[Nuttyman54]

Team 190 did "proper" (read: organized) scouting this year for the first time in many seasons. We used 6 sheets of paper per regional and one excel spreadsheet, and kept the data to a minimum. There's no need to inundate yourself with more information than you can handle.

For example, drivetrains: Does it really matter (from a pit scouting standpoint) whether or not a team has 1 speed, 2 speed or 15 speed transmissions? Instead of asking that information in the pits, it can be more useful to just let whoever's watching the matches make notes on driving skill.

*I am not saying that the information is not needed, it's just an example of something that could be considered extraneous*

We collected more information from the stands, making notes on consistency, and what kind of strategy decisions they seemed to be making. We also took input from our coach on which teams she had good experiences working with, and which teams she didn't.

It should also be noted that individual performance often does not agree with ranking, due to poor alliance partners, this year's dreaded "perpetual opponent" and other factors. Rank teams based on how they are performing on the field, not necessarily how their alliance is doing.

Performance can very greatly between Friday and Saturday morning. Drastic changes to the robot or the code can positively or negatively affect performance. Don't be afraid to shuffle around teams on your pick list based on the most recent data trends.

And lastly, for all the data in the world, don't forget common sense and gut feelings. Statistics and trends don't do much good without some context. If redabot can put up 5 tubes per match, make sure that they're not being left undefended before you put them as your sole tube scorer.