Quote:
Originally Posted by Pikat
This I agree with. The rules are very simple and human players should be able to follow them properly.
However, the issue I have seen multiple times is that when, before the match even starts, a human player is already holding a moonrock, yet the referee standing next to him/her and doesn't tell them that they will get a penalty. Then, when the round starts, the human player immediately receives a penalty.
I agree with Cory that the human players shouldn't make the mistake in the first place, but if they do and the round hasn't started yet, why can't the referee inform them that what they're doing is against the rules?
Just my $0.02
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Having been a ref in previous years, I can tell you that on practice day, you'll get a lot of this, plus the matches don't count. On Friday, In early matches we always did try to remind the drive teams, not just about HP rules, but also driver zone, touching controls by a coach, etc. At what point do you suggest that refs expect the players to have learned the rules? What sports are you aware of that the refs review the rules with the players before each play? Please remember that the refs are doing lots more than looking for penalties while a match is not running. It could be that the ref, though standing next to the player, is focussed on something else and not noticing the potential penalty.
As scorekeeper/field power this year, I watched one human player throw three of four empty cells over the outpost shield in the first 30 secs of an elimination match. Is it the refs fault for not reminding him not to do this?
I'll apologize in advance for those who think my tone is too strident; It's not intended to be so. But it seems a bit unfair to me to place all the blame on a volunteer who may not live and breathe the game the way the team members usually do. Also wrapped up in my frustration is team members watching from the stands who complain about the drive team not doing something when the action they desire is illegal. As a mentor of a team, one thing I constantly stress is a thorough knowledge of the rules by all team members.
As a ref, I always hated calling these sorts of penalties and generally like the idea of making them impossible to occur (don't get me started on the incursion rule from Aim High). The reality is that cost, complexity, logistics and other factors sometimes make it impossible to do so, especially when such human player errors are part of the game and do in some way reflect real life issues.