Rookie Awards Ethics Question

[Billfred]

Originally Posted by DELurker

Question 1:
How "Rookie" does a rookie team need to be to be eligible for Rookie All-Star, Highest Rookie Seed, and Rookie Inspiration Award?

It must only be defined by FIRST as a rookie team. I've been on and around teams that get the air-quote treatment, and you know what? Experience makes the process of starting a team hardly any easier. We grind just as hard to recruit, to fundraise, to get grants, to do outreach activities without a robot. The only thing a few experienced hands have an advantage with is knowing how big to dream.

Question 2:
Should a team that is rookie in name only bow out of accepting rookie awards?

See Question 1. There's no such thing.

Details:
Situation 1:
A large well-established team (A) forms a second team (B) for all of their first-year members. They collaborate and mentor the new team, but each team is responsible ultimately for their own designs, fundraising, sponsorship, community involvement, etc. Is (B) a true rookie team? Should they decline consideration for rookie awards?

No, because that team is not considered a rookie team by FIRST. (It's not explicit in the linked rookie criteria, but a combination of items 1 and 3 get it close enough. And in practice, this is what FIRST does. See 11 and 193, among many others.)

Situation 2:
A team (C) has a rift (the reason is unimportant) and a number of very experienced members and mentors leave to form a new team (D). The two teams operate independently in all ways. Is (D) a true rookie team? Should they decline consideration for rookie awards?

If they meet the criteria of Item 6 in the criteria, yes. A couple people who know what they're doing is no substitute for an experienced team.

Situation 3:
A new team (E) is formed in a town with no previous FRC experience. They collaborate via Skype with a more experienced team (F) 200+ miles away. Is (E) a true rookie team? Should they decline consideration for rookie awards?

HECK YES they're a rookie team! Collaboration is just another form of mentoring, and has been established as a perfectly valid approach. You'll have a hard time doing demos, fundraising, and generally getting exposure in the community over Skype.

I know that all three of these situations have occurred either in 2013 or 2014, so the scenarios are not unreasonable. However, at what point should a team graciously bow out of consideration for the rookie awards?

My stance should be clear by now that a rookie team is a rookie team. The only time 4901 will even entertain standing down is if we win Rookie All-Star at Palmetto (our first event), such that a rookie team at the Orlando Regional (our second) has a chance to reach Championship as well.