This year we need instant replay

[petek]

Originally Posted by Andy Baker

For those who wish to implement instant replay in FIRST, I suggest you do 1 of 3 things:

1. Volunteer as a referee. VIMS is up and running. Sign up for a regional, help out, and learn from an experienced head ref. Your opinions about instant replay will become more credible if you are an experienced FIRST ref.

2. Create an off-season competition and implement tweaks to FIRST's rules as you wish. If you want to add instant replay to the game, go right ahead. Just make sure the teams know of this adjustment when they sign up for your event.

3. Convince someone else who runs an off-season event to implement instant replay. Offer to run this system for them, by providing the plan, equipment, and implementation details. Don't just say "you need to do this", but rather offer a solution and provide the resources to get it done. Also, don't assume that if you offer a complete package that this will be accepted by the people hosting this event. (the people who put on these off-season events have enough to worry about without this as an additional thing)

Reffing a FIRST event is unlike being an ump or a ref at any other event. Where else is a game invented each year and over 1000 teams play this game within 3 months of its birth? Game interpretations and rules are not always black and white. Instant replay will not solve disagreements with calls, it is as simple as that. If you do not understand this, please look to doing items 1 or 2 above.

Andy B.

Amen, Brother!

In 2005 I volunteered at the NJ and Philly regionals (field reset & robot insp respectively), and after finding myself second-guessing the refs, decided I should walk in their shoes a bit - so I reffed at PARC and Ramp Riot. After that experience I decided that Triple Play was designed primarily to challenge the refs and scorekeepers! That is one tough game to ref fairly, not made any easier during the early season by constant rules "clarifications".

Even if instant replay could be instituted without adding 5 minutes per match I am certain that there would be fewer volunteers, more rather than less contention and a whole lot less fun had by all. If people really want to see "better" refereeing, they should see what they can do to help FIRST make better (more clear-cut) rules and get the bugs out before competition begins.

Proving my inability to learn from experience, this year I'm on VIMS for three regionals where I requested to ref, and am head ref for the DE FVC event. I'm curious to know what those who want instant replay are doing this year?