number is off. When you pair the next round, FTN suggests the number after the highest prelim round already paired for that event. If a round was saved too high, the suggestion is too high as well.
- Debate tie-breakers can be off. In debate events, FTN keeps each entry's speaker points and ranks by round number. If two prelim rounds share a number, one of them can be left out of the point-based tie-breakers. See Debate Tie Breakers.
Prelim or elim: which tool?
Both tools work the same way, step for step. Use the one that matches how the round was paired.
| Tool | Lists events that were paired as | Rounds you can pick |
|---|---|---|
| Reclassify Prelim | Prelims in that block | Prelim Round 1 through 8, or more if the event already has more prelim rounds |
| Reclassify Elim | Elims in that block | The event's elim round names, such as Finals, Semis, Quarters and Octos |
Elim rounds are numbered from the final round back: Finals is 1, Semis is 2, Quarters is 3, and so on. The elim tool shows the current round with both its name and number, for example Quarters (3).
Before you start
- Make sure no other block already uses that number for the event. FTN doesn't check this for you. If you pick a number another block already has, the event ends up with two rounds saved as the same round.
- Fix one event at a time. Each run changes one event in one block. If two events in the block were saved with the wrong round, run the tool once for each.
Where to find it
Go to Admin > Pair/Section > Advanced and click Reclassify Prelim for a prelim round or Reclassify Elim for an elim round.
Step 1: Choose the block, event and target round
- Under Schedule Block, pick the block that was paired with the wrong round.
- Under Event, pick the event. Only events paired as prelims (or elims, on the elim page) in that block are listed. If there aren't any, you'll see No prelim-paired events found in this schedule block.
- Check Current Saved Prelim Round (or Current Saved Elim Round). This is the round the event is saved as right now.
- Under Target Prelim Round (or Target Elim Round), pick the round it should be.
Click Review Changes. Nothing is changed yet.
Here's the same step on the Reclassify Elim Round page, for a Semifinals block that was paired as Quarters:
Step 2: Review the changes
The review page shows the Schedule Block, the Event, and the current and target rounds. It also shows:
- Affected Pairings: one for each entry in each section. For example, 7 Lincoln-Douglas debates have 14.
- Ballots Affected: how many sections or debates are in the round.
- Recorded Results: how many results have already been entered for those ballots.
If Recorded Results is more than zero, you'll also see a warning: Hard Warning: This round already has recorded results. Reclassification is allowed, but this is an advanced rescue operation and will be audit logged. You can still go ahead. The results aren't changed.
To pick something different, click Back to Step 1.
Step 3: Confirm and apply
Tick the box that starts I understand this will update prelim round numbers (or elim round numbers), then click Apply Reclassification. If you click the button without ticking the box, FTN shows The confirm reclassify field is required. and nothing changes.
The change happens right away. FTN returns you to Step 1 with a green message, for example Prelim round updated from Prelim Round 4 to Prelim Round 3 for A. Open Lincoln-Douglas in Sat 11/07 Pattern A Debate Round 3 - 1:00pm-2:15pm PST (14 rows). The number at the end matches Affected Pairings.
FTN checks everything again when you click Apply Reclassification. If something changed after you reviewed it, for example the round was deleted, nothing is updated and you're sent back to Step 1 with a message.
What FTN changes
- The round number for that event in that block, on every section.
- The pairing log for that round, so it shows the new round number.
- Postings, including public postings, show the new round from now on, for example Pattern A - Prelim Round 3.
- An entry is added to the audit log under Admin > Pair/Section > Audit Log. The action is Prelim Round Reclassified or Elim Round Reclassified, and the details show the old and new round. See Change Log & Audit Log.
What FTN doesn't change
- Sections, entries, sides, speaking order, judges and rooms all stay the same.
- Results already entered stay with their ballots. Ballot codes don't change, so eBallots you've already sent keep working.
- Other events in the same block, and the event's other rounds, aren't touched.
- FTN doesn't send any emails or texts. Postings or ePostings you already sent still show the old round, so send them again if people need the corrected round.
If FTN won't make the change
If the change can't be made, FTN keeps you on Step 1 and shows one of these messages. On the elim page, they say "elim" instead of "prelim".
- New prelim round must be different from the current prelim round. You picked the round the event is already saved as.
- No prelim pairings found for the selected schedule block and event. The event no longer has prelim pairings in that block, for example because the round was deleted.
- Selected event in this block has inconsistent prelim round numbers. Please contact support. The event's sections in that block aren't all saved as the same round. In this case Current Saved Prelim Round shows something like Mixed (3 - 4).
Undoing it
Run the same tool again and pick the original round as the target. The audit log entry shows the round it was before, if you need to check. Each change gets its own audit log entry.
If the round needs more than a new number, for example it should be re-paired, delete it instead (see Deleting a Round) and pair it again with the right round selected.