Car Nack predicts #3

[Car Nack]

Car Nack predicts

If FIRST does not establish a system to declare the starting position of
the robots before taking the field, there will be more jockeying for
starting positions than last year!

Car Nack has spoken

[Joe Johnson]

Was there a lot of jockying last year? To be honest, I didn't go to the Championships, so perhaps that was where there was more of this.


I agree with Car Nack in that this year, who goes against whom could be a major contributing factor to who "wins" autonomous.

I keep using the "paper, scissor, rock" analogy, but I think it applies. I think there will be a lot of situations this year were Alliance A can almost always beat Alliance B, Alliance B can almost always beat Alliance C, and Alliance C can almost always beat Alliance A.

If you think about it, this same situation may apply in terms of two robots going for the bonus balls during autonomous mode.


Alliances may have their entire season on the line as to whether or not they can match up with opponent A or opponent B from the other alliance.

It could get heated!

Good call Car Nack.

Joe J.

[Joe Johnson]

Looks to me like Car Nack's Prediction #3 has got some folks to thinking in Manchester:

Elimination Matches:
In Elimination Matches a slightly different system will be used. In odd numbered matches (1, 3) the lower ranked alliance (in this example they are the # 8 alliance) must declare first which robot will start on the left and right. This placement can NOT be changed once declared under any circumstance. The higher ranked (in this example they are the # 1 alliance) will get to choose which of their two robots in that match will start on the left or right side AFTER they have seen (or been notified) what starting positions the other alliance has declared. In the even numbered matches (2, and 4 if there is a need for a 4th match) the order is reversed and the higher ranked alliance must declare first while the lower ranked alliance
gets to choose their starting positions second.

Thanks to Car Nack for getting FIRST to address one potential source of confusion at the competitions...

Joe J.