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Competition Profiling

Introduction

A major part of success in a robotics tournament is competition profiling (a.k.a. scouting). Through profiling, you can keep track of teams, knowing their strengths and weaknesses. This information is always useful, especially during alliance selection when looking for a team to ally with. Profiling can also help anticipate you allies and opponents during qualification, allowing for more effective strategizing and planning for a match.

The Fundamentals and Tips of Scouting

  1. Always have assigned members (1 to 2 members) to profile every competition. You need someone to be focused on doing this the whole tournament. This allows for more effective, detailed, and accurate information. As a suggestion, the main scouter should also be the one to represent the team during alliance selection.
  2. Keep your profiling consistent throughout the season. Try to use the same format, making it easier for you to find information.
  3. Don't be afraid to talk to teams. Don't hesitate to approach a team to ask them questions about their robot if you are unsure about something.
  4. Be honest with your profiling. Inaccurate data is useless in profiling. Be accurate when writing about other teams. Don't make-up information or write anything you are unsure about. It can only hurt you in the future.
  5. Start your profiling in the beginning of the tournament. Always try to get a head start with profiling. You can already start profiling as teams are getting checked in. This way, you can get ahead of the game and get information on teams earlier in the day.
  6. Create Tier levels for scouting. You can utilize a 5 tier system to rate each teams based on how "good" they are. Of course, this is subjective, but it creates a good way to see how teams perform.

Files

These are templates for profiling you can download and use. Feel free to change any of the format to best fit your needs and preferences.

General Profiling Sheet

This is a generic profiling sheet you can use to profile any robot for any game in any tournament. It is generic and is perfect for use in any type of game in VEX.

Tower Takeover Profiling

A specific profiling sheet for this year's game. It includes specific categories addressing tower capabilities and cubes.

Turning Point Profiling

A specific profiling sheet for last year's game. It includes specific categories addressing flag capabilities, cap capabilities, and platform parking.

In the Zone Profiling

A specific profiling sheet for the 2017-2018 game. It includes specific categories addressing zone capabilities and stacking capabilities.