Re: Human players are costing points
 

yea that happened in the mwr...most of it was throwing the empty cells into play. I agree that it could be nerves, maybe people at the outposts don't always realize that they pick off the wall instead of from the bucket

Re: Human players are costing points
 

I actually had to chase down and drag back too the station an adult rookie team coach who inexplicably darted out of his station and ran over to the carts for something. I told himm to not ever leave the lines of the drivers station during a match. He honest had no idea. Alot of teams seem to be that way. They hav e no idea about the rules and I really think that is part of scouting: do teams understand and follow the rules? It's one thing to rate how productive your team is. It's another when the only thing you are contributing is a plethora of penalties.
Fred Needel had an interesting observation that I wholeheartedly agree with. It should be mandatory that rookie teams are pared off with a veteran team. If at the very least to make sure they understand the rules and procedures of what to do at an event. It stuns me how some teams come completely unprepared to a regional that goes beyond just the robot.. They are almost always late to queing, forget equipment constantly so they're not ready to run. They don't organize the kids who are mostly left to figure it out themselves and when they hit the field alot of them didn't even know what goal to score in. I just find that unacceptable. Teams had six weeks too download and absorb the rules, the least they can do was do that.

Re: Human players are costing points
 

Our payload specialist received a penalty for throwing two balls at once, and it lost us the semi finals in Kansas City.

We did not find this until today.
http://forums.usfirst.org/showthread.php?t=11772

What's done is done, but I hope in the future regionals the refs know the rules better.

Re: Human players are costing points
 

Honestly I think it should be the team's job the know the rules and procedures. A veteran team shouldn't have to be responsible for another team. As a member of a veteran team, I know it would add a whole lot more work that we would have to do, and we don't have the time or man power to do it.
We were pared numerous times with rookie teams at MWR. Some didn't know rules, others didn't have bumpers, and a few had robots that had to rebuilt. We spent a lot of our time helping trying to help them out.
I'm all for helping teams out, but I think its unfair to shove responsibilities on to another team especially with this year's game and all the complications that come with it.

Re: Human players are costing points
 

Well the reality is this: You can either help them learn the game or watch them play the role as an anchor and drag teams down to the bottom of the standings with them.

Re: Human players are costing points
 

I saw this a lot at GSR. This is a major safety issue that teams need to watch for.

Another big penalty that is saw numerous times was PS's not buckling thier seatbelt in the chair and center field. This is an easy thing to forget. This is why we make sure it is one of the first think or PS does...

I saw this mainly when PS's were retrieving the bins of balls from behind then they would spin around and not see where they were lacing their feet. I also saw this as they were reaching into the airlock they would misplace their feet.

Re: Human players are costing points
 

Perhaps it would be helpful to notify all the head refs.

I have not been at a drivers meeting in 4 years (since I was a member of the team) but perhaps the refs could quickly go over the important human player rules as well. It should only take another couple of minutes.

Do they include this information in the drivers meeting already?

Human players have been really helpful on our team. Ours is great. Personally, the game isn't my favorite because of the huge reliance on human player accuracy. But the floor is fun!

Re: Human players are costing points
 

Let's not be too hard on the human players. Yeah they should have known this and that and could have done this and that but its just the first week and now that the first games of the season are out of the way and everyone has seen the game being played I'm sure everyone will be watching videos as the pop up on you tube ect.. and teams playing next week are telling the PS what mistakes to avoid.

Good luck for the rest of the season!

-p :cool:

Re: Human players are costing points
 

At the New Jersey Regional, the head ref, Sky, did clarify and remind drive teams of the rules regarding Payload Specialist actions and the penalties they may incur; this took up the majority of the meeting.

Re: Human players are costing points
 

They also touched upon them at GSR

Re: Human players are costing points
 

Day 2 at MWR there were MANY fewer penalties, although we did see two for the Commander driving the robot - a DQ. Day 1 was like you said, tons of penalties for the empty cells over the wall and one DQ for touching a robot with the tongs.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't remember ever announcing a penalty on a robot, only human players. It was kind-of nice to see the robots having free reign.

Re: Human players are costing points
 

You mean someone without the "DRIVER" badge (button, w/e) was driving the robot?

Re: Human players are costing points
 

It's not enough to just wait to throw them, they can't even touch them before the last 20 seconds.

did I miss that in the rules?

Re: Human players are costing points
 

Almost every HP at the regional I went to this weekend cost their team points.

I wasn't paying attention to penalties.

Re: Human players are costing points
 

<G22> Exchanging EMPTY CELLS - When an EMTPY CELL exits the CRATER via a FUELING PORT, it is retrieved by the PAYLOAD SPECIALIST and stored on the CELL RACK. During the last 20 seconds of the MATCH, each EMPTY CELL in the FUELING STATION may be exchanged for a SUPER CELL. Once an EMPTY CELL has been exchanged for a SUPER CELL, it can not re-enter play. Violations will result in a PENALTY.