Scouting FAQ

Q: How do you choose your scouting rotation?

A: We choose our main scouter rotations based on their availability in the stands and their role on the team. For example, our Impact Award presenters don't scout until after their presentation so they can spend their time practicing and preparing. Our scouters are grouped in sets of 3 so they will be scouting the same alliance together. We also schedule our scouters in 5-10 match rotations so they can get up, stretch their legs, use the restroom, and/or experience the event as a whole

Q: What happens when a scouter is absent?

A: All our students in the stands know how to scout. Because of this, we always have a pool of backup scouters in the event that one of our current scouters needs a break

Q: What do you choose to scout for?

A: We look for the main ways a team can score and how the team drives with the robot they have. We then track all of that data for each robot for every match and compile it in a master list. The objective items we scout for change based on the game every year

Q: Why do you choose to scout for those things?

A: Our data shows teams' strategies and their knowledge of the game field and we want to know exactly what robot will be scoring in any given match. The data we collect impacts our choices during alliance selection

Q: How accurate is your scouting data?

A: Our data is so accurate we can predict the outcome of many matches, this gives us the chance to strategize to change that outcome in our matches

Q: How do you use your scouting data?

A: Through our compiler, we create a list that objectively ranks every team by how many points they add to a match. For the past couple of years, our dashboard has also had a Drive Team dashboard that they're able to look at and see what both alliances' robots are scoring on average and work strategies around that

Q: What are you doing to improve your scouting process?

A: In the season, from event to event, we continuously update our scouting sheets to eliminate unnecessary data and add the data we need to make informed decisions. We're also working to upgrade to tablets we can use for electronic scouting