[Siri]

Originally Posted by WaterClaw

Actually, I didn't recognize them at all from Northern lights or any regional for that matter. I primarily took it they were volunteers with minimal understanding of the rules as far as refs went. My sincerest apologies if I am wrong.

Just so all's clear, Jon Stratis indicated that they'd all reffed Duluth and Minneapolis (both), so it's not odd for you not to recognize them.

Originally Posted by WaterClaw

If a quiz or anything related is in existence, it should be made more difficult and I believe lessons or lectures should be given to iron out technicalities. These Lessons would be given by the game creating committee and shown not only to referees but also to teams to establish clarity and alleviate tensions that may arise on and off the field. The lessons must be available both in video and in text so that one perception of the rules can be clarified by the other. The game creating committee has the responsibility of coming up with entertaining, challenging and interesting games as well as the rules for them. It should also a responsibility I believe to iron out discrepancies for all involved.

There is indeed a test (nor is it new for this year), and while I won't claim it's rocket science, it is pretty comprehensive. However, for obvious reasons it is devised before the competitions actually start, so it's no surprise that it misses some the subtleties. For those it predicts, it's actually rather rough in assessing them.

In an perfect world, the test would be revised weekly and refs working the next weekend would have to take that. I actually quite like this idea, but given how difficult it is to recruit refs (or other certified volunteers, or volunteers at all for that matter), this is probably logistically prohibitive. A variation might be to take this, say, at the beginning of their Day 0. It could provide a framework around which to discuss the new situations that pop up every week. Of course, this could still require a schedule shift for those that have to come in later, and someone(s) still have to revise it throughout the season.

Originally Posted by WaterClaw

Also, this is only an idea. I am aware there are videos explaining field elements but I think we also need ones ironing out technicalities in the rules. And I believe we should have the creators clarify and expand understanding of their amazing creations.

There was an actual training curriculum last year, videos and all. I'm not sure why there wasn't one this year (though I can guess - time required and commitment vs benefit), but it went back to just a test.

That said, FIRST has been very clear for years that they refuse to discuss the...subtleties...of the rules. Just mosey through the annual Q&As, and you'll see a whole lot of "We cannot comment on hypothetical scenarios. Real-time evaluations will be made by Referees given the full context of the occurrence". If they won't do it on the Q&A, I wouldn't expect them to do it in videos. They barely do it at the Championship driver's meeting.