2011 IRI

Competition Off-Season Events
#292

In looking through the rules some more, how do these rules apply to this situation?


 
**<G31> **[FONT=Arial,Arial][size=3]ROBOTS, HOSTBOTS, nor MINIBOTS may not touch anything outside the FIELD boundary. [/size][/FONT]*[FONT=Arial,Arial][size=3]Violation: Disablement [/size][/FONT]*



FIELD – the 27-foot by 54-foot carpeted playing area, bounded by two ALLIANCE WALLS and a Guardrail System.

One could claim that touching ubertubes on the netting should have resulted in immediate disablement!

But perhaps this rule is really the one that could have been applied to make the rest moot:


<G35> [FONT=Arial,Arial][size=3]GAME PIECES that exit the FIELD will be placed back on the FIELD approximately at the point of exit, at the earliest safe opportunity, by FIELD staff. 
[/size][/FONT]


GAME PIECE – any one of the four plastic inflated objects used to score in *[FONT=Arial,Arial][size=3]LOGO MOTION[/size][/FONT]*.

Even though the rules seem to indicate this should have happened throughout the season, if it was not common for official FIRST events to return regular game pieces resting on the netting back to the field, then it is natural for the IRI folks to follow suit.

#293

Team 125 finally arrived back in Boston last night around 1:15 am Eastern time.

We had an absolute blast at the NUTRONs first IRI. Some unfortunate luck did us in for 2 of our matches, and that is all it takes to fall off the radar at an event this deep.

A huge congratulations to team 11 on their huge performance. They were an absolute joy to watch through the eliminations. Everyone on MORT should be ecstatic with their performance.

And finally a huge thank you from team 125 to team 11 for all the help with the trip this weekend. We had a great time traveling and staying together and are looking forward to more cooperation in the future! :wink:

Thanks to everyone who made IRI a succesful event, the NUTRONs hope to be back soon…

-Brando

#294

From the rules Travis posted above (primarily, G35, also using the definition of the field and game piece), it seems to me that the IRI Staff should have worked to get the Ubertube back on the field. The Ubertube IS a game piece, and, technically, the net area is NOT in the parameter of the field.

Also, Travis said that if FTAs didn’t replace netted Ubertubes in regular season, IRI shouldn’t be any different. I would agree with that statement if the active Ubertube rule wasn’t in effect. There was no real point to return an Ubertube to play in “official” competition because it would just clutter up the field. At IRI, that Ubertube could have made the difference between the Red Alliance being eliminated or going into a third match, especially if HOT and The Simbots didn’t have waste precious time trying to get it back down, in vein.

It seems to me the situation should have played out like this: When Simbot Steve missed it’s autonomous and netted that ubertube, FTAs should have immediately went to return it to the field, as soon as the bot backed away from the alliance station and netted area (As per the “at the earliest safe opportunity” part of G35). Had this happened, 67 and 1114 wouldn’t have had to attempt to reach for the tube (which SHOULD technically have resulted in disablement). It seems, had the situation panned out like this, the tide of the match could have been turned.

Long story short: A short-sight in making rule changes. No one would have even contemplated this discussion had it not happened and, in my opinion, cost the alliance an elimination. There will always be situations that can’t be accounted for, and this is one that just happened to arise at a horrible time. It’s a woulda-coulda-shoulda situation. So it goes.

Still, a great match by all involved. Despite missing (IMO) the most valuable piece in the game, the alliance battled to no end, the likes of which only 1114, 987 and 67 could battle. It was a great match, and a hard earned victory by 2056, 33 and 217.

IRI was a great event. I’m honored to have been involved, and I congratulate every team on a world class performance for every match.

#295

Tubes that got caught in the netting were not returned to the field during the regular season at any of the events I attended. I guess that was an unwritten exception to <G58>.

I would have thought something fishy if a team member reached up to put the tube back into play - but I’m not sure if I would have come up with the right penalty or not. I don’t recall hearing of a <G58> being called all season.

