[EricH]

Originally Posted by Nemo

Like the others above, I don't have any problems with the existing alliance selection process. I think the rules are the best option available. If it switched to 1-8,1-8 instead of 1-8,8-1, I could live with it but I prefer the system we have.

Maybe it could be 1-8,1-8 for regional/world championship events and serpentine for regional and district events.

I'd also like to add that I really like the 3rd round of selections that IRI has. I think it would be cool of FIRST added that, at least at the Championship level. Teams draft their own backup robots and can start any three robots they want. I'll point out that if this turned into a rule where you were forced to play the backup bot in at least one match (like in FTC), I would no longer favor drafting a 3rd partner.

As your rookie year was 2009, I don't think you're aware of the pre-2006 drafting (and certainly not the pre-2005). Here is your update on what you missed.

2005: 1-8, 1-8, no backups (other than the top 8 seeded teams still standing). Besides the odd blowout, er, common blowout, there were no downsides.

Before 2005, however, the sequence was 1-8, 1-8, second round is your backup (matches were 2v2). Backups HAD to be played once per round. I kind of liked that... but it could get clunky. And blowouts were still relatively common.


I'd go with an IRI (1-8, 1-8, 8-1) or full serpentine (1-8, 8-1, 1-8) where yet another set of backup rules were adopted. I forget the offseason event, but their rule is that the backup robot must play at least ONCE in the eliminations. If you're 1 match from elimination and your backup hasn't played, you have to play them; otherwise, whoever you want to goes out there.