Re: How Much Defense Can You Play?
 

I feel quite sorry for the head refs this year. At least the reasonably astute observer has been fired.

From Q138 on the definition of consequential and purposeful


I can think of quite a few valid cases where it can be argued that contact is consequential. It is very easy to argue (truthfully) that someone playing defense and accidentally contacts you while you contact the pyramid slows you down and lowers your scoring. If the match was close that's consequential. Only one of the conditions need be fulfilled for the penalty to take place so even if the contact was accidental, it can still be ruled consequential.

And isn't the point of contact defense to be consequential on the match? If not why would anyone play it.

I suspect either head refs will be very unwilling to give out these sorts of penalties, letting defense run wild or will hand them out like there's no tomorrow. It very well may be regional dependent.

Re: How Much Defense Can You Play?
 

Exactly. Protected zones are protected zones...

Re: How Much Defense Can You Play?
 

Precisely. I would be willing to bet a lot of teams will forget this and think consequential means only if they knock a robot off the tower. Note that there can be tech foul for contact in the loading zone (and as I said above, almost all contact can be argued consequential in a close match). I'll be telling our drivers, if playing defense, to steer as clear of there as possible to avoid any semblance of consequential contact.

Re: How Much Defense Can You Play?
 

My Team can shoot full court with our robot.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzIke...er_profilepage

We are not to afraid of robots defending our long shots. There will be a very few amount of teams that actually play defense for those that can shoot long range.

Our first year in FIRST was 2011, and we had an all defense robot. All defenders have to do is just get in the way of other robots. They don't have to fully "block" them from the task at hand. With only 2mins, if defenders do this, they will win matches.

Re: How Much Defense Can You Play?
 

This is the first year where an offensive robot can drive into the opponent alliance's protected zone without penalty as well (just don't actually touch the pyramid and you're fine). It totally opens up a whole new can of worms of rule subjectivity.

Re: How Much Defense Can You Play?
 

Your robot appears to be shooting from very low. You don't think an opposing robot parked directly in front of you will interfere with your long range shot?

Re: How Much Defense Can You Play?
 

In 2012 there was nothing stopping a defending robot from driving through either the key or the bridge lane, as long as they didn't touch anyone.

I'm not afraid of full court shooters. Not one bit.

Re: How Much Defense Can You Play?
 

To be honest you guys have a very elegant shooter, but it is much easier to defend against than a team shooting from in front of the pyramid.

Long range/full court shooters will have great success during qualifications matches, but over lunch break before eliminations start, give me a pizza box and a piston and it might be game over.

And once someone does block your shot you would then have to find your way to a clear zone (probably your own pyramid or at least the half court line).

Re: How Much Defense Can You Play?
 

Even that's not sufficiently true. We manhandled quite a few robots away from their key without incurring a penalty, because while we were touching their key, they weren't.

Re: How Much Defense Can You Play?
 

Yes, this is very true! During finals and elimination's, they will find some way to block us. I have no doubt about that.

While our focus is shooting from full court, we can still shoot from anywhere. We have an adjustable angle we can shoot from. So therefore, we can be under the pyramid and still shoot 3's just fine.

Re: How Much Defense Can You Play?
 

Our robot will be shooting from about 32inch high. Yes that is very low and it can easily be blocked. But in qualifications, i can almost guarantee teams won't block our robot that much. We can sit there all day and shoot just fine. All the other teams will be worried about shooting themselves.

Last year, we were a purely offensive robot that dumped balls in the basket. In qualifications, we didn't get blocked at all. It it really is strange how that works.

Now, in finals we will be blocked, but that is why we can shoot from anywhere on the field. We have an adjustable angle.

Re: How Much Defense Can You Play?
 

I think you will see that after you start shooting from full court that the other alliance will notice and come block you.

I see full court shooter being more like snipers, take the open shots from the feeder station when available, if not collect the 4 discs drive to the pyramid/your preferred shooting location, shoot your 4 discs, and repeat.

Re: How Much Defense Can You Play?
 

My opinion is that the successful teams of 2012 saw the limitations of the inconsistent foam basketballs and decided that in a game with barriers in the field and such that shooting from close and picking up from their own half of the field was the more effective strategy. Now won't those same teams see the opportunity to shoot a consistent game piece next to a protected stockpile of them as an opportunity they can't pass up?
The threshold of accuracy from those pitiful foam toys was too low for sniper shots, and basketballs could easily be transferred to the other side of the field by the human player. Do that same strategy this game, and you will suddenly be down an alliance robot, which is transferring frisbees across the field anyway.

Re: How Much Defense Can You Play?
 

I believe that during qualifications there is going to be less defending! People will want to show what they can do, to try to get ranked number 1. . When it comes time for eliminations, the teams that actually showed during qualifications that they can defend, will have a better advantage of getting picked for an alliance then robots that tried shooting and were not as successful. Its going to be very interesting to see how many robots will defend this year. A good defense bot that can also make a 30 point climb rather fast may be more effective this year then a shooter bot.....

Re: How Much Defense Can You Play?
 

Exactly! I agree 100%. The defense robots will only show during finals. And any robot can play defense. In the finals, there will be good shooter robots that will play defense.

It will be interesting to see how many people actually "play" defense for their main strategy.