FRC Blogged-2014 FIRST Championship – Preliminary Changes to FRC Agenda

[Steven Donow]

http:// http://www3.usfirst.org/robo...-to-FRC-Agenda

As many of you know, we’re planning to schedule 10 matches for each FRC team at the 2014 FIRST Championship. To do this, we need to extend the qualification match time available.

To support extended match time, we need to make some changes to our traditional agenda. The changes below are preliminary, but are likely to be very close to the final changes we make, and are firm enough for you to incorporate in your initial planning:

• Pits will open at 3PM for load-in on Wednesday, April 23
• From 3PM-5PM, only 5 representatives from each team will be allowed in the pits to start pit setup, uncrate robots, and start inspections. This two hour period will give us time to start clearing crates while the pits are relatively uncrowded
• Inspections will start right after 3PM, as soon as teams are ready
• At 5PM, pits will be fully open to all team members
• Teams will get their practice matches in Wednesday evening, rather than Thursday morning as they have the last few years
• Qualification matches will start early Thursday morning, April 24

As more details are nailed down, I will share them.

Frank

[Nick Lawrence]

Yes!!!

.... poor volunteers.

-Nick

[Michael Corsetto]

Originally Posted by Nick Lawrence

Yes!!!

.... poor volunteers.

-Nick

Inspectors, all hands on deck Wednesday evening!

-Mike

[s_forbes]

I wonder how long it will be before we start uncrating on the Monday of championship week...

[Anupam Goli]

Originally Posted by s_forbes

I wonder how long it will be before we start uncrating on the Monday of championship week...

I feel like we're almost at the point of critical mass. I don't see it being possible to squeeze another day into championship week, and if we add more teams, we certainly won't be able to continue with 10 matches per team.

[cgmv123]

They'll probably only have time for one practice match per team.

Originally Posted by Anupam Goli

I feel like we're almost at the point of critical mass. I don't see it being possible to squeeze another day into championship week, and if we add more teams, we certainly won't be able to continue with 10 matches per team.

Cycle times are key. Last year's game had a fairly complex reset, which took time. This year's field should be able to be turned around much faster.

[Basel A]

Originally Posted by s_forbes

I wonder how long it will be before we start uncrating on the Monday of championship week...

It will be easier when the district system is mostly everywhere and FIRST can decrease the size of Championship without under-representing any region (like Michigan was in 2010-2013, arguably 2009 too). That is, if FIRST considers a smaller Championship to be acceptable. I would absolutely be a proponent.

[Koko Ed]

Originally Posted by s_forbes

I wonder how long it will be before we start uncrating on the Monday of championship week...

Bring it on!

[Blackphantom91]

I am super excited for this for teams. although the volunteer in me is kinda scared! Oh well to echo koko lets go!

[Thad House]

Wow. I love this change. An easy way to add more matches, without adding too much time. I like it.

[Lil' Lavery]

FIRST continues their full-frontal assault on mentor's vacation days.

[Chris is me]

Originally Posted by Lil' Lavery

FIRST continues their full-frontal assault on mentor's vacation days.

Yup. If I've got to be there at 3 PM on Wednesday, that's another day off for me that I'm not sure I can afford to take. I've come down to volunteer the past two years for inspection but I don't know if I can justify it unless my team qualifies this year.

I'm glad we're getting more matches, but this is going to be one exhausting Championship.

[magnets]

This is nice, but very stressful for teams. The ten matches will really be nice though. Only getting one practice match will be tough, especially when it's on Wednesday. Not all of our team is there on Wednesday, so it'll be tough.

[Damiaen_Florian]

Did they just say 10 matches? That's such a huge bump up from last year's 8, it could probably ensure that the top 8 is more of teams that deserve there and not gotten by an easy schedule. All these changes seem to be for the better, it amazes me how even though FIRST keeps on growing they still continue to offer more playing time to the teams.

[MikeE]

Originally Posted by Damiaen_Florian

Did they just say 10 matches? That's such a huge bump up from last year's 8, it could probably ensure that the top 8 is more of teams that deserve there and not gotten by an easy schedule.

I anticipate some schedule variance analysis to appear in this thread fairly soon.