[FRCGameSense] District Champs Special on Monday!

[Steve Kaneb]

Being on the show was a great experience, talking to so many knowledgeable mentors before, during, and after about these different regions is eye-opening.

I have a couple things that really weren't relevant to the topics at hand, so I'm dumping them in this thread because I'm selfish. As you prepare for district championships and Champinationalships, I want you to put a little more thought into a some aspects of the competition that I've seen neglected.

First, there is a time to go out and measure the field before practice matches. Go and measure it. The field is the field, and it will save you time and effort to readjust your autonomous programs if you know the actual numbers. Be prepared to have it move a little bit as the competition goes on. You can see the bunching in the carpet behind the driver stations and a couple of gaps forming in the field borders. Those are staying! Work tolerance into your programs and react to the field.

Second, please talk to the head referee if you do not understand a call. Qualification matches especially are the time to bring up concerns or confusion. I have heard too often the question within a team "should I ask the head referee about this?" The answer is yes. Once the head referee has heard your question, they'll let you know whether that's how the situation is or if there is a different resolution. You really won't be able to wear down a head referee into eventually capitulating to an incorrect ruling just because you asked the same question multiple times. I encourage you to use the question box to get a more thorough understanding of how the rules are being called and interpreted at the event.

Thank you for your time watching GameSense, I hope you enjoyed watching it as much as I enjoyed pontificating.