[Aidan S.]

Originally Posted by Sam_Mills

If a cycler is getting shut down for a full 45 seconds, they should re-examine their driving.

Well, this isn't an example from Ultimate Ascent, but it shows how effective defense can shut down the best teams in FRC:

In 2011, 1114 had one of the most effective scoring machines in the world. 1114 is also known for not only having incredible robots perennially, but also for having some of the best drivers in FIRST, every season. They are usually an unstoppable force on the field, but here in the semi-finals of the Galileo Division that year, team 469 was able to play incredibly effective defense and shut down one best tube scorers in all of FIRST.

Watch this video from 1:10 onwards: http://vimeo.com/24048339

As 1114 goes is returning from their feeder slot with a white tube, 469 decided to stick to their side, enforcing the best positional defense I have ever seen. 469 was the top scorer on that alliance, but elected to play defense as part of our strategy. This is how effective the defense was: after 1:10, 1114 was not able to cross the field to their rack. 469 did not let them out of their sights. Both team had outstanding drivers, but 469 was able to play defense not where 1114 was at that second, but cover where they were going to be, essentially corralling and trapping the robot on the far side of the field. The defense played by 469 is what won the match and the series.

The best drivers in FRC can be shut down by the best defense. I can see this type of defense being very effective against cycling robots this year at champs, given the huge open mid-field territory, where defensive robots can screen cyclers on their way to their shooting spot. I would not be surprised if mid-field positional defense is the deciding factor in more than one elimination match at champs this year.