Can team members rotate positions?

[dtengineering]

NB: This post is based on my past six years of experience... I don't believe there are any changes planned for this year, but there may be. <edit2> Please note the changes to the coach position pointed out by Daniel in the next post. </edit2>

In short... yes.

The positons are determined by the "buttons" that the four member drive team wears. You will receive these buttons when you arrive at your event. They will have your team number on them, and one will have a sticker to indicate that this person is the "coach".

Do NOT lose these buttons. If you lose one, then you will be down to a three member drive team as the buttons are not (typically) replaced, and team members without buttons will not be allowed to approach the playing field.

When your team is called to queing, any four members of your team may wear these buttons in any configuration that your team selects. Students can wear any button, however adults may only wear the "coach" button. Regardless of who is wearing the "coach" button, they are NOT allowed to touch the controls, or the balls. They are there ONLY to coach.

Once the team puts the robot on the field, the three non-coach team members may choose whatever duties they want, however typically they retain those duties for the duration of the match, but this is not specifically required by the rules. (Although some rules inhibiting movement of the human player may make it difficult for the human player and driver to swap roles in the middle of the match, you usually don't want to do THAT!)

After the match the drive team may swap roles, or you may swap out your drive team completely and send four new team members down as your next drive team.

Generally, however, it would be wise to stick to one, or perhaps two, primary drivers for the entire event so that they gain experience handling the robot in competitive conditions.

It is imperative that anyone from your team who forms part of the drive team KNOW THE RULES. It is very frustrating and embarassing to get penalties for ignorance, especially for your alliance partners who will share the punishment with your team if one of your players violates one of the rules.

Perhaps that should be another thread... a list of "what drive team members must know to play Breakaway".

But yes... the short answer is yes. The drive team members CAN rotate positions.

Jason

<edit> Some teams may recommend keeping the entire drive team the same throughout a tournament... I like to swap students in and out of coaching, human player and second driver positions. If we do two regionals I'll even switch the driver and second driver at the first regional, and may throw in a third driver for practice runs (or a second driver in a one regional year). You have to find a balance between building experience for future years, giving students the chance to experience being "on the field", and maintaining a competitive team. Each team will have a slightly different balance, and, so long as everyone on the field KNOWS THE RULES and can contribute, there is no right or wrong way to do things. </edit>