This article focuses on the six teams in Group A that were unable to qualify. For the article that focuses on the six teams in Group B that were unable to qualify, click here.

After months of waiting to see which teams would compete in Marble League 2022, we finally know the sixteen teams that have qualified, including the four that prequalified at the end of the Marble League 2021 and the twelve that competed in Marble League 2022 Qualifiers. And now that we know, Marble League 2022 is in progress! The torch has been lit at The Pond, and all sixteen teams are currently competing for their chance at eternal glory.

In our theorizing, meme-making, and hype-intensifying, we’ve likely rallied behind at least one of the sixteen qualified teams, if not all of them. From Team Primary, who have qualified for the first time since Marble League 2017, to seven-time veterans such as the O’rangers, they all have something unique to bring to the games, and they have brought their all in order to secure their spots. But for fans who haven’t rallied behind any of these teams…a certain tragedy has come with the passing of these Qualifiers.

There are 16 spots in the Marble League each year, meaning that if more than 12 teams are seeking to compete, there will be cuts. Years of main tournaments and the establishment of a B-League, the Showdown, have led us to the system of relegation adopted in 2021: teams are split into two groups of 12, with the six highest ranked teams in each group after four events of Qualifiers advancing to the main tournament. Marble League 2022 Qualifiers repeated this format and expanded the Showdown with 4 new teams, which will restart a system of relegation within the Showdown: after eight events, the bottom four of 16 teams will be relegated within the B-League, and will not advance to the 2023 Qualifiers.

This year saw a mixture of teams get cut after the four events of Qualifiers. Some were beloved fan favorites. After years of being unsuccessful, others were hoping to return to the competition. But none of them can be forgotten. Like the 16 teams that have qualified, these 12 teams all bring something special to the competition. The difference is the effort put in—either it isn’t “their all” or it’s masked by other teams. And so it goes.

As we await the 2022 Showdown, we would like to reflect on the six teams from Group A that did not qualify for the main tournament. Their stories deserve to be heard, and their legacies deserve to be honored. Any team could be in their position right now.

Let’s roll.

Shining On

by PippinPlover

It all came down to fractions of a second for the Indigo Stars, who narrowly lost a tiebreaker to the Balls of Chaos.

“It’s a total heartbreak.” Captain Indie sighed, “I really thought we’d made it. I have nothing against the Balls of Chaos, but at the same time, I wish it were us up there.”

The stars remained silent for a while before Diego spoke up. “I needed to be a hundredth of a second faster, and we would’ve made it.”

Bingo, who wasn’t even looking at their teammates, disagreed.

“It’s not on you, Diego. I was the one competing in the Triathlon.”

Gogo tried to add something but was cut off by Coach Ringo saying, “You can’t think like that. Trying to find who’s to blame won’t get you anywhere.”

“But-” An unconvinced Indie interrupted, “We’re just going to fade into being that team who exists again. This was our chance to really make it, and we blew it by less than a point. I… I thought it was going to be different this time. I thought we had a shot at making a name for ourselves. But here we are, stuck in the Showdown, doomed to the mediocrity everyone sees us as.” They took a deep breath in, then let it out.

“Indie, please.”

Everyone turned to look at the coach, waiting on what they were going to say next. They made sure to acknowledge that they saw every Star.

“If you think we’re doomed, then we are. You have to have faith in your team, and in yourself. We didn’t qualify, but that doesn’t mean all hope is lost. There’s still an opportunity to win the Showdown, and to prove to everyone that we’re the Indigo Stars and we’re here to stay.”

The other Stars looked around at each other with a newfound determination. They are the Indigo Stars. They are here to stay. They are here to take whatever opportunity they have and truly make something out of the Showdown. The group rolled towards each other and embraced in a big hug. Once they broke it off, the captain rolled over towards the window. As they gazed out that window at the night sky, the clouds began to break. 

It was at that moment Indie knew that no matter what happened, the stars would always shine again.

Best of luck to the Indigo Stars in Marble League Showdown 2022.

No-Shows

by Phoenix & Stynth

The Kobalts, reigning bronze medalists in Marbula One and two-time Showdown victors, had committed to training with all sights on finally qualifying for the Marble League. Coach Sapphire adapted the analytics from the team’s Marbula One success to their preparations for the Marble League. They selected: the Season 2 duo, Cerulean and Azure, to take on Climbing; Royal, the close-out racer who won the Mirage Meowntain GP by executing a clutch last-lap overtake off of the conveyor belt, for Hurdles; and Gnome, their Funnel Endurance gold medalist, for the Triathlon. 

In the midst of their shortened offseason, the Kobalts gave sparse interviews during the evenings, when they would play Marbles & Monoliths before bedtime. “We’ve been trying to organize a larger reunion with some of our fellow teams…but they haven’t responded to us,” Royal noted in one instance. 

“Perhaps they’re worried we’re going to record some more conversations about their training?” Cerulean pondered, as Royal’s eyes narrowed.

