FRC rules around seating need to change.

[Chi Meson]

Originally Posted by evanperryg

What I'm saying is that the current "rules" (in quotes because of the prevalence of rule-breaking in this specific context) punish large teams, while providing no gain or loss to smaller teams who can get their whole team together relatively easily. (note the world "relatively," I'm sure it still is a pain) ...snip...

I totally disagree. First of all it is a rule, not a "rule." And second, no it is not easy for a small team to find seats that are all together; in fact it continuously requires conflict with the rule-breakers.

If a team is large, then they MUST have enough people to get their butts into at least half of the seats they save. No team needs 30 pit scouts. I am utterly aghast at the number of "large" teams who feel that they are justified in breaking the rules (not "rule") and spirit of FIRST to send a few people (from zero to five people) with signs and posters to set aside 40, 50, 60, and as I estimated this year in Curie, 80+ seats.

I have also observed that the big block of seats "reserved" are never fully used by those teams through the majority of the matches. Looking down into those reserved blocks, there were always open seats, either totally empty or filled with coats, boxes, etc. Not only are teams breaking the rules, they are completely ungracious in their lack of awareness of how much of this commodity they are wasting.

Our team, while looking for 18 to 24 seats had to insert ourselves, each day, between such reservations. We often had to take 3 to 5 seats from such blocks of 40 to 50 "reserved" seats, and always with outward bitterness from the poor parent or student who was tasked with "holding" their reserve (there was often A mom or dad unfairly tasked with upholding that team's breaking of rules-- I always made a point of letting them know how unfair it was for their team to dump such responsibility on a few people).

We could have reserved seats too. We have signs, posters and pennants and banners. The reason why we don't is because it is against the rule. And because we followed the rule, we are forced to be the bad guys who "steal" seats.

I proposed this before, and I will do it again. Some minimal seat saving must be done, clearly, so how about this:
If your butt is in a seat, you can save the seat to your left, and the seat to your right. That is all. If you have a large team, get half of your team out there to the stands.