[Corey Balint]

Originally Posted by Travis Hoffman

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.

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. We have safety videos we show 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 THE REFEREES, AND THE REFEREES WILL BE MORE EMPOWERED TO MAKE THE TOUGH CALLS WHEN THEY ARE NEEDED.

I agree with you on that Travis. There is no way you can eliminate defense for a few reasons, a couple you already posted. But another major one I can think of, is the inability of some teams to build something complex, like an arm, that can function on a winning level.