“Let’s not go there. Look, at the heart of this we’re focused on qualifying,” interjected Captain Azure. “After that, we’ll see what happens.”

Yet, a month later, Azure and Cerulean struggled through the first event, feeling more intense pressure from their competition than they had felt in a long while. While Royal soared down the hurdles with mastery, just as they had during training every morning, ultimately all was lost as they failed to pick up enough points after that, and missed out on qualifying by two points.

“To say it’s a disappointment is putting it mildly,” Meepo sighed, looking back at the rest of their crestfallen team. They paused, briefly, before continuing, “But I can’t say we haven’t grown used to it by now.” 

The rest of the Kobalts nodded, smiling bleakly in response to the irony of the situation. They began to roll away to the changing rooms, but Azure held back.

“We’re not going to give up. We’ve still got the Showdown, and maybe we do better with less pressure. But we’re going to keep fighting.”

As they prepared for yet another campaign of Marbles & Monoliths, doubts were beginning to creep around as to whether the Kobalts were really prepared enough for the Showdown, but that was yet to be seen.

Best of luck to the Kobalts in Marble League Showdown 2022.

Not Adding Up

by Stynth

When a graphic was posted to r/JellesMarbleRuns falsely claiming a Rojo Rollers roster update that would have replaced the entire team, Rojo Cuatro almost wished it was true.

The Rojo Rollers athlete was more than a month away from their assigned Qualifiers run, and they had already resigned themself to defeat. They could sprint as fast as possible past the hurdles, and the time wouldn’t add up to anything under 9 seconds. And yet, they were the best on the team. Dos had barely clocked in at under 10 seconds during ML2021, and the other athletes couldn’t adjust to the new format that debuted that tournament. So it was Cuatro’s torch to bear.

“Should one of us do Hurdles?” questioned Rojo Uno after a successful Climbing practice run.

“Not me—I’d fly off the track,” joked Rojo Tres.

“Tres. I’m worried about Cuatro.”

“You and I both know we’re the best duo to take on Climbing. Cinco got last in the Surculo Sprint. Dos is focusing on Funnels. What choice do we have? It took us five years to qualify once. We’re not good at this. But this is the best we can do right now.”

Rojo Cuatro would finish eleventh in their group with a time of 9.477 seconds. They couldn’t make it to the locker room before tears started streaming from their eyes.

“You did the best you could. I’m proud of you,” Coach Rojo Oro said. “It’s on the rest of us now.”

But the team couldn’t carry their weight with fifth in Balancing and Dos’ eleventh in Triathlon, leaving them in ninth overall.

That night, Cuatro was the first to speak up. “I’m sorry, everyone…I knew I wasn’t good enough.”

“Neither was I,” added Dos. “All of our training didn’t add up. We failed.”

“You didn’t believe in yourselves,” responded Coach Oro, sighing deeply. “I watched each of you improve from the first day of our training. But the second you started counting yourselves out, there was nothing I could do but wait for this moment. That’s the reason none of this has been adding up.”

The Rojo Rollers were silent as they departed the locker room and headed towards their hotel – barring Rojo Cuatro, who, in the midst of reporters flocking away from the arena, climbed up to the Hurdles starting gate, clicked their stopwatch, and lurched down the track. 

Best of luck to the Rojo Rollers in Marble League Showdown 2022.

Flaking Away

by Stynth

Barely two months ago, the Snowballs held a meeting unlike any other in team history. Beaming with pride, Manager Avalanche announced their intention to bring two marble sports talents from Osnow, Snowfall, and Snowdrift, onto the team for Marble League 2022 Qualifiers. After being met with immediate confusion from the team members, Coach Blizzard explained that in doing so, they were planning to cut Snow and Snowflake from the roster.

Snow started tearing up. Snowflake, usually the one to get emotional, spoke instead, looking at their coach. “That’s what you want?”

“Snowflake. You know it’s not like that.”

“Then what is it like?” cried Snow.

Manager Avalanche motioned as if they would say something, then hastily left the room. Coach Blizzard broke the radio silence by saying curtly, “You know I wouldn’t have made this choice. But sometimes, we have to accept the marbles around us for what they are. If not, we keep on rolling.”

Later that night, Snow and Snowflake sent official resignation letters to management and left the Arctic Circle, cutting their official associations with the Snowballs. Manager Avalanche got their wish, bringing Snowfall and Snowdrift onto the roster the next morning. Both marbles would perform modestly in Hurdles and the Triathlon, and help lead their team to third in Balancing. Instead, it was Snowy and Snowstorm’s eleventh place in Climbing that sealed the Snowballs’ failure to qualify for Marble League 2022.

Both team members involved in the duo event declined interviews following Qualifiers, as did Snowfall and Snowdrift, who were celebrating their Marble League debut at the Pond Pub on Gadwall Way, named for Mallard’s late parent. Miraculously, we were able to hear from Snowblast, who debuted in last year’s Showdown, as they were gearing up to join their teammates at the pub.

