Quote:
Originally Posted by Paul Copioli
To me, actively scoring for the opponent is worse than playing your best.
In addition, stopping to try your hardest in a match is just as bad.
To me, it is disrespectful to score for the other team and FIRST is basically encouraging it (so I do not fault teams that do it).
We will not score for the other team. We will not stop trying hard. As a result, we will get a lot of G14 penalties if we are lucky enough to be partnered with great teams. The message I am sending to my students is this:
Be respectful at all times even if it means scoring more than 3x the opponents score on the field.
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I understand the perspective; however, I do not share it entirely. Scoring points that accrue to your opponents is clearly within the rules this year. As such it represents a legitimate strategy, albeit not without risk. I don't know why the rule exists. To be sure, I don't particularly care for it.
I do agree with being respectful and I appreciate the "gracious assertiveness" with which many teams approach the game. I, too will be encouraging our team to excel and to do their best at all times - always being respectful. If that means depositing some game pieces in the trailer that our robot is pulling in order to enhance our ranking points, then so be it. I trust that our opposing alliance will understand that we mean no disrespect and that we are merely playing the game within the rules, but to win.