For the changes the G6 we’re going to see a problem with kids coming to a tournament with only one driver. in the past if the robot was simple enough they could just get a driver from another team to drive with them for the day. This will no longer be the case because of the new rule. Now if the driver comes by themselves because their teammate is sick they will only be able to drive for 35 seconds. Not sure this is a great change for IQ…
They could still get someone from another team to drive with them as long as that student hadn’t driven on another team at an event.
Yes, but then they can no longer be a driver for their own team at any other tournament for the rest of the season. You are tied to the first team you drive for.
To help with this discussion the rule is “**No Student may fulfill the role of Driver for more than one Team at a given event, or in a given season.” **
I’m also not happy with this rule. I’m good with you are the driver at one event. Our teams have lots of chances to go to events (most make it to 3) so this is a real non-starter for me. It means that a roboteer that helps out a team at one event is then blocked from being part of their team later on.
Can one of you that have registered teams go ask about this in the official Q&A forum? I don’t register teams until after School Starts ™ and I think the GDC will be able to supply some clarity. Thanks!
I already did.
I’ve noticed the incremental changes over the past year in both IQ and VRC, I sense they’ve been showing the following intent:
- A single programmer should not program all of an organization's team robots. Each team should go through their own programming process.
- A single builder should not create a single robot design for all of an organization's team robots. Each team should go through their own full design process.
- Now, a driver cannot migrate from team to team to facilitate qualifying.
A few number of people is why we can’t have nice things. People push up against the limits to win. One thing about FRC robots, the co-founder will say “It’s not about the robot. The robot is just a facilitator” Sadly lots of people do think it’s about the robot and think it’s just about winning.
We were told at the Alabama EP summit that this rule was practically unenforceable… we don’t have the “ace drive team” thing going on here… we will continue to allow drivers to fill for other team at the local level as it is a rare event and there is no use in penalizing a team for a sick member. When it comes to states or worlds we never have have had to fill in the past 7 years.
While I have mixed feelings about the change to G6, I don’t have mixed feelings about EPs not following the rules. If an EP doesn’t have to follow the rules then why should the students. My students should expect the EPs to follow the rules just as the EPs expect them to follow the rules.
The RECF has made clear their intention with this. As an EP I wouldn’t go on a witch hunt looking for teams that might be breaking this rule as my base expectation is that all teams attending my events are doing their best to follow the rules. I would send an email to all teams attending my event highlighting the rule change and bring it up at the drivers meeting.
Jay
@JayM, I agree. Clearly communicate and set the expectation. That’s what we will do at our events. Informing all coaches and parents will effectively setup a system of peer review. Any individual that would intend to abuse the situation will have a much more difficult time than in the past.
I disagree that this is impossible to enforce. At times difficult, but not impossible. The most egregious moments were probably not at all difficult to identify.
The question got answered today:
*The intent of the more specific language in G6 was to penalize organizations that were using their best drive team to qualify multiple teams to their Regional / State / World championship. This behavior is not within the spirit of the VEX IQ Challenge.
Event Partners should bear in mind G3, and use common sense when enforcing this rule. It is not our intent to punish a Team who may change Drivers over the course of a season due to illness, changing schools, conflicts within a Team, graduating up to VRC, etc. We do not expect EP’s and referees keep a roster of any student who has ever driven for a day.
To answer your specific question, a student who fills in as a “substitute” Driver for a single day/tournament due to a Team having only one student in attendance at the event would not fall under the intent of this rule.*
I’m good with this update, it covers the points I made and anytime they invoke G3 “common sense” I’m happy.