2014 Arkansas Regional

[JTN]

To clarify and see the penalties myself, I watched the final match 2 video over again to find them. Apparently team 4522's catapult that sticks out of the back of their robot was protruding the plane of the red one point goal every time they backed into it, which was the reason for the 3 smaller fouls (I can provide the video if needed). Those fouls along with the 50 point technical added to the massive 110 points on the final score. After some discussion with the referees afterwards, the penalties could not all be assessed during the matches throughout the tournament because of the inconvenient layout of the touch screen GUI (to call a foul the ref had to leave the scoring screen and open a new window, thereby preventing them from keeping score). The touch screen GUI in particular needs to be improved to prevent any further match outcomes from varying with the score shown at the end of the match. That is a completely different thread, however.

On another note: Congratulations to 1939 on the Chairman's Award!

-John Taylor Novak

[danielled]

To keep the spirits of gracious professionalism high at the regional, we asked people to explain how they keep it GP. This is what we found out.

[nicholsjj]

A great story has to be shared about the Tennessee teams that attended the Arkansas Regional. There was horrible weather this week in Arkansas and Tennessee. The teams from Tennessee 3227,3516,3783, and 3961 all traveled together to the regional. Unfortunately they were unable to to the venue until late Thursday afternoon. The teams had some issues with their robots with inspection but they were able to be granted an extension to work at the venue Thursday night and Friday morning. Again unfortunately the bus driver had a diabetic stroke Thursday night which caused the team to have travel issues getting back to the hotel Thursday night. They still were able to work hard Friday morning to get their robots on the field with full inspections to compete at the event!

[Canon reeves]

Rank Team QS ASSIST AUTO T&C TELEOP Record (W-L-T) DQ PLAYED
1 16
22.00 430.00 311.00 290.00 619.00 11-1-0 0 12
2 1985
20.00 300.00 465.00 230.00 322.00 10-2-0 0 12
3 4522
18.00 400.00 326.00 250.00 553.00 9-3-0 0 12
4 5153
18.00 130.00 352.00 110.00 277.00 9-3-0 0 12
5 4532
16.00 290.00 291.00 220.00 376.00 8-4-0 0 12
6 1810
16.00 220.00 402.00 220.00 435.00 8-4-0 0 12
7 4092
16.00 170.00 310.00 200.00 478.00 8-4-0 0 12
8 2388
16.00 160.00 226.00 160.00 512.00 8-4-0 0 12
9 2992
14.00 290.00 326.00 130.00 547.00 7-5-0 0 12
10 3937
14.00 210.00 401.00 210.00 432.00 7-5-0 0 12
11 1706
14.00 210.00 381.00 140.00 391.00 7-5-0 0 12
12 3593
14.00 180.00 392.00 200.00 530.00 7-5-0 0 12
13 45
14.00 150.00 327.00 170.00 363.00 7-5-0 0 12
14 3666
14.00 110.00 383.00 140.00 329.00 7-5-0 0 12
15 3516
14.00 110.00 240.00 110.00 442.00 7-5-0 0 12
16 832
12.00 190.00 221.00 190.00 540.00 6-6-0 0 12
17 4849
12.00 170.00 320.00 160.00 252.00 6-6-0 0 12
18 2333
12.00 150.00 302.00 140.00 320.00 6-6-0 0 12
19 3160
12.00 150.00 245.00 210.00 614.00 6-6-0 0 12
20 3783
12.00 110.00 246.00 110.00 459.00 6-6-0 0 12
21 4490
12.00 100.00 224.00 150.00 603.00 6-6-0 0 12
22 1939
10.00 260.00 311.00 110.00 287.00 5-7-0 0 12
23 4500
10.00 240.00 223.00 90.00 371.00 5-7-0 0 12
24 2352
10.00 180.00 291.00 80.00 196.00 5-7-0 0 12
25 5178
10.00 170.00 271.00 140.00 322.00 5-7-0 0 12
26 418
10.00 160.00 452.00 220.00 257.00 5-7-0 0 12
27 4535
10.00 150.00 249.00 80.00 513.00 5-7-0 0 12
28 3784
10.00 140.00 247.00 130.00 482.00 5-7-0 0 12
29 5259
10.00 130.00 291.00 110.00 340.00 5-7-0 0 12
30 3961
10.00 120.00 222.00 50.00 255.00 5-6-0 1 12
31 3179
10.00 90.00 191.00 80.00 246.00 5-7-0 0 12
32 3227
10.00 40.00 167.00 90.00 269.00 5-6-0 1 12
33 3991
8.00 200.00 241.00 90.00 241.00 4-8-0 0 12
34 3350
8.00 110.00 227.00 130.00 365.00 4-8-0 0 12
35 5195
8.00 70.00 267.00 160.00 537.00 4-8-0 0 12
36 5006
6.00 160.00 249.00 80.00 563.00 3-9-0 0 12
37 4090
6.00 70.00 216.00 80.00 354.00 3-9-0 0 12
38 1209
4.00 80.00 280.00 130.00 229.00 2-10-0 0 12
39 2359
2.00 100.00 332.00 80.00 155.00 1-11-0 0 12
I have no idea how our team got 16 less teleoperated points than bomb squad?

