The Flag World Is Flat
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Accomplishing a flag title where qualifying actually matters would require the sacrifice of current traditions, a reduction in the total number of teams and most importantly revenue. 

Having 20-25 teams in a division is good for any tournament or tournament director but how many of those teams helping make big numbers in a tournament actually have a shot at winning?  When was the last time you saw 25 teams in one tournament all having a realistic shot of winning?

Imagine if the NFL, NBA or the MLB operated their playoffs as flag football operates tournament structure today? Teams play their 16, 82 and 162 games for the season respectively, and then all the teams lineup and compete for the title as if nothing happened.  Would you watch the season? would those games mean as much to you then as they do now?  Would you eventually find other things to do in your spare time? 

The countries top teams should have to earn their way in by being consistent over a period time (eliminating any doubt of their eligibility), not by making up their mind a few months earlier.  All play leading to the “Big Dance” should provide information as to whether a team is a contender or pretender and not a series leading to a annual vacation. 

When the travel becomes more important than the tournament itself, it is no longer a Championship tournament.  There are more than enough tournaments in flag to use as vacation time, not when determining the best of the best.

Proving that the Flag World is round however, is risky business.  Less teams mean less revenue, recruiting top teams in unfamiliar territory is extremely challenging and the perception by many continues to be that subtracting teams from a tournament drains its overall value. 

The fact is, the fewer teams "ALLOWED" to participate in a tournament by qualifying, the more value that tournament can be to both the teams and the game it done properly. But that point is not easy to convey to everyone; being especially tough to swallow by any tournament director. 

Would top flag teams take tournaments more seriously if there was a more structured format that actually eliminated teams as they won their way to the Championship tournament or are the open-to-all tournaments where teams play throughout the year to earn late game times or a desired position better for everyone?

For Pro-level flag teams one thing is for certain, high point totals only tell everyone how much you play, but high win totals along with a solid qualifying process will tell everyone how well you really play.