[tzjin]

I agree completely that matches are not fixed. Human error is at fault, not some conspiracy FIRST has planned against any individual team. The fact that 5 referees (at LSR) handled the entire event is still mind-boggling to me, and I know I certainly would have had an extremely difficult time in their shoes. Their sacrifice of time and effort is certainly much appreciated.

That being said, the registration costs are quite significant for most teams, and the students on ours raised every penny. While I disagree with the sentiment that losing the match is equivalent to wasting a portion of the payment, it is certainly disappointing to know that your ranking was determined by a decision beyond your control. Winning is still an important part of the competition after all. Just as athletes shed sweat and tears for the gold, FRC teams toil and labor for a blue banner. Inspiration from the process is certainly the most important, but it's awfully difficult to be motivated when your efforts may be rendered useless by the interpretation of a rule. I know certainly that there are still a few who laugh wistfully at our team's last match at SVR 2008.

There were two main issues I noticed. Firstly, results could not be challenged whatsoever. There is a question box for drive coaches to respectfully request review of the match. We were brushed off twice by the understandably busy head referee. There was a video recording on hand, but due to FIRST's rules, it could not be factored into the decision. It took a little while to shake off the disappointment, but we were fine after another match.

Secondly, the interpretation of rules varies a bit from competition to competition. For instance, fouls for contacting an opposing robot touching their pyramid was heavily enforced in certain Week 1 regionals, but was passed over multiple times during LSR.


Unfortunately, I criticize yet have no concrete solutions to offer. More in-depth training, a more specific rules manual and a greater number of referees would probably help, but how much would have to be seen. This has been an issue year after year, and while it has been getting better, an incorrect call still stings.

It would be wrong to pass over this flaw completely, but it is important to recognize that the referees are trying their best. So once again, I feel the need to thank the volunteers for their hours of service. They have an extremely difficult job, and every team appreciates their contributions to the regional.