All away matches are done this way - 32 down to whatever the cut off point is, whether that's 18 , 15 or in this case 12. Then the leftovers are offered to lower pointers. No change there.
However, a bit of thought by the SFA could have allowed 32-18 for instance first dibs to get the category they want, as a reward to the supporters who have travelled the most. Agree with that.