[sircedric4]

Originally Posted by JTN

To clarify and see the penalties myself, I watched the final match 2 video over again to find them. Apparently team 4522's catapult that sticks out of the back of their robot was protruding the plane of the red one point goal every time they backed into it, which was the reason for the 3 smaller fouls (I can provide the video if needed). Those fouls along with the 50 point technical added to the massive 110 points on the final score. After some discussion with the referees afterwards, the penalties could not all be assessed during the matches throughout the tournament because of the inconvenient layout of the touch screen GUI (to call a foul the ref had to leave the scoring screen and open a new window, thereby preventing them from keeping score). The touch screen GUI in particular needs to be improved to prevent any further match outcomes from varying with the score shown at the end of the match. That is a completely different thread, however.

On another note: Congratulations to 1939 on the Chairman's Award!

-John Taylor Novak

Thanks! We were wondering what those other penalties were. I have had several discussions with other referees in PM and they also explained the GUI system to me. Hopefully FIRST will fix that so the real time score will be more accurate. We learned a lot about the game this regional and know where we are going to focus our efforts in human player training and in robot improvements for our next Regional.

We really had a lovely time and hopefully we won't have to deal with snow at our next Regional. :-) Good night all, we had a long car drive back today.

[vhcook]

Now that I'm home and able to form complete sentences again, thanks to everyone for an amazing regional.

We're all giddy and still slightly startled about the Chairman's win. Our students really put their hearts into it, and I'm so proud of them. I'm also incredibly proud of our Dean's List Finalist, Izzy Lloyd.

Thanks to 1706 for picking us and 3666 for being a great alliance partner. It was a pleasure working with both of you, and our alliance put up a heck of a fight. Hopefully we'll get a chance to try it again sometime.

Congratulations to the regional winners 16, 3937, and 4500 and to the finalists 2992, 4522, and 4090. You played some amazing matches, and I know it was a really emotionally charged result for everyone involved.

I'd also like to congratulate the Memphis teams for persevering in spite of everything. I was one of the inspectors that stayed late on Thursday to help, and I could see you were all completely exhausted after the ice storm and a rough trip in, but you kept working. It was a delight to see you all make it to the field Friday morning. I hope your bus driver is all right and that you've had a safe trip home.

Congratulations to 5259 on my favorite robot of the event. The leg lamp was a brilliant idea and a fairly accurate kicker. I smiled every time I saw it.

Thanks to Harding University and the regional planning committee for a very well run event. The new venue is great, and hopefully we'll be able to come back many times.

[mrwright]

I just wanted to express our gratitude for being able to compete at the Arkansas Regional. We were really excited to be able to compete with and against some of the best teams in FIRST.

We thought that this regional was run exceptionally well and we are looking forward to coming back next year. Congratulations to all of the teams and their accomplishments.

I have to say that those finals matches were some of the most exciting moments that I have ever experienced. We were definitely disappointed and heartbroken at the outcome but we walked away with our heads high. I am so proud of our team and our alliance partners 2992 & 4090. They put up a heck of a fight.

We learned a great deal as a team this weekend from a competitive standpoint and through inspiration as well. We were in awe of the Bomb Squad's machine, their drive team & coach, and their team operations.

Thanks again for hosting such a wonderful event. We look forward to sharing a field with you all again soon.

[vhcook]

Originally Posted by Canon reeves

I have no idea how our team got 16 less teleoperated points than bomb squad?

That column includes both regular and foul points, not just raw teleop.

[StevenB]

First, I want to say thanks to everyone in this thread for keeping it classy - putting both the "gracious" and "professional" in Gracious Professionalism. I was the scorekeeper for the event, and it felt completely awful to have to push the button and show a score with a different outcome because of additional fouls - twice. Having been a student on a team, I know something of what that feels like on the field. But the attitudes I've observed by teams on both sides of the finals have been exemplary, and this is what sets FIRST apart from other sports.

Second, congratulations to 16, 3937, and 4500 for the win. Seeing you playing at your peak was amazing. Equal congratulations to 4522, 2992 and 4090. You guys put on an incredible set of matches up to and during the finals, and proved that even the best teams are not invincible. I loved watching you play.

Originally Posted by JTN

To clarify and see the penalties myself, I watched the final match 2 video over again to find them. Apparently team 4522's catapult that sticks out of the back of their robot was protruding the plane of the red one point goal every time they backed into it, which was the reason for the 3 smaller fouls (I can provide the video if needed).

Correct. As said before, the technical foul was a G40.

Originally Posted by JTN

The touch screen GUI in particular needs to be improved to prevent any further match outcomes from varying with the score shown at the end of the match.

