Announcing penalties

[GaryVoshol]

It has been noted that it is a "best practice" for penalties to be announced. When should it be done? While waiting for the score to come up, or after the score is shown?

[jgannon]

Before the score, so people can quickly do the mental calculations rather than be surprised, and so the penalty announcement isn't drowned out by the roar that seems to follow every score posting.

[wilsonmw04]

VCU did it after the scores were posted.
EX: 20 points worth of penalties in that last match. 1 "over and back" penalty on Team XXX. 1 penalty for contact while hurdling on Team XXXX. etc...

[Grant Cox]

Originally Posted by jgannon

and so the penalty announcement isn't drowned out by the roar that seems to follow every score posting.

This is my thinking as well. It already is difficult to hear sometimes, which is only compounded by hundreds of screaming teenagers cheering for their team. In a game where penalties can often make or break the match, it's definitely important to completely know what was called and why.

[65_Xero_Huskie]

I like it best when its.
"The Head Ref's are debating"
"It seems like there were 2 penalties (Blah)(Blah)"
"And the final score"

[T3_1565]

Originally Posted by 65_Xero_Huskie

I like it best when its.
"The Head Ref's are debating"
"It seems like there were 2 penalties (Blah)(Blah)"
"And the final score"

agreed I think its better to announce penalties before announcing the score

[Lil' Lavery]

Originally Posted by wilsonmw04

VCU did it after the scores were posted.
EX: 20 points worth of penalties in that last match. 1 "over and back" penalty on Team XXX. 1 penalty for contact while hurdling on Team XXXX. etc...

Actually, VCU varied depending on when the penalties and scores became available to be announced. If we knew the penalties before the scores were ready, the penalties were announced first.

[wilsonmw04]

Lav you're probably right. I just remember hearing scores then penalties most of the time while we were trying figure out WHY our 'bot was throwing a chain...

[Rick TYler]

As a scorekeeper, I can tell you that just about all the time you spend waiting for the scores is time spent gathering penalties from the referees and making the (rare) adjustments to lap counts. When I press the button to commit the scores they can be on the screen just about immediately. The only choice will be whether the announcer does the penalties before or after display. There really is no other time when the audience should be waiting because entering the penalty count is the last thing we do to finalize the score.