Best Ways To Scout

[Lil' Lavery]

I'm going to have to echo Rich Kressly's statements is that it really depends on your team and your resources. Not every solution is going to provide the info that every team wants nor will every team have the resources to impliment each solution.

I'd suggest having a couple of those people walk around the pits on Thursday and have mini "interviews" with other teams to learn about the capabilities of their robots. As stated, nobody is going to tell you they suck, but you will often learn the "potential" of each bot and its basic capabilities. This data is going to help with pre-match planning on Friday more than alliance selection on Saturday, but it's valuable to have. It takes time and paper to gather (especially with 59 teams at VCU), but if you keep it organized (binder) it's not a terrible task.

On Friday and Saturday, especially Friday, have as many people as you can spare watching matches. While an ideal solution would be 12 people watching, one on each robot and one on each HP, with two more entering data into an access database and pumping it out into an uber excel spreadsheet that calculates everything.... that's not going to happen.
Have some people who are dedicated and observant watch matches and take some notes on the good teams. Have the small group meet discuss good teams with your drivers and coach to help pick out certain teams that are doing well in various aspects of the game. Make sure they don't lose track of human players, defensive abilities, or other features too!

You're blessed with the fact you're at the best regional there is, NASA/VCU. I love the regional, and the teams are fantastic to work with. If possible, try to arrange a way to share scouts and data with some other teams (best if arranged beforehand, teams are going to be less willing when you ask them Friday morning). 1137 has already offered their help in this thread, and I know a number of other teams should be willing. I'd start with two other NC teams, both of whom are successful, 2108 and 435. If they aren't willing, there are a number of other veteran teams who may, such as 122, 1033, 1541, or 388.