Yellow card / Red card usage at 2004 IRI

[Collin Fultz]

Refs are human. That's just the way things go. In every sporting event, spelling bee, round of Jeopardy, FIRST match, science fair (I know...FIRST ISN'T A SCIENCE FAIR)--refs are human. I know I've never been a ref...anywhere. I also know that I yell at the TV when somebody has a late hit on Peyton Manning that goes uncalled, I scream at the ref when J. O'Neal (the one that is in basketball because he loves it) is fouled and it isn't called, I talk trash to umpires at baseball games because their strike zone is nowhere NEAR consistent, and (I'll admit it) I yell at refs because I told them that a moveable goal in the ball chute wasn't a penalty and they called it on us or I feel like somebody's being too agressive. However, at the end of the day, most of the time it wasn't a late hit, Jermaine should have been called for a charge and wasn't-whew, the balls are moving 95 miles an hour and I can't see them any better than the ump can and it turns out it was strike three, and you move on because FIRST isn't about the penalty or the un-penalty or whose robot is agressive and who is timid.

The card system worked. Well. It was used properly and (except for when Paul yellow carded Andy during his "Thank you" speech) wasn't abused. I applaud the referees. Kudos. You did the job everybody thinks they can do but few ever really can do.

If we're worried about taking all of this time...why not shorten team introductions? What's more important, knowing why your alliance partner was DQ'd or hearing all 45 of your "main" sponsors announced and asking who's gonna win the match to the crowd? (I love all of these things and FIRST wouldn't be FIRST without them...dont' get me wrong here.) But I think if we're going to have a method in place for dealing with overly agressive robots, we need to give it the time it deserves.

We ran something like 111 matches at IRI. 48 teams * 8 matches each / 4 teams per match is only 96 matches. Some regionals have more teams that 48, some have less. You have to know, if you go to a popular regional, you're going to get fewer matches.

We got behind on Friday because we were moving slow and talking a lot, not because refs were explaining penalties. Saturday (I believe) we were early. And that's when most of the lengthy explaining happened. If the refs are going to talk they need to pick one that is their spokesman. He should be articulate and know what he needs to say and that he needs to get it out. That's what will keep things moving.

All in all, I'm a fan of the lenient version of the card system that was in place at IRI. One that isn't totally objective (like fouls in basketball-6 and you're out), but one that isn't totally subjective either (like baseball-make the ump mad and you're out). It should let the refs be human on two levels.

1.) It lets them make mistakes and have time to fix it.
2.) It lets them have some feeling and care when making calls, while still following procedure.

(this may have been my longest post ever... I love this thread!)