[techedguy]

In soccer the players that do it all are called midfielders. They play offense and defense effectively and play from end to end of the field. If you give up the midfield you give up the game because you'll be on defense all day long. That's soccer anyhow (but I think it translates well). Years of playing that sport and coaching it have taught me to build from the back. We might not score a lot of goals, but we don't get scored on much either. Our games are usually 1-0 or 2-1 endings...sometimes we're up and sometimes we are not, but it's never a blowout.

'Bots that play both ways well...they should just be called Midfielders!

Forwards/Wingers -- Beat the defense and score...great ball possession skills and accuracy when shooting.

Possession, smart ball distribution, and the ability to win the ball back before it makes the defensive end...the qualities of a great midfielder.

Win the ball and play it back to your own team...the role of the Backs.

The ability to climb and hang on....Monkeybots?

Backs, Midfielders, Wingers...and Monkeybots.

This game more than last year appears to require an orchestrated series of 1-on-1 situations. Each bot is 1-v-1 against the bot in their third of the field to a great extent.

(Human midfielders need speed and endurance cuz they do it for 90 minutes. here we're only worried about 135 seconds; in this game they'd also need to be able to jump hurdles!)