Sitting down during matches

[Alivia]

Alright, this is obviously a heated discussion, as everyone has an opinion on the issue. So here's my $.02...

Teams who stand and scouters (or other general people who are not typically standing during the competition) need to BOTH compromise. Teams need to realize that while cheering during their match is fun and supportive, they are sometimes blocking the views of others. If asked to sit down, the teams should be kind and sit down or move somewhere else. However, the scouts (and other general people) should realize that sometimes a team doesn't mean to intentionally block other's views. Sometimes you just get caught up in the moment and ultimately forget what's going on around you--much like the drivers and human players on the field. If both groups would put themselves in the other's position, I think we could all be a little bit more understanding and reach an agreement that works for most.

As far as the comment earlier about how yelling "Sit down!" isn't un-GP, I tend to disagree. Yelling in such a manner is quite distasteful. Ask a person or team to sit down politely, explaining why you wish them to do so, and you'll yield way better results than resorting to a shouting match. Even if they still disregard your request (which is also un-GP, and a shame if it happens), this doesn't free you from the duty of remaining graciously professional yourself. Two wrongs don't make a right.

[OScubed]

Really, any team that is going to stand during matches needs to do so from behind where other teams are scouting and/or watching. If this is a requirement for your team spirit - go to the back of the pack and cheer from there. I agree with others that the only time the Drive team SEES you (rathe than HEARS YOU) is when they initially walk on the field. After that - they're too busy driving.

You CAN NOT scout with a team standing in front of you (and sometimes even individuals on teams) - especially if you are using laptops as our team does which really prevents us from standing while scouting. If you're going to be a "standing during the match team", no problem - but do it from where you will not block scouters, parents or members of other teams. We literally score and report on every ball thrown, moonrock scored, and empty cell delivered, and we're not the only ones who do a thorough scouting job. We can't do that with someone blocking the view. We share our data (and our collection system) with everyone, so it's not even as if we're doing it just competitively. You provide your team with a disadvantage at selection time if you're not in our stats because we couldn't see your match.

Scouting is unimportant for some and extremely important for others. When a team races through the crowd in the morning, literally pushing others out of the way (one of our mentors ended up literally being shoved into a garbage can by a running team member - you know who you are), proceed to grab seats in the front rows, and then stand during every match they are in, despite the polite (and eventually impolite) requests of those behind them, that is the ultimate in gracious un-professionalism.

There are numerous reasons not to stand during matches, not the least of which are that it blocks the views of parents and/or grandparents and guests, as well as those that are "Vertically challenged" or handicapped in some way who may not wish to or even be able to stand and sit during matches that the other team is in.

Stand and cheer as your robot comes on the field and when it is announced during the startup. Sit and cheer the rest of the time, or proceed to the back of the arena, or as the Bees did, find an area where you will not block others (an excellent compromise by the way). If someone asks you to sit (no matter whether they are gracious or not), the gracious and professional thing to do is sit. Period.

[Chris is me]

This is a particularly difficult problem because there's not really a GP way to tell a team to sit down.

Our team discussed this at a meeting and we all agreed to not stand up during any match unless people in front of them were blocking the view of our match or some other similar scenario. We also try to pick seating arrangements in front of teams we know don't stand up (or at least it worked out that way) or if we can on a balcony.

Basically the best thing you can really do is make a thread like this one and try to pass the word around to teams.

[Kmo]

I argee with Don. In the past when I was scotting many times we had a time right in front of us stand up during a match. Yes I understand that the match can get quite exciting but it wold be nice if they would quitly sit back down and allow the rest of the teams to scout.

We all know that scouting is very important during the FIRST competition and to lose some of that data due to interference is critical. I know if someone else was to ask our team to sit down we would do so just like we would want them to do the same for us.

This year the same thing happen. Even though I was on the drive team this year my team mates explain to me how difficult it was for them to see when the team in front of them wouldn't sit down. They asked if they could move to the side but none of them listen to him. Because of that they missed that one match.

