Qualitiative Scouting

[Skyehawk]

Originally Posted by robochick1319

There are some seasons where qualitative scouting is the best way to judge team performances and this year seems like that year. The problem I have always had with qualitative scouting is that two people watching the same robot might have different definitions of variables like speed, accuracy, effectiveness.

In cases where variability is inevitable it may be best to have a hybrid scouting system. Give your scouts parameters and options to choose from. For example, instead of asking "Are they an effective shooter?" ask "What percentage of shots did they make? Less than half, half, more than half, all...

We always leave space for "notes" that perhaps don't fit a particular question or area but are still important to know. These notes are great for observations about strengths, weaknesses, potential strategies for future matches, etc.

We also practice using our scouting sheet by watching other regionals, scrimmages, and practice matches. Handing someone a sheet to fill out without discussing what they are supposed to observe is a big mistake. We want to make sure that if we have use notes and qualitative comments, we at least have scouts who all understand what we are looking for.

I agree with everything you say here, having preset ranges means you can link numbers in a qualitative way for comparison, note sections are always important and can be the most valuable tool for comparison at your disposal. The human variable needs to be taken into account with whatever system you may be using. I preach "Eyes-on-Field"; if you are not watching the match and just inputting data your degree of data certainty goes right out the window. Practice and familiarity with a system is only going to increase the certainty of your data.