And I never considered calling a <G35>. I thought trying to retrieve the tube was a brilliant play, and stopping the unsuccessful try after not too much wasted time was another brilliant move.

Thanks to IRI for having me - it was great to be in “the best seat in the house” (even if we don’t get to sit down very often).

#296

We were glad we could help! We had a great time at IRI despite our overall performance. The programming team and I especially enjoyed being able to use the practice field to debug some new code since our team is currently homeless. Special thanks to Alan Anderson and the rest of the volunteers for understanding and letting us use the field until they absolutely, positively needed to break it down!

#297

Only at IRI…
We had consistently decent alliance pairing, we played well, we didn’t break, and we ended up 3-6 in the Q matches. There is no FIRST-related event anywhere that has close to the depth of field of IRI.

Thanks to 1126 for picking us. We put up some good scores, but not enough for 1114 and company. If only they had put that ubertube on the net during one of our matches. OK, we probably still wouldn’t have beaten them.

Anyway, congrats to Bees, Chickens, Kids, and 2056. Sorry, I can’t think of the right nickname for 2056.

Another great IRI. I’m already looking forward to next year.

#298

The Screaming Tylers?

I don’t actually know if they have a nickname other than “OP Robotics”.

#299

The “Charlie Sheens”. Cuz they are always…winning! lol:cool:

#300

It was our pleasure to work with you guys! Putting up 123 points against that alliance was still a great show! We definitely didn’t go out without a bang! Im sorry you guys never got your triple tube working :smiley:

#301

Well, our team just got home shortly after almost 18 hours of travel time and two stopovers. :ahh:

For those that didnt make it this year, you really missed out on great exciting matches. Other than the fact that our team nearly had a heat stroke lunch time during our 19 match break, it was exciting finally being able to play with teams you only hear about year after year.

Thanks to all of the volunteers, especially Andy, Chris, teams 45, 234, and host 1024 for putting on yet another organized and fun-filled event. Having the silent auction, awards for participants, shows and shipping support really sets the example for other off-season and FRC regionals to follow.

Thanks to Team 33 for selecting us with the 3rd pick and to our alliance members 217 and 2056 for such a great alliance. Things went so smoothly from start to finish and no one ever complained. I’m sure match 77 had a lot to do with the selection (perfect score), and for that Jim, we are very grateful. To be able to contribute in the finals via the Thunderchickens, was such a generous act.

Thanks to everyone for allowing our team to have such a great time once again, as we are sure to come back in 2012.

#302

Glenn,
It was great to play with your team this weekend.
I think that this may have been the first time we have ever played together on the same alliance. The results were pretty good:

  • The first time we played, we got a perfect score together.
  • The second time we played, we won the event.
    I think we should play together more often :slight_smile:
#303

soo much fun!! IRI was a blast.

on behalf of 2016, I would like to thank 1126 for picking us, we know our game was a bit off this whole tournament… but we had a blast playing with you guys and finally getting to play with PINK!!! since DC we had been trying to get a match with these guys but I suppose it had to be at IRI

I will also want to include 3098 for great observations and adjustments during our couple of elim. matches, you guys are a solid team and i expect to hear from these guys more and more…

we were glad to be able to participate here…

#304

It was our pleasure to work with you guys! And don’t worry about “being a bit off”. A lot of teams were at less than full strength at IRI. The plus side is, your team, even “a bit off” is a very strong team, and a pleasure to work with to the end!

It was great getting to work with you and your drives team; it’s obvious you all know what you’re doing, as a very professional and easy-to-work-with team! I hope we get to play again somewhere next year!

So on behalf of 1126, I thank you for being such a great alliance partner! Putting up 123-ish points against 1114-987-67 is nothing to be ashamed of, and, had we faced any other alliance, I think we may just have come out on top.

