Timeout!!

[Ricky Q.]

Hey we get a timeout this year! During the elimination rounds:

<T02> There are no time outs in the Qualifying Rounds; in the Elimination Rounds, each Alliance will be allotted one time out of no more than 6 minutes. The matches must progress according to schedule. If a robot cannot report for a match, the queueing manager shall be informed and at least one member of the team should report to the field for the match.

How excellent.

[matt111]

what are u thinking about?how will u use this?

[Wetzel]

Originally Posted by matt111

what are u thinking about?how will u use this?

6 minutes is enough time to haul back to the pit, swap a battery, and haul back. It also is time to make some emergancy repairs.

Cool beans.

Wetzel

[Ken Leung]

Originally Posted by matt111

what are u thinking about?how will u use this?

You may not realize it right now, but a time out can be extremely useful.

At year 2000, Silicon Valley Regional, GRT was playing in the semi finals 1st round. Everyone was going fine until suddenly a side of the drive train stop functioning. The robot was doing donuts and we had no idea what's going on. As soon as the match ended, we rushed to the robot, and realized the little tabs behind the drill motor that you solder the wire to was broken. We were down to our last 2 drill motors on the robot, and desperated needed to find replacement and time to fix the problem. That year we were given the option to call a time out.

If we called that time out, we might have been able to fix the robot in time, because we managed to borrow spare motors from another team the last minute. But it turns out the alliance captain decided not to, with good reasons (it takes a while to replace the broken drill motor that year), and went on with the finals with the 3rd partner. What both teams didn't know was that the 3rd partner's robot wasn't functioning neither.

So. Use your time out wisely. Make sure you made it clear to the FIRST field manager you know the existence of such a time, and that it is your right to call it if you need it.

[Ricky Q.]

It gives you the time to swap out that gearbox, replace that tread/wheel, get some extra charge in that battery, look over our robot for more than 30 seconds, it just gives everyone a chance to breathe and settle down for that next all-important match.

[HolyMasamune]

Originally Posted by Wetzel

6 minutes is enough time to haul back to the pit, swap a battery, and haul back. It also is time to make some emergancy repairs.

Cool beans.

Wetzel

the good thing about this timeout is that u dont even need to bring ur robot out on the field to call the timeout, so u can basically still have the robot at the pit while one person calls the timeout

[Aignam]

Thanks for pointing this out. This rule might come in handy during those tight-scheduled elimination matches.

[KenWittlief]

one thing: you CANNOT call a timeout DURING a match - only between matches to give you a chance to fix your bot.

Historical note: I dont remember the year or the teams - but at one championship a team could not fix their bot within their timeout, so the opponent team called their own timeout - to give them extra time to fix it (and they did get it running)

the opponent wanted to win, but not by default

Gracious Professional Sportsmanship?

[Jeff Waegelin]

Originally Posted by KenWittlief

one thing: you CANNOT call a timeout DURING a match - only between matches to give you a chance to fix your bot.

Historical note: I dont remember the year or the teams - but at one championship a team could not fix their bot within their timeout, so the opponent team called their own timeout - to give them extra time to fix it (and they did get it running)

the opponent wanted to win, but not by default

Gracious Professional Sportsmanship?

I know it isn't the match you're referring to, but a similar situation happened in the finals of the 2002 IRI. Our partners, team 469, had damaged their goal grabbers in the second match against 111 and 71, and so, we called our timeout to give Las Guerillas a chance to fix their robot for the final match. When our timeout expired, Wildstang called theirs to allow 469 to finish their repairs, so we could have a final match with all 4 teams in proper working order. We ended up winning that match, and the competition, but it might not have happened if not for the gracious professionalism exhibited by our opponents. I know we would have gladly done the same for them, and I hope anyone in that situation would.

[Jensena]

Originally Posted by Ricky Q.

It gives you the time to swap out that gearbox, replace that tread/wheel, get some extra charge in that battery, look over our robot for more than 30 seconds, it just gives everyone a chance to breathe and settle down for that next all-important match.

I like the part about breathing a litlle easier.

[Bduggan04]

I was always under the impression that the purpose of having 3 alliance members was to avoid the need for a timeout. I was a little surprised to see it there this year, but they may have been having an excessive amount of issues.

[kjohnson]

If we had only known that in the finals... we didn't need it to change batteries (I kept running - I mean running, there werent many people left in the pits - back and forth with batteries that were charged so we could have one to charge the compressor before the match and a charged one in the robot) But that six minutes would have really helped us with out strategy in the finals - it was going so quick we weren't really able to make a good strategy.

We played in almost all of our alliance's final matches too, so there wasnt much tume to rest in between.

[Joshua May]

Originally Posted by KenWittlief

Historical note: I dont remember the year or the teams - but at one championship a team could not fix their bot within their timeout, so the opponent team called their own timeout - to give them extra time to fix it (and they did get it running)

the opponent wanted to win, but not by default

Gracious Professional Sportsmanship?

This also happened this year at the Southern California Regionals. I cannot remember which match it was, it may have been just before the very last match, team 599 (Robodox) had a problem with their chain. They ran out on their 6 minutes, so the opposing alliance led by 69 (HYPER) used their timeout for 599. The Robodox were able to get a chain tensioner working and competed in the match.

[KenWittlief]

The timeout would be great for dramatic effect- like they do in football games

"Red side are you ready? OK

Blue side are you ready? Blue???"

"Time out!"

then pull a fan out of your pocket, pace back and forth fanning yourself... stop a few times and look up at the ceiling and breath deep

pull a small towel from your back pocket, wipe your brow

take another deep breath

hold you palm out towards the ref while you try your best to look like you are in great pain

then clap your hands once and say "OK! Im ready now!"

[Ryan M.]

Originally Posted by KenWittlief

The timeout would be great for dramatic effect- like they do in football games

"Red side are you ready? OK

Blue side are you ready? Blue???"

"Time out!"

then pull a fan out of your pocket, pace back and forth fanning yourself... stop a few times and look up at the ceiling and breath deep

pull a small towel from your back pocket, wipe your brow

take another deep breath

hold you palm out towards the ref while you try your best to look like you are in great pain

then clap your hands once and say "OK! Im ready now!"

One team actually did this at Pittsburg. They had a small repair they needed, but waited until the match was just going to start, then called the timeout.