Lesson Learned 2016 - The Negative

[Alan Anderson]

Originally Posted by BoilerMentor

My assertion is that FIRST made the bumper zone too large in vertical span. If it had been reduced in height about the current center of the zone, say from 5"-11" many of the red card situations for frame perimeter violations could have been avoided.

I don't understand how further restricting the options for bumper height would help reduce problems teams are having with bumper height.

The only reasonable excuse I heard for bumpers being at the maximum height position was to make the travel required to complete the scale smaller, since judgement was based on position of bumpers relative to the low goal.

Yeah, I'd call that an excuse. But here's an actual reason: higher bumpers give more options for ball intake mechanisms.