One driver? COME ON!

[sankeydd]

I really with they would have put the strategic advantage bit in the actual rule. If you read b), you only need one driver if you want.

If this is really a matter of local health guidelines, are we going to have event partners decide if they will allow it at that event? Will there needs to be exemptions from the RECF? Seems like a better approach would be to make it 2 drivers, and then allow events to apply for a “one driver” event based on local guidelines.

I’m not hitting up the Q&A just yet, curious what you all think.

[vexteacher]

Two drivers period - it is about teamwork not some super driver pushing everyone away - key learning we need to instill is teamwork period! This is absolutely a bad change nearly as bad as field size change

[HarryWood]

This rule was implemented last year due to COVID, which makes sense to me.

My thinking is - if it’s in an person Event, require 2 person. If it’s virtual, then 1 person is ok.

The rationale (IMO) behind that is some teams consist of only 1 student because they can’t go to school or form a team with anyone else locally.

[Noah10851B]

@HarryWood

This rule was implemented last year due to COVID, which makes sense to me.

Correct, it was implemented for COVID last season, but the fact that they changed the rule back to two drivers for this season and then during the season switched it again really makes me wonder why they did.

[HarryWood]

@Noah10851B

Correct, it was implemented for COVID last season, but the fact that they changed the rule back to two drivers for this season and then during the season switched it again really makes me wonder why the did.

Again, it’s possible that they hoped to go in person only this year. When Delta hit, that changed things again. Or maybe simply an oversight when they did the first release. Not gonna lose sleep over this.

[gbr]

It alleviates concerns from several schools and teams in our region.

I agree that this should not be a permanent fixture in the rules, but at the moment it was much appreciated.

[kmmohn]

At our Monroe County Fair event last month, we had half a dozen IQ teams that would not have been able to come to our event unless it was “one driver”–a policy set by their school.

[gbr]

That matches our situation as well. It wouldn’t matter our preference on 1 or 2 drivers, instead it’s a ‘happening’ or ‘not happening’ situation for many organizations.

[sankeydd]

@kmmohn

At our Monroe County Fair event last month, we had half a dozen IQ teams that would not have been able to come to our event unless it was “one driver”–a policy set by their school.

I agree with following guidelines and making whatever accommodations needed to make sure that the kids are able to participate. RECF needs to grant any exceptions necessary to make sure the show can go on when necessary.

[gbr]

There’s a threshold.

When the # of exceptions are small and rare, you can do ‘exceptions as necessary’.

When the situation grows to become a common situation across the landscape, it’s no longer an exception and will only become an unnecessary process to try to manage. The variant pushed it into this territory unfortunately.

That being said, the goal of returning back to two drivers and the learning they gain from that team work is important. Let’s work to return to that when we can.

[SCFarrell]

If a team has 2 members at an event, will they be forced to use both as drivers? That certainly seems to be the intention with the blue box clarification. I do hope that multi-member teams continue to use 2 drivers as much as possible.

Exploiting the single driver rule to me certainly takes away from the intention of this program. I understand the need for rare exceptions, but it is a distinct advantage to not have to switch.

[Grant_Cox]

@gbr

There’s a threshold.

When the # of exceptions are small and rare, you can do ‘exceptions as necessary’.

When the situation grows to become a common situation across the landscape, it’s no longer an exception and will only become an unnecessary process to try to manage. The variant pushed it into this territory unfortunately.

That being said, the goal of returning back to two drivers and the learning they gain from that team work is important. Let’s work to return to that when we can.

This pretty much sums it up. Back when the manual was released, we were so far out of the weeds on COVID that the CDC had just lifted indoor mask recommendations. Since then, the impact of Delta has become much more widespread than everyone originally hoped, especially for international VEX programs, so we have had to re-implement some of last season’s guidelines/exceptions.

[holbrook]

@SCFarrell

If a team has 2 members at an event, will they be forced to use both as drivers? That certainly seems to be the intention with the blue box clarification.

The blue box suggests that teams with more than one student should choose to use two drivers, but the rule itself is unambiguous – what matters is the number of students a team sends to the field for a particular match, not the number of students a team has at the event. I hope teams will choose to use 2 drivers when they can too, but under the current rule events can’t require them to make that choice.

---

@SCFarrell

it is a distinct advantage to not have to switch

You gain something by choosing to run with one driver, but you also lose something: You don’t have a teammate standing next to you to keep a wider eye on the field – what the other team is doing, where you should go next, time left of the clock, etc.

[sankeydd]

@holbrook

You gain something by choosing to run with one driver, but you also lose something: You don’t have a teammate standing next to you to keep a wider eye on the field – what the other team is doing, where you should go next, time left of the clock, etc.

And when students had the open choice (In a game that actually depended on your partner doing the right thing and communication being important), practically every competitive team drove with one driver. This is clearly what teams would choose if given the option.

[sankeydd]

@Grant_Cox

This pretty much sums it up. Back when the manual was released, we were so far out of the weeds on COVID that the CDC had just lifted indoor mask recommendations. Since then, the impact of Delta has become much more widespread than everyone originally hoped, especially for international VEX programs, so we have had to re-implement some of last season’s guidelines/exceptions.

As an event partner, if we are at the point we were at in May and there are no local health mandates that suggest indoor masks, can we say that this is a “2 driver” event and require it? (I know the answer: Put that on the Q&A…)

[sazrocks]

Not a member of the GDC but…

I don’t see how this would be allowed, at least as the rule is currently written. There is no provision for the EP to pick and choose what rules they enforce or for them to make their own rules, at least at an official qualifying event, and nor should there be.

If you want to have this option the best thing to do would probably be to put it up on the Q&A so that the GDC can consider such a provision for the December 7th manual update.

[Noah10851B]

@sankeydd

And when students had the open choice (In a game that actually depended on your partner doing the right thing and communication being important), practically every competitive team drove with one driver. This is clearly what teams would choose if given the option.

I can’t vouch for the other alliances in our matches, but for all of our live remote worlds matches, we ran 2 drivers.

[SCFarrell]

Full concur. I guess I am hoping to influence future GDC decisions (redaction of this rule?) should the health situation improve by the time Spring rolls around. I vastly prefer two drivers for all the reasons listed, but I know most teams can likely score better without having to switch.

[sankeydd]

@Noah10851B

I can’t vouch for the other alliances in our matches, but for all of our live remote worlds matches, we ran 2 drivers.

I don’t have too much data on this. I was the emcee at our state tournament, and most teams used one driver. This was true at our local events as well.

On LRT, I had two teams do the prerequisite tournaments and Worlds. On LRT I honestly wasn’t paying that much attention, and we could look over the video to see, but it seemed like the vast majority used one driver.

It was honestly refreshing when we did see two driver matches, so thanks!

In LRT pitching in, where the teams do not need to coordinate (JUST SCORE, SCORE, SCORE), teams will have less of an incentive to have two drivers. Just start on opposite sides of the field and then hope they can do it!