So I have to say that I strongly agree with what Don is saying. We should be more considerate of others.

[Molten]

Perhaps we could have parts of the stands designated sitting only and others standing optional.

TO ALL SCOUTS: You are engineers. If you have a system that requires you to sit, and the situation requires you to stand...you need to adapt. Design a system that allows you to scout in a standing/sitting situation. Many teams scout while standing, it is very reasonable to figure out. I am in no way saying you should have to. I am just saying that this is more of the engineering spirit then to try change others. FIRST is about engineering, not politics.

[Matt Howard]

Originally Posted by Molten

TO ALL SCOUTS: You are engineers. If you have a system that requires you to sit, and the situation requires you to stand...you need to adapt. Design a system that allows you to scout in a standing/sitting situation. Many teams scout while standing, it is very reasonable to figure out. I am in no way saying you should have to. I am just saying that this is more of the engineering spirit then to try change others. FIRST is about engineering, not politics.

Well said.

Standing will always be a part of events like this. FIRST Events are held in Sporting Venues, Sports Arena's, Football Stadiums and the like. Places where standing, jumping and cheering are ENCOURAGED.

No matter how much people yell and moan about people standing during matches, it will never stop happening.

I understand that the original intention of the post was directed towards those who stand during entire matches, however during tough matches it's perfectly acceptable.

In Las Vegas, for the majority of the regional from what I observed, people were sitting in their seats observing matches. However, when Finals rolled around, The entire Red, as well as Blue Alliance spectators were on their feet cheering, the entire match.

I think it's fair to ask spectators to sit during qualification matches, but when high stakes matches roll around, I think it's perfectly acceptable for spectators to be on their feet, involved.

Just my .2

[Bongle]

Originally Posted by Team 135

I think that it goes back to GP. People need to think about the people who are behind them to be able to see, not that it should be a requirement though.

As for the people yelling sit down...I think that needs to go back to GP. I know my team, that did not stand DURING the match, though it was rude that the team were yelling from their seats to sit down.

Think about GP before you act!

As someone who was shouting "Sit Down", I think it may be impolite, but there isn't really a better way to get your request across when someone (or an entire team) stands up in front of you. A few times over the weekend I was yelled at to sit down when I was in the front taking pictures, and I complied because I know how infuriating it is to miss your match that you waited hours for because someone inconsiderate feels they need to see it more than you do. Talking to them politely after the match is a good thing to do, but it doesn't fix the fact that you fully missed the match due to their actions. I think the fact that it has to be shouted in the loud environment of the dome makes it sound angrier and less polite than the request is.

I applaud the bees for moving to the diagonal section (the view from there is a good bit worse), but it shouldn't have taken nearly the entire crowd behind them chanting "Thirty Three! Sit Down!" (which, admittedly, is nearly as impolite as standing up in the first place) and several parents talking to them afterwards for them to have realized that standing up during a match at the front of the stands is inconsiderate.

we would be sitting the entire time, everyone would be very quiet (so as not to offend the noise persons), and the music would be brought down about 20 dB and switched over to easy listening

Poor comparison: Standing up removes others' ability to see matches. Shouting loudly or playing loud music may make it less comfortable for other spectators, but they are still able to enjoy the games with earplugs. Unfortunately, x-ray specs are to expensive for us to employ to see through teams that stand up.

[Team 135]

I know that it is very frustrating when the people in front of you stand up. For Thursday and Friday we sat behind teams that would stand sometimes. Most of the people in my group either stood up with them. For the guy taking pictures he went down and asked them if they would please sit down for future matches because he was unable to get the shots that he wanted.

On the other hand, when our team would score big our entire team would stand up and cheer, and sometimes not sit back down because of the hype, we did not know that we were even doing it.

I did see some people looking mad while they were yelling at the team to sit down. I think that people need to remember that everyone is there for a good time, and no one is standing in front of you just to make you mad, and if you were polite and asked them to sit, they would.