Judging in FIRST Tech Challenge

[FTC Ringer]

Another ramification of volunteer judges is that you are bound to get incomplete and/or inconsistent feedback. Sometimes feedback can do more harm than good. Plus the quality and accuracy of the feedback will vary from region to region, giving teams in some regions a competitive advantage over teams in other regoins. All things considered, it seems necessary not to permit feedback from FTC judges.

I suppose they should also ban referees from calling penalties. Quality and accuracy of the calls will vary from region to region, giving teams in some regions a competitive advantage over teams in other regions.

[Alec]

I suppose they should also ban referees from calling penalties. Quality and accuracy of the calls will vary from region to region, giving teams in some regions a competitive advantage over teams in other regions.

FTC has two different types of sports. There are judges for the judged sport and referees for the robot competition sport.

This thread is concerning the rules for judges in the judged sport, which can't be compared with the rules for referees in the robot competition sport.

[LukeTheCoder64]

FTC has two different types of sports. There are judges for the judged sport and referees for the robot competition sport.

This thread is concerning the rules for judges in the judged sport, which can't be compared with the rules for referees in the robot competition sport.

The point FTC Ringer was trying to make is that there are already several aspects of FTC in which the Quality And Accuracy of decisions varies by Region.

If the judge is a judge who would give inappropriate feedback to teams, that would already be obvious through their other actions.

FLL (and AFAIK FRC) allows judges to give feedback, and they don't have liability issues.

Luke

[FTC Ringer]

The point FTC Ringer was trying to make is that there are already several aspects of FTC in which the Quality And Accuracy of decisions varies by Region.

If the judge is a judge who would give inappropriate feedback to teams, that would already be obvious through their other actions.

FLL (and AFAIK FRC) allows judges to give feedback, and they don't have liability issues.

Luke

Yep, you got it exactly! And excellent point about the other programs allowing judges to give feedback. FTC is the oddball in the FIRST programs that doesn't allow it. And the oddball among pretty much any other youth program I've had experience with.

[Alec]

Yep, you got it exactly! And excellent point about the other programs allowing judges to give feedback. FTC is the oddball in the FIRST programs that doesn't allow it. And the oddball among pretty much any other youth program I've had experience with.

There are similarities between FLL, FTC, and FRC, and they all fall under the FIRST umbrella, but nevertheless they are three different sports and in three different leagues.

[FTC4318]

I highlighted this issue in my survey response for Worlds 2016. If "self reflection" is such a wonderful tool then why is FIRST surveying us all the time? Why not just sit in a room together and self reflect? Honestly, the whole thing is just so silly and doesn't stand up to common sense or common practices. Even a standard rubric form with number values ranging from 1 to 10 for each category would be a step in the right direction.

[LukeTheCoder64]

If "self reflection" is such a wonderful tool then why is FIRST surveying us all the time? Why not just sit in a room together and self reflect?

Checkmate.