Taking a step back...

[SenorZ]

Originally Posted by frcguy

Do unfair calls suck? Of course. Are they the end of the world? Absolutely not. Before you post, take a step back and think about some of these things and have empathy and compassion for the referees. They are trying their best.

Duly noted.

And some of the complaints online have been refuted by others at the competitions. Sometimes complaints are really just gripes and poor sportsmanship.

I agree that the refs' job is tough and requires a level of attention to detail that I cannot maintain. That's why I am not a ref.

Remember though that this is not youth soccer. There are not just hundreds of dollars invested, and a weekend here and there. There are THOUSANDS of dollars invested just to BE at the competition. Not to mention the thousands more invested to build and prototype the robot. And then there are the countless hours the students (and mentors) volunteer to build the robot, go through training, and practice.

If a mistake on the part of a ref denies a team their earned victory, that should not be shrugged off as the price of volunteerism.