[Kim Masi]

My father came to watch the New England competition on Saturday and told me that this game was a lot easier to understand (compared to '04 and '05), and that FIRST has made it a lot easier for an "outsider" to understand what is going on. He also said that at just like any other sporting event, there was a bit of contact and a bit of excitement. I think that defense and a little contact is an important strategy in this years game as it is in a basketball or soccer game.

By defining the offensive and defensive periods, it gives each alliance a chance to score and a chance to play defense. What your robot decides to do during your "defensive" period is up to you, but I think FIRST intended on having defense as a part of the game. And as someone said before, FIRST made a big deal about the bumpers this year as a clue that the game was definately going to be high contact and interactive.