[Racer26]

@ Taylor: I agree. Rankings aren't everything.

However, the stated goals of the FIRST family of programs is to reach the maximum possible number of people to inspire and recognize science and technology, thereby inspiring people to pursue careers in STEM fields.

In order to reach the maximum possible number of people, we have to CAPTIVATE the off-the-street spectators, the local news crews, the local governments, and inspire them to sponsor and create new teams, in new schools, everywhere. The GDC has been trying really hard since 2010 to create simpler games, with easier-to-understand scoring and rules that can be conveyed to a total outsider in a few short sentences. They hit a home run in 2012 on this front as far as I'm concerned.

Rebound Rumble in 7 sentences:

Its robot basketball, there are 18 balls on the field, and 4 baskets for each alliance to score in. The top basket is worth 3 points, middle worth 2, and bottom worth 1. Matches are 2:15 long, and begin with a 15 second Hybrid period, in which robots must operate on their own code without driver input (except Kinect). During hybrid, balls scored carry a bonus of 3 pts on top of their ordinary value. During the last 30 seconds of the match, teams attempt to balance on the alliance bridges and coopertition bridge. Alliance bridges are worth 10 pts for one bot, 20 pts for two, and during eliminations 40 pts for 3. Balancing the coopertition bridge is worth bonus ranking points equivalent to winning the match.