De-Scoring is illegal
 

See Bill's Blog today.

http://frcdirector.blogspot.com/

Re: De-Scoring is illegal
 

Thanks for the pointer, that will save us some time!

Also the Wal Mart list is a bit off, or they hide the balls well at some stores. We saw no balls at the local Sierra Vista store yesterday and it says 10 in stock, but we did find (and buy) all 5 that were in stock (as shown on the list) at the Douglas store.

Re: De-Scoring is illegal
 

While I appreciate Bill's blog and FIRST's continued focus on communicating with teams effectively, as far as I'm concerned, this is not an official channel.

This is the sort of thing that needs to come down in an update -- and while I'm sure it will -- I won't believe it until I see it.

Re: De-Scoring is illegal
 

Well, that settles that!

Re: De-Scoring is illegal
 

I knew it was coming XD

Re: De-Scoring is illegal
 

Thanks for posting this... you just linked a lot of people to the answers to one of their main questions.

Re: De-Scoring is illegal
 

Agreed it is less than official, however, if my team was planning on a downforce fan, or a ball de-scorer, or a trailer-top blocker, I'd stop that effort.

I guess I'm saying that it's "official enough" for me to stop heading down that brainstorming path and focus on the variables that we do have control over.

Re: De-Scoring is illegal
 

I agree with Madison and as I stated in a different post -
CD is NOT the official rules clarification website either - that can only come from the official method as determined by FIRST.
As far as I know, Bill's Blog has not been identified as one of the official methods. So, although this may seem official - it isn't so, until FIRST states it via the method that they have cited as being the official channel.

I hope that everything that Bill wrote is true - as I agree with all of it.

Mike Aubry

Re: De-Scoring is illegal
 

I was just going to say that. It's great to have this tipoff to maybe a future update, but seeing as Bill has not clarified/re-interpreted/referenced any official rules it seems about as worthwhile as someone saying it on CD at this point.

The vacuum suggestion, on the other hand, references and applies a current rule that can be found in the rulebook. I'm not discounting what he's said about the descoring/blocking, just saying that I would merely take it as it is, a suggestion and possibly a tip to a future update.

Re: De-Scoring is illegal
 

While the list of WalMart stores with Orbit Balls in stock might (if it IS accurate) assist American teams, the Canadian WalMart we went to tells us that they do not and never have carried Orbit Balls.

I suspect other non-American teams are similarly at a loss until a new source of balls is found.

Jason

Re: De-Scoring is illegal
 

I went to the store near me on Saturday, the list says that they have 16, I looked all over for about 30-40 minutes and asked a few people, they all thought I was crazy.

Re: De-Scoring is illegal
 

It's sort of lame that we can't goaltend. It would have been an incredible (and fun!) challenge to build a robot that could goaltend the trailer while remaining withing the 28x38x60 footprint.

Re: De-Scoring is illegal
 

Being that de-scoring was a pivotal facet of two of our potential design choices, this is a bit frustrating that in no way was this expectation clearly laid out. Did the GDC not anticipate that something that fundamental would be considered by teams as a viable strategy?

I appreciate Bill stating this TODAY rather than when the first official update / Q & A comes out, but I'm disappointed that it was overlooked.

Sorry... build season frustration venting over :)

Re: De-Scoring is illegal
 

Not making that clear in the original set of rules is a major oversight. Without descoring this game has no flavor. Thankyou for "tipping us off" to critical rules.... I seriously protest this CHANGE and am now in limbo until First makes this official.... That goal tending CHANGE has many reaching implications as well.

Re: De-Scoring is illegal
 

FIRST just made it official.
Moving on......