Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnFogarty
Time delays are a valid concern. I'll use the Orlando Regional as a benchmark for a lot of things I'll talk about here since that was my most recent experience. We were 1.5 hours behind schedule pretty much all the time. Taking up the time of normal refs with this new video system I'm proposing would not work. Yet, I see the solution as simple and I'll provide my solution.
In qualifications if there is a disputed match where a team believes there was something not scored correctly we could have an additional referee who's entire job it was is to review video to sort these problems out. You don't even have to take the time of the normal match refs to do this sort of after-match verification. The video ref could take a look at the camera view footage to determine if the appropriate call was made.
The review time for videos would be kept short if a designated video review ref could not find indisputable evidence that the call was botched then there would be no changes.
In eliminations where the match scores are in my opinion even more critical to maintaining the quality of the event you can follow a similar procedure. Give at max 5 minutes to determine the call.
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So, your solution to the time delay is to add additional volunteers? With a potentially different interpretation of the rules, and who quite possibly did not see the event first-hand given that they were reviewing another match?
You're essentially adding another "key volunteer" position. Something that many events already struggle to fill.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnFogarty
A overhead camera like this one. https://youtu.be/PNs40CrPWUk?t=10s
A solution would have to be found. FIRST provides the field, the ref system, etc. This would have to become part of it.
It would very obvious that the camera would have to provide a high enough resolution video of the entire field to be validly able to determine calls. |
So, the district system is over then? Because you're not going to find many high school gyms with the scaffolding/catwalk to support an overhead camera like that. Heck, I'd bet more than 50% of regionals would have to find new venues as well, as plenty of college gyms and convention centers wouldn't be able to support that.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnFogarty
Some of those calls that you just mentioned can't even be called consistently by the refs with their own eyes during the course of a match let alone an event. (i.e 15" perimeter rule, crossings, etc.) If you watched that video you'd even see that crossings were not being counted correctly even over the simple defenses.
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I've watched plenty of videos. Mistakes will always be made, but mistakes are part of any sport. Not just FRC. Video replay is not a panacea to fix those officiating errors, which is my point. It's a lot of added cost and complexity, for minimal return. There's still plenty of opportunity for blown calls. Anyone who has followed the NHL this season, and its roll out of expanded video review, will attest to that. More people are complaining about the additional video review than any other officiating issue this season.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnFogarty
Blind spots are valid and just like in football where sometimes a call can't be made definitively even with camera angles a call would just have to be left to stand. HOWEVER, if it can be proven with a simple system like the overhead camera like I am proposing than that alone is a drastic improvement.
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That "simple solution" isn't viable in the majority of FRC venues. That simple solution doesn't solve anything regarding interactions underneath bumpers. Specifically, that system cannot answer close calls in terms of CROSSINGS this year, because it cannot see underneath the frame/bumpers of a robot to know if its wheels fully cleared the defense.