Thanks Steve, FLL's emphasis on kids learning self-advocacy is very important and I certainly need to do a better job coaching my team in that aspect. -Dinesh On Sun, Nov 11, 2018 at 6:47 AM VA-DC FLL Referee Advisor <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > In Dinesh's example, if there is a significant problem with the setup of > the Field or the position of the mat, and the table referee cannot take > action, let your teams know to respectfully ask the table referee to bring > in the head referee. Know where in the Field Setup guide the correct setup > is described. And remember GP4. The south table wall may not be straight. > > I still receive many more incorrect claims about where the mat should be > positioned than correct ones, but mistakes do happen during setup, and I > appreciate having teams point them out early in the day. I'll always > correct south wall alignment, as best as I can. I usually let minor > east-west differences stand, since that's not exact for teams anyway. > > Steve Scherr > Virginia-DC FLL Referee Advisor > > On Sun, Nov 11, 2018 at 1:36 AM Dinesh Bhat <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > >> We really appreciate that the competition is completely managed by >> volunteers and they are all trying to do their best. We have also conducted >> competitions and know how difficult it can be. So I always prepare my team >> to expect some of these issues to occur. My team was also affected by this >> interpretation of the ruling. Another issue to watch out is the alignment >> of the mat to the South Wall. Two of our missions depended on that >> alignment to "Wall Follow". My team knew to look out for the gap and point >> it to the referee. Unfortunately, the table referee said that they could >> not do anything as the mat was taped down. I am not sure what guidance to >> give my team in terms of how much to pursue this, without risking the >> team's chances, before moving on. Would like to hear from others. >> >> -Dinesh >> >> >> On Sat, Nov 10, 2018 at 7:21 PM VA-DC FLL Referee Advisor < >> [log in to unmask]> wrote: >> >>> I regret to say that what Jennifer describes may have been an incorrect >>> ruling on the Craters Crossing Mission. The Crossing Equipment for M04 may >>> be any item of team Equipment, and does not have to include the Robot. >>> >>> I understand that there was a lack of clarity of exactly what was >>> included in "crossing equipment" until update U06 came out this week. >>> Actually, there was a team last weekend whose crossing attempt I did not >>> allow, but would have allowed this weekend after the update, and many teams >>> at today's tournament that would have had trouble convincing me last >>> weekend that they had an appropriate interpretation. >>> >>> The referee might have thought that since the Robot caused the >>> projectile to move, and might have been over the Craters or even between >>> the Towers when it was released, that the Robot needed to be included as >>> part of the crossing equipment. Depending on the position of the Robot, >>> that's what I would have said previously. U06 says explicitly that "It >>> does not matter if a separate object throws, pulls, pushes, carries, >>> places, or paves the way for the actual crossing equipment, as that would >>> be a separate object and not considered part of the crossing equipment." >>> For example, a Robot that throws a projectile across the Gate would not be >>> a part of the Crossing Equipment. >>> >>> The best thing that your teams can do is to be able to point out the >>> exact text in the Updates, Missions, or Rules that show why they have the >>> interpretation that they do. That's how they might be able to change the >>> Referee's mind, or get Benefit of the Doubt applied. They may not be >>> successful, but they will have done everything that they can to support >>> their interpretation. >>> >>> Steve Scherr >>> Virginia-DC FLL Referee Advisor >>> >>> >>> >>> On Sat, Nov 10, 2018 at 5:58 PM Jennifer Koehler < >>> [log in to unmask]> wrote: >>> >>>> I would like to get clarification on crater (i know for the thousandth >>>> time). This won't help my team because we are done, but it might help teams >>>> competing tomorrow or next weekend. >>>> >>>> It was our understanding that we could send a projectile across the >>>> crater. As long as the robot was not touching the projectile, and the >>>> projectile complete crosses over the crater, this is legal. We were told >>>> today that the ENTIRE ROBOT had to cross the crater. The kids made a >>>> simple wheel thing that sat on an attachment (not attached...just >>>> carried). They drove to crater, dropped the wheeled system and pushed it. >>>> It traveled independently across the crater. No attachment is touching the >>>> wheel system as it rides across the crater. We were told by head judge this >>>> did not count. >>>> >>>> Anyone? 6 teams in our competition could not run this mission because >>>> they had similar to above. We still feel we are correct in our strategy. >>> >>> ------------------------------ > To UNSUBSCRIBE or CHANGE your settings, please visit > https://listserv.jmu.edu/archives/vadcfll-l.html and select "Join or > leave the list". > VADCFLL administrative announcements are sent via VADCFLL-ANNOUNCEMENTS-L. > Visit https://listserv.jmu.edu/archives/vadcfll-announcements-l.html to > subscribe. -- To UNSUBSCRIBE or CHANGE your settings, please visit https://listserv.jmu.edu/archives/vadcfll-l.html and select "Join or leave the list". -- VADCFLL administrative announcements are sent via VADCFLL-ANNOUNCEMENTS-L. Visit https://listserv.jmu.edu/archives/vadcfll-ANNOUNCEMENTS-l.html to subscribe.