# Nationals Prelims?
**URL:** https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/nationals-prelims/58148
**Category:** Yo-Yo Contests, Clubs, and Events
**Created:** [August 19, 2013, 5:43am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/nationals-prelims/58148 "2013-08-19T05:43:05Z")
**Posts on this page:** 15
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Link45116](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Link45116)
#### Post date: [August 19, 2013, 5:43am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/nationals-prelims/58148/1 "2013-08-19T05:43:05Z")
Does anyone know if there are prelims in nationals?
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### Author:  [@SR1](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/SR1)
#### Post date: [August 19, 2013, 5:46am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/nationals-prelims/58148/2 "2013-08-19T05:46:16Z")
There are prelims in Nationals. Pretty much every contest has prelims, even the smaller ones.
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### Author:  [@Link45116](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Link45116)
#### Post date: [August 19, 2013, 5:50am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/nationals-prelims/58148/3 "2013-08-19T05:50:43Z")
Even in the 4a division?
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### Author:  [@Nathan](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Nathan)
#### Post date: [August 19, 2013, 6:04am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/nationals-prelims/58148/4 "2013-08-19T06:04:41Z")
Yes, and you have to qualify from a regional to be eligible to enter.
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### Author:  [@anonyo](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/anonyo)
#### Post date: [August 19, 2013, 6:39am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/nationals-prelims/58148/5 "2013-08-19T06:39:20Z")
Based on what I observed at the 2012 Nationals, only 1A had prelims. There’s just so many elegible participants that it needs a preliminary round.
All the other divisions went directly to finals.
I don’t know what magic number a contest needs to determine if preliminary rounds are needed for a division. I’m sure if need be, Nationals would incorporate prelim rounds where needed. Nationals does have the advantage of knowing in advance how many competitors they have for the main stage. None of the other contests really have that.
There is open registration for trick ladders. That’s done on a side area so there’s no competition with the main stage.
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### Author:  [@Yossarian](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Yossarian)
#### Post date: [August 19, 2013, 7:04am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/nationals-prelims/58148/6 "2013-08-19T07:04:10Z")
The offstring and freehand divisions also had prelims at U.S. Nationals in 2012.
According to the [contest website](http://contest.nationalyoyo.org/freestyle-judging/freestyle-qualification/), the top 5 scores from prelims go to finals for 2A and 3A, and the top 6 from 4A/5A. So I guess if there aren’t more non-seeded players than that in a division, they won’t have prelims.
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### Author:  [@anonyo](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/anonyo)
#### Post date: [August 19, 2013, 7:25am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/nationals-prelims/58148/7 "2013-08-19T07:25:32Z")
> [@Yossarian](#):
>
> The offstring and freehand divisions also had prelims at U.S. Nationals in 2012.
>
> According to the [contest website](http://contest.nationalyoyo.org/freestyle-judging/freestyle-qualification/), the top 5 scores from prelims go to finals for 2A and 3A, and the top 6 from 4A/5A. So I guess if there aren’t more non-seeded players than that in a division, they won’t have prelims.
Oops. I must have missed those announcements or they happened early and I missed those. that doens’t surprise me. 4A and 5A are getting a lot more popular.
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### Author:  [@Link45116](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Link45116)
#### Post date: [August 19, 2013, 11:37pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/nationals-prelims/58148/8 "2013-08-19T23:37:55Z")
Yeah because I want to enter in 1 and 4a.
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### Author:  [@Nathan](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Nathan)
#### Post date: [August 19, 2013, 11:50pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/nationals-prelims/58148/9 "2013-08-19T23:50:24Z")
Did you qualify at a regional?
[http://contest.nationalyoyo.org/freestyle-judging/freestyle-qualification/](http://contest.nationalyoyo.org/freestyle-judging/freestyle-qualification/)
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### Author:  [@anonyo](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/anonyo)
#### Post date: [August 20, 2013, 12:20am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/nationals-prelims/58148/10 "2013-08-20T00:20:24Z")
I don’t qualify to compete in Nationals,… 😢
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### Author:  [@Nathan](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Nathan)
#### Post date: [August 22, 2013, 11:43pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/nationals-prelims/58148/11 "2013-08-22T23:43:01Z")
Now you have a goal for next year!
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### Author:  [@MYNAMEISZen](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/MYNAMEISZen)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2013, 1:43am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/nationals-prelims/58148/12 "2013-08-23T01:43:03Z")
Wait so you only have to qualify for 2a, 3a, 4a & 5a but anyone can compete in 1A?
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### Author:  [@Nathan](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Nathan)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2013, 5:29am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/nationals-prelims/58148/13 "2013-08-23T05:29:04Z")
No, you have to qualify in all divisions.
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### Author:  [@anonyo](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/anonyo)
#### Post date: [August 23, 2013, 7:22am UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/nationals-prelims/58148/14 "2013-08-23T07:22:17Z")
> [@Nathan](#):
>
> No, you have to qualify in all divisions.
Let me refine that just a tad:
You have to qualify in the division(s) you wish to compete in. All divisions you have to be seeded into, which means you have to win in certain contests to get the seed to Nationals.
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### Author:  [@Link45116](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/u/Link45116)
#### Post date: [August 24, 2013, 4:08pm UTC](https://forums.yoyoexpert.com/t/nationals-prelims/58148/15 "2013-08-24T16:08:31Z")
Or you can petition to compete