[Jared Russell]

The best answer to these concerns isn't instant replay, a challenge system, or a 500 page rulebook.

It is a District-based competition model. NYC has 65 teams, each paying $5000+ for 8 matches. Not much space for growth, and a large number of teams are "one and done" participants whose 2013 season is now over.

A FiM/MAR model gives you more than twice as many matches per dollar (Minimum 24 matches, and two shots at making eliminations at small events rather than one in a larger crowd)...

1) It lessens the impact of an individual "bad call"

2) It gives ranking algorithms more samples so they can converge towards a true "top 8"

3) It necessarily results in more trained refs who get to experience more matches (and presumably get incrementally better as they do so)

Yes, losing because of a bad call sucks. It has happened to all of us at some point. How should we choose to react to it? Complaining on the internet is seldom the best way. Instead, understand why it happened and what can and can't be done about it. Funnel your frustration into motivation*.

* (I'd be willing to bet that the poster immediately above me was pretty freaking motivated going into their record-setting 2008 robot build after a frustrating end to their 2007 season)