YMTC: Redateam uses remote kickoff field

[Al Skierkiewicz]

Originally Posted by Sidney San Martín

Wait... I can't see the obvious reasons. It would seem that the demo field would be the best and most complete field to support demonstrations and look cool at the kickoff. What would be missing?
I'm still relatively new, so bear with me while I build my FIRST personal obviousness database.

By the way, I voted semi-legal. I can't see why this action would be wrong, but it is an unfair advantage to have extra time and advance specs.

At the remote kickoffs it is not necessary to have a complete field since all of the game is done in NH. The field pieces and movable goals (if any) are all that are required. The border, players stations, carpet, etc. is not needed.

[Steve W]

Nowhere in the question does it say that Redateam builds the field. It does say that they organized and paid for the field. If the team did build the field, yes i agree that this is unfair. To my knowledge FIRST does not disclose any of the plans with teams. There may be a team mentor or someone associated with the team that builds the field but they would need to sign a non disclosure form. I do not see anything different in that case to say dlavery being on the game committee or any of the others that may be involved.

[Roland]

Originally Posted by Steve W

Nowhere in the question does it say that Redateam builds the field. It does say that they organized and paid for the field. If the team did build the field, yes i agree that this is unfair. To my knowledge FIRST does not disclose any of the plans with teams. There may be a team mentor or someone associated with the team that builds the field but they would need to sign a non disclosure form. I do not see anything different in that case to say dlavery being on the game committee or any of the others that may be involved.

It wouldn't really bother me if some teams got even the entire rule book early. Every year at the kickoff it's stressed that FIRST isn't fair; what difference will a couple days advance notice make with all the variables of budget, mentoring, etc. between teams anyway? The winners in FIRST are typically massive established teams with hordes of professional engineers. Is a little advance notice of the game really going to change a thing? I'm willing to bet that if the build season were extended by even a few weeks, there would still be just as many teams staying up all night the day before shipment. Advance notice to build a field won't give a team any significant advantage. Any thoughts?

[Steve W]

Originally Posted by Kims Robot

This sounds legal to me by the 2004 rules as the team starts work after the kickoff, but does anyone know what the non-diclosure rules are? Are students allowed to help build the field? And does anyone know how long they get to build the field?

For the Rochester regional, I know there are several corporations that have teams sponsoring the regional, and I know they(or at least one of the teams) are building a field, as they are raffling it off to a rookie team that attends, which is definitely an awesome gesture!

I think its really neat that they can have fields at the remote kickoffs, as long as teams aren't trying to gain that advantage in order to start planning early. Id say this one is fair.

I can speak for the Canadian Regional (now GTA)
When we first started the gentleman that agreed to build the field had to sign non disclosure documents with FIRST. I believe that now GM is building the fields and they are under the same rules. I have been at the kick off site when the field arrives which at the earliest is noon the day before kick off. Seeing that I am a volunteer and help unload and set up the pieces you might say that I have a slight advantage but with all of the work involved with set up and kick off there is really no time to think of it. There are also no rules, just field specs that the builders see. I am also not allowed to talk to my team after seeing the pieces. I believe that other kick offs work pretty much the same but I cannot vouch for that.

[Wetzel]

As far as I can tell, it is ok. We have no idea what the rules are that FIRST imposed on the host team, but if they followed all the non-disclosure rules, that should mean they followed all applicable rules.

I know that on 116, we always got a real rough and dirty mock up built on Saturday for Stubot on Sunday. It would be things like wheeled trashcans for the mobile goals and kickballs, but it would allow us to form a strategy.

Wetzel

[Roland]

Voted "legal, and church is neither here nor there"

[gsensel]

I know my senior year (2001) the technokats hosted one of the first remote kickoffs and first had us build the barrier for the field, but we knew nothing about the object in side the field. One goal was built by a local company which signed the nondisclosure agreement. We used both of these all season. Thing may have changed now but based on what I have seen it is legal.

[663.keith]

This is definately leagal. If a team really wanted to they could purchase the exact same stuff, and build their own. I see nothing wrong with them taking the demo field