“Morale on the team is more or less what you would expect it to be,” lamented Snowblast. “Things haven’t been the same since Snow and Snowflake resigned, but I think they did the best thing for themselves. As we move forward from this, I wonder what the best thing for ourselves will be.”

Best of luck to the Snowballs in Marble League Showdown 2022.

Scorched

by Laurent Rollon

“That was not our proudest moment, we were totally scorched,” Ember said during an exclusive interview after the Qualifiers. At that time, the Solar Flares had just got last place in Balancing. The result put them firmly last in Group A and ended their Marble League qualification hopes once again. The team looked devastated knowing their fate was sealed. 

“Looking at the scores was just gut-wrenching. Last in hurdles. Last in balancing. Eighth in climbing. It’s like we’re not even there,” Ember continued.

Heading to the final event, Triathlon, Coach Eclipse assured Ember of the circumstances. “You can take it easy out there, we’re already Showdown-bound again,” the coach said to them in a calm manner. 

“So, we’re just going to tank this then. Is that what you want?” Ember replied in disgust.

“I’m sorry. Am I not clear enough?” Eclipse responded in shock.

“We’ve traveled a long way to this big stage just to enter the Showdown on a whimper? I can’t accept that. Our fans, friends, and families deserve a bit of respect.” 

With Eclipse standing cold on the sidelines, Ember left them and lined up for Triathlon.

At the starting gate, Ember launched straight into the leading pack. They remained there close up until the water section where they made a final push to snatch a second-place finish, lifting the Solar Flares off Group A’s basement and heading into the Showdown.

Right after the finish, Ember then went to the Solar Flares’ fan section. Impressed by their display, Ember got a roaring reception from the crowd. “EMBER! EMBER! EMBER!” they chanted loudly. The chants gave the marble a surge of confidence.

“We may not be in the big one just yet, but that doesn’t mean we can’t show the world what we are capable of,” said an enthusiastic Ember.

Best of luck to the Solar Flares in Marble League Showdown 2022.

Dashing into Disaster

by Ghostly

The Turtle Sliders failed to qualify this year, getting 12th place in Group A with just 8 points. Following a mediocre Showdown and M1S3 season, the Sliders were showing promise, earning medals in the Showdown. Fans believed that this year was the year that the Sliders would qualify for the first time.

The Turtle Sliders fan section quickly filled up, with fans all eager to cheer them on. The excitement in the stands was infectious, as cheers of “Turtle Power!” echoed through the stadium before the events began. 

The energy, however, did not carry on throughout the Qualifiers. The fans watched, in disappointment, as the Sliders performed poorly in the first three events, earning only 8 points. The team needed a miracle, and fast. Luckily, they had just the marble for the job.

“We were down, but we still had a chance,” Frank mused. “The final event was Triathlon, in which Dash got a silver during the Showdown. And after Marbula One, Dash has been faster than ever.”

Dash rolled forward, saying, “I had a real shot at it. The track was different this year, so it wasn’t going to be easy, but I knew I could do it. Until…” Dash’s voice trailed off, tears welling. 

In the Triathlon, Dash was leading a small trail of marbles and went airborne going into a turn. As Dash hit the wall, Gnome, also airborne, crashed into Dash, knocking them over the wall of the track and into the sand below. They watched in shock as the rest of the marbles finished the race, Dash receiving a DNF. 

“I still think there should’ve been some action taken!” exclaimed Squirt, angrily pacing. “Maybe not disqualify Gnome, since they unintentionally shoved Dash, but they should’ve redone the race, or put up a wall so nobody could go over. They should’ve at least given us some consolation points!”

Crush rolled over to comfort Squirt, saying, “I know, Little Dude. But we can’t do anything about it now. All we can do is look to the future, and give our all in the Showdown.”

Best of luck to the Turtle Sliders in Marble League Showdown 2022.

Looking Ahead

The hype that surrounds the Marble League each year often obscures the hardships behind the scenes: the difficulty in training to qualify, the struggle in maintaining solid performances, and the challenge of demonstrating excellence, among others. If it was easy, any group of marbles would team up and casually roll past the competition—but it’s not. It takes determination to be involved in any aspect of the Marble League, let alone participate in the main tournament, and it’s admittedly not for everyone.

Nevertheless, the result has been proven to be worth it; it has been rewarding beyond any marble’s wildest dreams. If these six teams work hard during the offseason and do well in the Showdown—pushing their capabilities beyond what they have thought possible—they will rediscover those rewards, as they have in Marble Leagues past.

GROUP A TEAMS: we implore you not to give up, but to move forward. Learn from this, grow stronger, and be excellent. We’re looking forward to seeing you compete again.

Let’s roll.

Credits

• Writers: Ghostly, Laurent Rollon, Pastelle, Phoenix, PippinPlover, Stynth, Toffeeshop, Vector
• Graphic Designer: Tim Ritz
• Photographers: Jelle’s Marble Runs
• Reference: Marble Race: Marble League 2022 Qualifiers | Jelle’s Marble Runs
• Release: 29/11/2022