Quote:
Originally Posted by Brian Beatty
In conclusion, I feel for 1114's tough break, but if a bad call/no call was made, that's the game. The only way to end these human element disputes is the "nuclear option" --no defense.
Sincerely,
Brian Beatty
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Brian, while I respect your opinion and that of all the other teams who prefer to practice their offensive craft without being harassed by the little guy, I'm not going to let one unfortunate accident out of countless cleanly and safely played qualifying and elimination round matches over the course of four competitions this season serve as the galvanizing symbol for some kind of offensive rallying cry to eliminate all defense in FIRST competitions.
I continue to believe that defense is an integral and necessary part of the game which adds a dynamic flair to the competition (robots changing strategies on the fly) and if done right, can better engage the audience in the on the field action. I thought the GDC did an excellent job this year of creating a game where both offensive and defensive alliances could equally show off their skills AND succeed. You need look no further than the Einstein finals to see the kind of alliance diversity that was allowed to shine through to the final stage. Some may have found the Einstein finals boring; I found them to be a refreshing mix of both offensive and defensive strategies on display at the same time.
I feel a combination of better education and rule enforcement are the best ways to eliminate the most egregious forms of damage due to excessive defense. How are teams expected to know what not to do if no one shows them
exactly what not to do? Set the limit visually and then
enforce it. FIRST has a safety video it shows at each competition - why not a defense video? Combine examples of appropriate and inappropriate contact using
real robots with other examples of taboo actions and the corresponding penalties that may be called. If teams see what is illegal before the competition begins, they will have a weaker argument when challenging any referees' calls, and the refs will be more empowered to make the tough calls when they are needed. It will also give all referees a
common visual baseline upon which all their subsequent rulings can be built.