Crazy Idea, looking for comments

[archiver]

Posted by Chris, Coach on team #308, Walled Lake Monster, from Walled Lake Schools and TRW Automotive Electronics.

Posted on 5/5/99 12:50 PM MST


In Reply to: Re: Or we could try the easy way... posted by P.J. Baker on 5/5/99 10:42 AM MST:




: I agree, increased trials would reduce the luck factor. But there is another way (I think). At one point I thought FIRST was actually doing this, but I changed my mind. Randomly break up the teams into 8 groups (this year there would have been 26 teams per group. Play a round robinish tournament with the smaller group. The top two teams from each group comprise the 'sweet 16' and then you conduct the draft from there. As long as there is some minimum # of Q mathces per team (let's say at least 4), luck is actually a function of the ratio of the number of matches played to the number of teams in your group. With 6 matches and 208 teams, luck is a much bigger factor than 6 matches ad 26 teams.

:
: Any Thoughts?

: P.J.

I think the luck factor would just shift to a different area. The luck factor would be in the strength of the group of 26 that you're in. A decent team could get lucky and be put in with a group of lesser robots and make it to the dance while the same team might get put in a group with a bunch of good teams and finish poorly. It's a lot like (oh no, another sports reference) Major League Baseball a few years ago when 4 teams in the American League East had better records than the champion of the American League West. The A.L West champion made it to the playoffs and only one of the 4 better teams in the A.L. East made it. That system isn't necessarily fair either.

-Chris