When you pick a person to talk to all of the girls who are with the girl you are hitting on. Keeps the friend(s) occupied while you make your moves. Example: Bob was the unfortunate soul who was picked in the buddy system. He had to talk to that girl's dorky friend for two hours.
BUDDY SYSTEM
Meaning of BUDDY SYSTEM in English
Slang English vocab. Английский сленговый словарь. 2012