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Unread 27-03-2006, 22:13
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FRC #0254 (The Cheesy Poofs)
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Concerning Whistleblowing

There was a thread recently discussing what should happen when teams fail the size and/or weight requirements during re-inspection. I'd like to start up a related discussion on the act of whistleblowing.

A few times over the course of my years in FIRST, I've seen teams with illegal mechanisms, materials, etc. at competitions. At one of the regionals I've been to this year, I've seen a team (on a Friday, and therefore after inspection) whose bumpers were notched out at the bottom to facilitate ramp climbing. I wasn't sure what to do at the time. I didn't want to call them out on it and be thought of as ungracious, especially if the result of my action would mean the difference between losing and winning a match against the team in question. I ended up not doing anything about the illegal bumpers, apart from making sure that team wasn't on our list of potential alliance picks, in case someone else were to make an issue of it during eliminations.

I should mention that it's not my intention at all to call the inspection system into question here; it would be impossible for all the inspectors to have the six-weeks-plus experience of the rules that FIRST team members have, and so a few mistakes will inevitably be made.

So here are my questions:
  • Would you blow the whistle on a team who had gotten through inspection but was still violating the rules, either advertently or inadvertently?
  • Would you only blow the whistle under certain circumstances, such as letting it slide during qualifications, but calling the team out if you came up against them in the eliminations?
  • If not, would you regret not having done so if the team in question went on to defeat you and win the event?
  • Alternately, if you were to confront the team directly about it instead of approaching the inspectors or the referees, how would you go about doing so?
  • Where gracious professionalism is concerned, is it a greater wrong to tattle on another team and potentially bring shame upon both teams, or to let the rule-breaking slide?
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