Rule T1b reads:
Head Referees may not review any photo or video Match recordings to determine a score or ruling.
To start off, I would like to say that I think in general, rule T1b is a good rule. I think that it can save a lot of time at events and make things run smoothly. However, this year is probably the hardest year for referees. In addition to normal rules like trapping and entanglement, referees have to watch for SG3, SG6, and SG7 violations. This year, there are probably more cases of the referee deciding who wins the match than any other season. At some point, referees are bound to miss something.
So far this season, it has happened a few times to me. The biggest example is in an elimination match, a robot on the other alliance bumped our platform with 29 seconds left. The referees didn’t see it, and the other alliance won by 5 points. Another time during autonomous, a robot on the other alliance missed putting a ring in the goal, and instead it rolled across the field, into our home zone, and got stuck under our drive. In a different match, while the refs were counting up the score, they noticed that a rings and fallen out of the red alliance goal. However, they didn’t remember which blue robot knocked the goal over and were unable to issue an official warning.
I am not trying to change the results of any of these matches. I simply wanted to use them as examples of calls refs missed that could have been fixed with video replays.
In around 2 months, state competitions will be held and most of the spots to worlds will be given out. In the examples I listed earlier, who moved on in the elimination bracket, and the distribution of WP were affected. When the refs made the incorrect call that lead to my alliance losing the match, I was upset. But at the end of the day, my team was still qualified for state and it had no long term effect on our season. I would hate to have anyone not move onto worlds simply because an incorrect call was made. With BO1, one missed call can change who does, and who doesn’t, get to go to worlds.
I propose that an exception be added to rule T1b.
During the elimination rounds at a worlds qualifying event, the referee may review video footage if the referee’s call will decide the outcome of the match.
This addition to the rules, would solve the worst of the issues of rule T1b while still allowing the event to run quickly and efficiently.
I hope to hear the communities thoughts on this, and I hope the GDC will consider adding this in the 2.4 game manual update.