[AndyB]

1 sheet for each team with enough data for 8 matches.

Find 7 people to scout (you might have to be one of them).

6 of them will be scouters and 1 will be a manager (could be you).

Each match, the manager sorts through the 50-some-odd sheets and finds the 6 that are competing (not as hard as it sounds), and hands them out to the 6 scouters. It's easiest to designate 3 as RED scouters and 3 as BLUE scouters for the sake of being able to find your robot.

Then after the match, the sheets are exchanged and put back into order.

On Friday night, we either Black List or Green List robots depending on their performances. Black list means that you are done with the robot and they will not be considered for the final list (barring a miracle). Green list means they will continue to be scouted on Saturday. Hopefully you will end up with 30-ish green robots. Sort these green robots into order from best to worst. You may end up with more than one catagory (I.E.: Hurdlers and Speed, Ramp and Ringers, etc).

On Saturday, we scout just like normal and about an hour before the the final match starts, the scouting leader (you) and MAYBE 1 or 2 others that have been scouting with you make final revisions to the list created the previous night.

We also make a list of teams that we would decline if we are in picking position.

I kind of adopted this tactic from 269. I modified it slightly for use with 171 and so far, it's worked wonderfully. We are contemplating using a PDA-based scouting system but with the new control system for next year, it may need to be a wired system.

The system would replace the finding, distribution, and exchanging of scouting sheets and instead, leave that to the scouter.

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As for creation of the scouting sheet, I try to keep things as simple as possible for the sake of my scouters. If certain fields are unimportant, not considered in the end, or are covering the same thing as other fields, then the sheet needs to be revised.

For instance, some scouting sheets I have used include fields that rate driver skill, robot attributes (speed, agility, etc). But I have found that in the end, if I work with the sheer numbers they put up (if they hurdle 6 times, is driver skill relevant?), I can get a better list. I also make sure to include a comment section if the scouter feels the need to take notes, or notify me of something regarding the robot.

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It is also important for the person running scouting operations to keep the coach and drivers of their team informed so they can come up with a viable strategy. If I'm not scouting, then I try to run down to the pits with the sheets for the teams in our match. If I am scouting or managing, then I give the information via cell phone.