[jee7s]

I'm going to echo a few points made by others in this thread. And, I'm not meaning to pile on to Rich, but these types of exceptions and bending are exactly what lead to the frustration we as team mentors fear, based on observations so far this year.

Originally Posted by rich2202

If a team persisted being a problem (i kept notes of which teams I told to speed it up), I would be a PIA to them. Standing next to them when the robot arrives on the field, and letting them know when their 60 seconds starts.

So, were you just being a PIA, or were you alerting the inspectors or others at the event to help the team find ways to get under the 60 second mark? I'd really hope it was more than just lording over them and watching the countdown. Also, did teams that were under the 60 second number know they were on time? Or were they left guessing about any "bonus time" they got?

By the time a team is disabled, they would have known they have earned it, and it would not have been a surprise. However, at one match they could receive bonus time because other teams were still setting up. It would appear capricious if the next match they don't get as much bonus time because all the other teams have left the field.

See, this concept of "bonus time" is pretty troubling. I can see it leading to situations where teams are setting up in more than 60 seconds but not being disabled due to this concept, only to be disabled in a later match when setting up in the same amount of time.

No one wants a hard 60 second rule. Variances after 60 seconds is what may lead to what appears to be vastly different enforcement, even within the same ref crew. If someone else is delaying the match, I'm not going to penalize you, just because I can. That should not be taken as a license to take the same amount of time in the future.

Frankly, from all of the exceptions and bending of the rules I've heard, I could be convinced to have a 60 second clock to set up. Something like Field Reset says the field is ready, start the clock, and all teams need to be off the field in 60 seconds. Perhaps a bit of a pressure cooker, but at least we're all clear on the time.

If your team is delaying the match, and if you have been warned, then the disabled is appropriate, and not a surprise. The rigidity provides a standard framework for warning a team when they have reached the end of the reasonable period. The flexibilty is how much longer they get after that before the penalty is applied.

Except, from what I've been seeing in this thread and in the week 1 webcasts, there's the opposite of rigidity and standard -- it's all flexible and dependent on the interpretation of the situation. The flexibility you mention negates any expectations of standards.

While G10 is vague, the solution isn't to make your own rules around G10. The solution is to tell GDC that we need a better G10. Whether you're a Ref, Head Ref, FTA, team member, or spectator, it's better for all of us to have a better rule than to attempt to make up for the vagueness with "house rules" that change the competition depending on where you are competing.