We�ve received many suggestions for changes to the system we use to decide Tiebreaker Points (TBP) in game play for FIRST Tech Challenge. We are continuously impressed with how many of you have such passion for the program, and for the hard work you put into testing different TBP scenarios. Thank you so much for your contributions to our progress!
The guidelines we used to evaluate the suggestions we received were:
- Must be easy to explain to everyone.
- Must reward teams for winning more difficult matches.
- Must not require a significant change to the way referees score matches.
- Must be fair.
Based on recommendations we received, and the above guidelines, the new method we will use going forward for deciding TBP is:
Average Tiebreaker Points will now be calculated by adding the Tiebreaker Points (the pre-penalty score of the losing alliance) for each match, subtracting the lowest scoring match, and then dividing by the total number of matches played, minus the dropped match.
This method for deciding Tiebreaker Points:
- Is simple to explain
- Rewards teams for winning more difficult matches
- Does not make a significant change to the way referees score matches
- Does not encourage blowout matches
- Protects a team from a match played against robots that have failed on the field.
- Is more difficult for a team to manipulate, and impact ranking another team.
We appreciate your thoughts, opinions, and ideas on this topic and we know this isn�t the change some of you were hoping for, but we ask that you be gracious in your comments and in your social media posts based on this decision and understand that it was made by FIRST Tech Challenge staff, and not by our Game Design Committee.
It is unfair, and quite frankly, disappointing to see our volunteers as the target of some of the criticism we have seen and received. If you have suggestions or would like to send critical feedback about this change, please send it directly to me at jhalloran@firstinspires.org.
We will evaluate how this plays out throughout the year and will consider improvements to this method at the end of the season.
We do recognize and appreciate the hard work that many of you put into analyzing other methods of calculating Tiebreaker Points and hope that you�ll continue to be creative in your approaches to solving challenges.
Thank you,
JoAnn Halloran
Program Manager, FIRST Tech Challenge
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