Poor team scouting methods?

[smurfgirl]

We have considered electronic scouting... but our scouters like their paper method. Here's what we do:

Pits: Two students go through the pits, stopping for each team. They take pictures of the robot so we can remember it, recognize it, and see it if we need to. They also talk to the team members about how it works, what it can do, etc. Sometimes you find out that teams have other capabilities that might not always come out in a match. You can ask what they think works the best/worst on their robot. Whatever questions you see fit. We have a sheet that identifies key characteristics. You can figure out what you want to know about your partners, and put it on your sheet.

Matches: We have six students watch each match, one for each team. They record how the robot played during the match. For example, if a robot hurdled twice, then flipped over, that sends a different message than a robot that hurdled twice and then never got control of the ball again because their partners had it, which sends a different message than a robot that hurdled twice and then their arm broke... you get the picture. Just make sure you keep track of any necessary explanations. We also note what their hybrid mode does, how well they handle the ball, how quickly things get done, if they tip over easily, how many of each point-scoring task they can do, if they got any penalties... all the stuff you'd want to know about your alliance partners.

Then all the data for each team is kept together in a binder. We put the teams in numerical order, and then add data as the day progresses.