[Chief Hedgehog]

I am not really understanding the recent topics on trying to increase 'fairness' across FRC.

FIRST ROBOTICS COMPETITION. Each year there is a game with certain goals or objectives. There are restrictions, regulations, deadlines, penalties, etc. that are laid out at Kick-off and then amended through the build season.

What I fail to understand is how placing or removing restrictions on this COMPETITION will somehow level the playing field. No matter how FIRST adjusts the COMPETITION, teams will adapt. Strong and well financed teams will still rise to the top. I just don't see how any new restrictions have ever stopped the top-end teams.

This is a COMPETITION. The rules are laid out. FIRST allows for many ways to advance beyond the District or Regional format as well as reward teams that do not advance beyond their event. I know I am going to get a lot of negative feedback - but in a competition there is no such thing as 'fair'. One of my greatest pet peeves is when adults state that something is 'not fair'.

Here are some of the most common arguments to increase 'fairness' in FRC:
1. Take away the Practice Bot. High end teams will then realign their talent and resources to better prepare their competition robot.

2. Tools down date. High end teams will... "See above".

3. Take away bag and tag - The high resource teams will then find an event to compete in early - and then attend a late season event. This will allow these teams to compete and adjust for their later events. The lower resource teams will not have this advantage (as they do not now) - so nothing really changes.

4. Limit monetary sponsors - okay, there are ways around this as well. Instead of increasing the build portion, teams will just spend even more money on tools.

The only way for FIRST to make this "fair" is to create a season where all teams compete on the same dates. Costs will rise beyond anyone's comprehension. The logistics would ruin FIRST as it is now. Most teams would fold before the season even starts because the cost for attending an event in this format would be monumental.

No matter the limitations increased or decreased, the high resource teams will find a way - I just don't truly understand this unreal ideal of 'fairness' in a competitive format such as FIRST.

The whole idea of a competition is to compete - to best your adversaries. I just fail to see how any adjustment could level the playing field for all teams.