While I'm new to this site, I have purposefully steered clear of Rookies, mostly because of premades making it pretty tough for someone not well connected to win. But if you want everyone's input, here goes.
If Rookies is supposed to be like BBUSA, then you need challenges. I've been here a month and I'm already sick of the challenges, but just being active, and the ability for premade alliances to neg you and plus themselves make it pretty tough to ever get HOH or POV. So challenges for both seem necessary, especially if you want to call this modeled after BBUSA.
At the same time, I really like the idea of staying active. So someone who is super good at Match 3 or something couldn't log in, do the challenge, and log out. I think that you should have a challenge, and the winner of HOH/POV is the person with the highest challenge score, but ALSO is above the average mark in terms of activeness (messages, plusses, etc.) So you have to be active AND do well in the challenge.
Most importantly, there needs to be something in place to get rid of premades. I know myself, along with others I have met don't want to play Rookies because while it should be even ground... it's not. I think there should be a pool of 50 contestants that needs to fill up. Once that fills, the contestants are randomly put into five different games. Yes, this could mean that it might take a day to get put into a Rookies... HOWEVER... I think a lot more people will be willing to sign up.
For Rookies to differentiate itself, there are no challenges - which is fair enough, I think.
Since pre-mades cannot really be prevented under the current system, to do well one would almost certainly need to be a member of one. Why not do this and then join a game?
Finally, you have an interesting idea to avoid pre-mades who are guaranteed to make the final 5 if they are not stopped. It seems to make sense that some people will be more willing to sign up if they are unlikely to encounter a pre-made, but those who have always done well with their pre-mades will not.
On the whole, everyone benefits, I think, with this new system.
I would place fewer bets, though, as there would be no certain winners.
Jasoncutie and Loganz, Im sorry but you are the 6'th team to arrive. You will be put into an elimination poll. But at least you get to fight and are not the last team!
Lassidoggy and Bluedust, you read a clue wrong and unfortunately because of that are the last team to arrive. You have both been eliminated from the race.
try this game