Best of luck in the future!
-Leeland Somerville

#305

I completely agree! As Paul Copioli said, only at IRI can division winners, championship finalists not get picked until the last pick of the regular draft. And I’m glad we were able to pick you guys (as well as get you two matches with PINK). Even though you were “a bit off”, I’m glas to have had the opportunity to learn from you guys in the short time we had together!

#306

I am so glad I got to go to this year’s IRI. I had a blast!

Thanks to Andy and Chris for such a great event.

I was so excited to be able to judge the talent show this year! As snarky as we all were, I admire all of your students’ bravery in putting themselves out there. Thanks to Karthik, Adam, Gina, and Billfred for being some awesome company up there.

Thanks to teams 303 and 1114 for letting me interview them for a project for work.

The IRI is always a fantastic event, and I was so happy that I didn’t miss it once again.

#307

Ouch. :slight_smile:

I think this is a scenario no one considered because it wasn’t a factor in the regular season.

I also believe the “IRI Version” of the game is going to be played at other off-season events, so this can be discussed and a ruling made by the ref crews at those events.

#308

Best solution I’ve got: let the analyst hit tubes stuck on the nets back into play. If they knock off one of their own tubes, it’s on them.

#309

From section 2.2.1

A protective safety net extends above the top of the ALLIANCE WALL to prevent GAME PIECES and/or ROBOT parts from exiting the FIELD and entering the ALLIANCE STATION area.

Based on this I would say that the Ubertube on the net was still ‘on the field’ and in play. Someone in the alliance station knocking it off the net should garner a <G58>. I agree with how it played out at IRI.

#310

Bring back the pokey pokey sticks.

#311

A little late here, but the sentiment still applies…

Thanks to everyone who put together the 2011 IRI. The event was an amazing show from start to finish. The level of play was probably it’s highest since 2007 or 2008, with so many teams bring their best efforts. Kudos to the IRI planning committee for making a couple of small rules tweaks that made the game substantially more interesting for both spectators and participants. By deflating the minibot scores and inflating the value of the bottom row of the rack, the last 30 seconds of the match became far more dynamic. It takes real courage to try and improve what was already a pretty good game, but once again the folks the IRI made it even better.

I want to give some special thanks to our alliance partners 987 and 67. This was our first chance we’ve ever had to work with 987 and I’m pretty sure all the Simbots are sick of listening to me talk about awesome these guys are. I’ve been in awe of your robots since your devastating machine in 2008. As for HOT, we got spoiled getting to work with you for two years in a row before the greats walls of Michigan of appeared. :stuck_out_tongue: Having the chance to work with both of these amazing teams at the same time was a huge honour. Our strategy sessions were great and there was some definite on field chemistry between all three robots. All of us on 1114 are sick about how our miscues (radio resetting after the collision in SF1.1, and our first match of the entire season not scoring an ubertube in SF1.2, even worse putting the ubertube on the stupid net) cost us in the semis. We’re sorry to have let you down, and will absolutely not let that happen the next time we have a chance to work together. Also, a shoutout to Team 1732, a team who easily should have been picked long before they came back to us. Seriously though, when you hear about an alliance of 1114, 987, 67 and 1732, doesn’t that just sound like something out of a Fantasy FIRST draft? (Of course, basically every IRI alliance seemed that way this year)

Congratulations to the winning alliance of 33, 2056, 217 and 359. We knew we had to be absolutely perfect to beat an alliance as stacked as yours. Short story, we weren’t perfect and you were. You guys had a well deserved victory. A special mention goes out to 2056. These guys had the worst possible luck at Championship this year, where they definitely deserved a better outcome. It was great to see them earn a well deserved win at IRI, and make a statement to all those out there who ridiculously called them “overrated”.

Back to the insanity of IRI. 67 and 217 were second round picks? We’re talking about arguably the two most dominant teams in FIRST since 2005! Phenomenal.

Finally thanks to everyone who bid on our elevator at the charity auction. We’re very proud to have raised $450 for the IRI charities with the donation.

Looking forward to seeing everyone again next year!