The System Extended
 

I like the addition of the card system to FIRST. Something else you may not have considered yet, while the referees are the ones who give you a yellow card, the judges can and will see them as you continue through the competition.

Just some more food for thought.

Wetzel

Re: The Canary Letter
 

To clear up a few questions above:

Yes, Virginia, you can still be DQed (with a Red Card) without being Yellow first. Any rule which may be punished by DQ is an automatic Red Card (G12, G20 intent, G35 intent, G40 intent, G50)

This isn't changing the rules, really, but just setting down a solid enforcement technique. In previous years, a team could be warned against aggressive behavior multiple times because they were "just under" DQ-grade behavior. This is a "red flag" (or yellow, rather) to the refs to keep their eyes out for bad behavior from teams that are toeing the line of G.P. driving.

Re: The Canary Letter
 

my first reaction when i heard about the yellowcard was "a canary letter." i think the flag is a great idea to keep game play fair. as it was posted earlier, who wants to bear the flag when judges in the pits and watching the field are being reminded of their team's previous fault? it's like getting a yellow card playing soccer. i believe it is a good addition to the first competition.:)

Re: The Canary Letter
 

I like it because its a good warning but I don't really like how the flag stays with you for the remainder. I understand that the system is in place to reduce over-agressiveness/ non-gp behavior but I hope that this doesn't lead to something down the road where basically no robot-robot defensive contact will be involved.

Re: The Canary Letter
 

I'm kinda glad to see a rule about this for the 2007 Season. In previous years, our robot has been damaged by robots who have "ram until it breaks" defense plan. With over 50 teams in a regional, a ref cannot remember which team did what. Therefore, the flag will serve as a reminder to the refs to keep an eye on that robot. Seeing the flag will also make alliance members talk about not being overly defensive, as well as remind the team to take it easy.

However, do I agree with Yellow Card - Warning, Red Card - DQ? Not really, I'd like to see you get a yellow card/flag and a warning. Then red card/flag and penalty. And any further action would be a team DQ. But that's just me...

Just my $0.02.

Re: The Canary Letter
 

I think it's a great way to police the intense competitions and keep track of it. The yellow cards are a way to keep teams controlled and not overly violent. This year's game probably will not have as violent of a defense as years past because of this new rule. Playing violently this year will be like driving double the speed limit past a cop and in years past it was like there were no cops even near the road.

Re: The Canary Letter
 

I really approve of this new rule, as last year we had multiple welds shattered (not broken, they shattered) after we were tipped. This may sound like not an issue, but the breaking came AFTER tipping, when another team decided to repeatedly ram us. Having a $200 weldong job shattered right at the beginning of the finals isn't the best way to start a day. The best part about it was the fact that the refs did nothing. So this new rule makes me very happy.

Re: The Canary Letter
 

I agree. I think this rule dissuades a really rough defence and encourages the game to be played the way that it was designed to be played. Its just like in other games. I wouldn't necessarily want to play "go fish" with someone who was intent on hurting me in order to win. That might be a terrible example, but it kinda makes sense.

Court

Re: The Canary Letter
 

with this rule, defense wont be played as well, all drive teams will have that fear of receiving a yellow card, and it will be greater when they are in danger of getting the red.

Re: The Canary Letter
 

I find it very comical, but millions of soccer fans can't all be wrong, can they :D ?

my only thoughts on this are that I might feel a little better about this rule if the card only carried over for a set number (for example, 4, matches), to keep teams from playing half-heartedly out fo fear of a DQ.

Re: The Canary Letter
 

what would be considered good defense. how far can you go with out getting a card?

Re: The Canary Letter
 

I like the abillity to shock a team into compliance with the card, but...
Something deep down inside is nagging me about carrying this 'mark' the whole weekend. Any parallels here to the "scarlet Letter"?

Re: The Canary Letter
 

What will be interesting is how much the yellow card is used. Depending on the interpertation of rough play, there could potentially be a Regional with a number of robots all with yellow cards. Somehow I think the value of the yellow card will be diminished if 10 out of 30 teams at a regional have one.

Re: The Canary Letter
 

I totally agree with you. Though it may seem like a great idea at first glance, it seems restricting marking someone with this 'letter'/'flag' or whatever you may.

Besides, why discourage teams from playing a good defense--yes, people make accidents; but in saying that they basically get one shot and then they're disqualified--that sounds a bit over the edge to me. People make accidents, and I don't think they shouldn't be penalized that much for such things.

Not to mention that I have qualms with such a subjective penalty system.

Re: The Canary Letter
 

It's ALWAYS a subjective penalty system! Referees are human, and therefore make subjective decisions. As it has always been, it is up to the referees' discretion as to what counts as a penalty and what doesn't.

The rules have always been there - 10 point penalties, warning, then disqualification. Referees have always handed out warnings to teams to prevent poor strategies. Until now only the team that received the warning, the referee that gave the warning, and the head ref were the only ones to know about them. All this new system is doing is making the warnings more visible to the crowd and the other referees.

This yellow card system is NOT making any new rules. If you haven't received warnings before for an action, you probably won't receive a yellow card now. This will only prevent teams from being warned multiple times without something being done to stop the aggressive behavior. Teams have always had 2 strikes, but it hasn't always been enforced due to lack of communication.

Once again, the rules aren't changing, only the enforcement (and visibility) of them is.

P.S. - Good defense has always been allowed. Agressive defense never has (though some teams get away with it when refs are looking the other way).