Re: FRC Blogged-2014 FIRST Championship – Preliminary Changes to FRC Agenda
 

Did they just say 10 matches? That's such a huge bump up from last year's 8, it could probably ensure that the top 8 is more of teams that deserve there and not gotten by an easy schedule. All these changes seem to be for the better, it amazes me how even though FIRST keeps on growing they still continue to offer more playing time to the teams.

Re: FRC Blogged-2014 FIRST Championship – Preliminary Changes to FRC Agenda
 

I anticipate some schedule variance analysis to appear in this thread fairly soon.

Re: FRC Blogged-2014 FIRST Championship – Preliminary Changes to FRC Agenda
 

We had 10 in 2011 (or 2010, I forget) and had 7 in 09, and 7 years past. This is the highest number we've had in a long time.

Re: FRC Blogged-2014 FIRST Championship – Preliminary Changes to FRC Agenda
 

This is a great change. I hope the many who were unhappy with last year's eight matches will acknowledge that this is a very positive step.

If you were unhappy with 8 matches then and now you're unhappy with an earlier start on Wednesday, I guess I don't know what to tell you.

Re: FRC Blogged-2014 FIRST Championship – Preliminary Changes to FRC Agenda
 

Perhaps they want a smaller championship event?

Re: FRC Blogged-2014 FIRST Championship – Preliminary Changes to FRC Agenda
 

A smaller event would be fine. Of course, then they'd have to qualify fewer teams per event, and I can imagine that some of the same people would have complaints about that as well.

Re: FRC Blogged-2014 FIRST Championship – Preliminary Changes to FRC Agenda
 

Can't make everyone happy.

For the current amount of teams that can qualify for the Championship Event, this is probably the best that we can have for now. I expect we'll go back to a shorter Championship once the District system is fully implemented.

-Nick

Re: FRC Blogged-2014 FIRST Championship – Preliminary Changes to FRC Agenda
 

Or 6 divisions.

Re: FRC Blogged-2014 FIRST Championship – Preliminary Changes to FRC Agenda
 

I would prefer that, in the long term moving up to 8 divisions. Of course it's a while before that ever happens, especially finding the space to hold double the fields, pits, and teams, as FIRST is still growing at an extremely fast pace.

Re: FRC Blogged-2014 FIRST Championship – Preliminary Changes to FRC Agenda
 

This was predictable given the amount of feedback that teams wanted more matches.
Add to the fact that 32 teams make each divisional playoff, this already is going to be a better championship than last year.

Re: FRC Blogged-2014 FIRST Championship – Preliminary Changes to FRC Agenda
 

Re: FRC Blogged-2014 FIRST Championship – Preliminary Changes to FRC Agenda
 

Another option FIRST has is the concept of the super regional: an intermediate event between Regionals/District Championships and the World Championship. This allows more teams to advance to a higher level of competition while keeping the number of teams at the world championship lower. They're testing the idea with FTC this year, and if it goes well I wouldn't be too surprised to see it implemented in FRC down the road. Of course, this brings in its own set of complications in terms of event staffing and days off for FRC...

Re: FRC Blogged-2014 FIRST Championship – Preliminary Changes to FRC Agenda
 

It's an uncomfortable number for an easy way to play it out, but maybe a round-robin style preliminary would work, though it would add more time to an already long competition. You could do the uneven bracket, the divisions already play each other in a unspecified fashion anyway (meaning Archimedes always plays Curie, there's no specific factor determining this other than the fact that's just how FIRST decided it should be).

Re: FRC Blogged-2014 FIRST Championship – Preliminary Changes to FRC Agenda
 

I'm still waiting for two field divisions... you know, field reset on one while a match is played on the other.

This is really great. A lot of people were really ticked off that they only got 8 matches last year, and FIRST has done a good job of addressing their concerns. Kudos.

Re: FRC Blogged-2014 FIRST Championship – Preliminary Changes to FRC Agenda
 

You mean something like....this? ;)
http://image.slidesharecdn.com/nefir...?cb=1343478553



You mean a total of 9 FRC fields, including FTC/FLL? Never gonna' happen. Chief Delphi's already gone through the argument that there would be no way to fit such an idea after last season.