G10, The Dallas Disable & Crickets Chirping in Manchester

[rich2202]

Originally Posted by Brandon Holley

Things like setup time varying based on whats going on elsewhere on the field?

That may affect when you get on the field, but, once you are at your placement location, and the location is clear, your 60 seconds starts, regardless of what is happening on the rest of the field.

What constitutes a problem team?

Any team that takes more than 60 seconds to setup. However, if a team routinely takes 65 seconds, I probably won't notice them. But, if I do notice them, you can bet that they are taking more than 60 seconds.

A one time offender? Two times?

Yes, they get warnings, and a lot of slack during early qualification matches.

Every single time?

After a few matches of being warned, that is when I will be a PIA to them. They will also know that I am telling the Head Ref about them.

Can a team be moved off the 'problem' team list if they make adjustments?

If a team is complying with the 60 second guideline, they have comfort in knowing that they will not be disabled because of the rule. Just because you may be in reasonable compliance doesn't mean that you have earned back an extended grace period.

It's simply too vague right now and is leaving a wide array of interpretations that have already reared their head in a bad way at an event resulting in corrective action from HQ.

I don't know the specifics about Dallas. If a team has been sufficiently warned, then the disabled should not be a surprise to them. If they had not been warned, then I think that is a problem. In practice matches, we were calling a lot of fouls. That is like a warning to the teams. By the time we got to eliminations, no fouls were being called. We didn't get more lax at calling fouls. The Teams were getting better at not committing them.

I think the 60 second guideline is: you know it when you see it. Obviously there will be extenuating circumstances, and a team should get more time. But, 99% of the time, a team knows when their 60 seconds starts - they are at their location, and able to place their robot. IMHO: All the other what-if's are red herrings. In general, the Ref's can see the situation, and adjust accordingly. Now, if teams are fighting over who goes where, that is an Alliance Problem, not a Ref/Field problem.