Yes, the touchscreens and the GUI code running on them stand to be improved. They aren't very responsive (at least compared to what we've come to expect from cell phones and tablets) and have a lot of lag (which may be a software system issue). This year's system required switching back and forth between the scoring and foul screens, which was time consuming.

Originally Posted by Jefferson

The penalty in match 3 was on 4090 for pushing the red ball into the blue low goal with ~5 sec left. Watch the red alliance driver station flip out when it happens.

Correct. However, since this occurred with very little time left, there was no way for this to be added to the real-time score.


Finally, thanks to folks from 16, 3937, Harding University, Baxter, and the others who worked so hard to put on this event. It was a superb way to spend my spring break!

[Abhishek R]

Originally Posted by Canon reeves

I have no idea how our team got 16 less teleoperated points than bomb squad?

This is a sum score. It does not necessarily indicate the number of points your team scored in the qualifications as it is derived from alliance scores, vaguely similar to the way OPR works (very vaguely). It's generally a decent estimate though, so that many teleop points is quite an achievement.

[Navid Shafa]

Originally Posted by JTN

To clarify and see the penalties myself, I watched the final match 2 video over again to find them. Apparently team 4522's catapult that sticks out of the back of their robot was protruding the plane of the red one point goal every time they backed into it, which was the reason for the 3 smaller fouls (I can provide the video if needed).

I didn't get to watch as much of Arkansas as I should. Do you know if these fouls were called much in quals? I've been watching a lot of streams the last two weeks and I've seen many teams violate said rule and not get penalized for it...

Congratulations on the win. It's a beautiful machine with a great driver.

[robotlover77]

Sircedric4 your team is to be commended for the example of gracious professionalism you exhibited. As an impartial observer of the entire regional I am absolutely sickened by what transpired. There was a collective rumble that went through the crowd of non Arkansas spectators as the ultimate result was revealed. There is a large faction that saw this for what it was. The fact that the regional winner was determined after the match, based on foul point assessments, after a good deal of elapsed time, with the outcome ultimately favoring not one, but two home teams is suspect in and of itself. The fact that the driver of the team that won, 16, shares the same last name as both the Regional Director (Novak) and another member of the Arkansas Regional Planning Committee seems to me in and of itself a huge conflict of interest. Additionally, a judge was a senior engineer from Baxter, sponsor of the winning team. Considering the outcome I think it is highly suspect and at the very least deserves investigation by FIRST. Had it been a clear victory this would not be a consideration. Anyone that thinks this was a clear victory is either delusional or dishonest. I didn't have a dog in the race and came into this completely impartial. I am just a fan of FIRST and a believer in fair competition. This was a sad, sad day for FIRST.....

[Abhishek R]

Originally Posted by robotlover77

...as an impartial observer of the entire regional i am absolutely sickened by what transpired. there was a collective rumble that went through the crowd of non arkansas spectators as the ultimate result was revealed.

Quite the impartial observer...several anonymous accounts popping up.

[Andrew Schreiber]

Originally Posted by robotlover77

Sircedric4 your team is to be commended for the example of gracious professionalism you exhibited. As an impartial observer of the entire regional I am absolutely sickened by what transpired. There was a collective rumble that went through the crowd of non Arkansas spectators as the ultimate result was revealed. There is a large faction that saw this for what it was. The fact that the regional winner was determined after the match, based on foul point assessments, after a good deal of elapsed time, with the outcome ultimately favoring not one, but two home teams is suspect in and of itself. The fact that the driver of the team that won, 16, shares the same last name as both the Regional Director (Novak) and another member of the Arkansas Regional Planning Committee seems to me in and of itself a huge conflict of interest. Additionally, a judge was a senior engineer from Baxter, sponsor of the winning team. Considering the outcome I think it is highly suspect and at the very least deserves investigation by FIRST. Had it been a clear victory this would not be a consideration. Anyone that thinks this was a clear victory is either delusional or dishonest. I didn't have a dog in the race and came into this completely impartial. I am just a fan of FIRST and a believer in fair competition. This was a sad, sad day for FIRST.....

I HAVE a dog in this race. Meredith (the RD) and her entire family are very good friends of mine. If that call was even remotely questionable you would see them arguing against it being made. They are some of the most honest and kind hearted folks I've ever met.

Did you know that Meredith ALSO was involved in 2 of the teams on the other alliance? And when it looked like the other alliance won the folks you are accusing of cheating were congratulating the other alliance?

I'm not going to discuss the validity of the calls. Everything I've heard from folks outside of 16 was that it was a blatant foul that decided the match. I'm just letting you know that the folks you are attacking aren't the type to cheat under any circumstances.

[FrankJ]

Speaking as a person with no dog in the show & using my real name... Maybe the long discussion was because the referees knew the implications of their decisions and wanted to get it right. You cannot ignore a foul because it changes the result of the game.

One change I would like to see is the announcer reporting the cause of the fouls after every match. A difficult thing to accomplish because the explanation would have to come from already busy referees.