Match Analysis, Scouting, and Risk Management

Lesson

Strategy is not finished when the match starts. Every match, yours and everyone else's, gives you information. Match analysis means collecting that information on purpose and using it to make better decisions in the next match.

Scouting: watching with a purpose

Scouting is collecting data about the robots at an event. You use it for pre-match conversations, to understand your opponents, and, if you get the chance, to choose partners for the playoffs. Pit scouting means politely asking teams about their robots in the pits. Match scouting means watching matches and recording what each robot actually does.

TEXT

1MATCH SCOUTING   Match #____   Team #______   Alliance: RED / BLUE
2Auto:     left start Y/N   elements scored ___   parked Y/N
3TeleOp:   cycles completed ___   main scoring area __________
4Endgame:  attempted Y/N   succeeded Y/N   started with ___ s left
5Penalties seen: ________   Robot stopped or broke: Y/N
6Notes: ______________________________________________

A simple match scouting form. Adjust the lines to the scoring actions in your current game.

Give each scout one robot to watch per match.
Record facts, not opinions: 'completed 4 cycles' is useful, 'seems good' is not.
Use the same form for every match so the data can be compared.
In the pits, ask before you look, and never interrupt a team in the middle of a repair.
After each round of matches, combine the forms in one spreadsheet.

Reviewing your own matches

The same prototype, test, analyse, refine loop you use for mechanisms also works for strategy: plan, play, review, adjust.

1
Record
Right after the match, write down the score breakdown and what happened in each period while everyone still remembers.
2
Compare with the plan
Did the robot run the agreed Autonomous variant? How many cycles did you complete compared with practice?
3
Find the cause
Decide whether each problem came from the robot, the driving, the strategy, or communication with your partner.
4
Decide one change
Pick the single most important fix you can realistically make before the next match. Too many changes at once make things worse.

Consistency versus ceiling

Your scoring ceiling is the best score a strategy can reach when everything goes right. Consistency is how close your scores stay to your average from match to match. Compare two imaginary strategies: Strategy A averages 38 points but ranges from 5 to 80; Strategy B averages 42 points and ranges from 35 to 50. In qualification matches, B is usually wiser because it scores more on average and rarely collapses. A high-ceiling plan can make sense in a playoff match when your alliance must beat a stronger one. How rankings are calculated changes by season, so check the current manual.

Failure mode	Warning signs	Backup plan
Autonomous misses or drifts	Inconsistent results in practice, wheels slipping	Switch to the park-only variant for the next match
Mechanism jams	Game elements get stuck in testing	Pre-agreed support role or another task the robot can still do
Robot loses power or connection	Loose wires, low battery voltage	Pre-match checklist; partner runs a solo plan
No time left for the endgame	Drivers keep cycling too long	Coach calls the endgame start at an agreed time
Partner robot stops working	Partner mentioned problems earlier	A solo plan agreed in the pre-match conversation

Turn your backup plans into a pre-match checklist: battery charged and secured, wires checked, correct Autonomous variant shown in telemetry, gamepads connected, drive team knows the plan and the backup plan. Read it aloud in the queue before every match.

Your strategy is a living document. After every event, update the game analysis sheet with real success rates, adjust your Autonomous and cycle plans, and add any new failure modes you discovered.

Key terms

Scouting: Collecting data about robots and teams at an event to support strategy and alliance decisions.
Pit scouting: Asking teams in the pits about their robot's abilities, done politely and without interrupting their work.
Scoring ceiling: The highest score a strategy can reach when everything goes right.
Consistency: How close a team's scores stay to its average from match to match.
Failure mode: A specific way a robot, plan, or team can fail during a match, such as a jam or a lost connection.
Backup plan: A prepared alternative the drive team switches to when a failure mode happens.

Practical exercise

Scout, Review, and Plan for Failure

1Watch three FTC matches, live at a scrimmage or as official recorded videos, and fill in a scouting form for one robot in each match.
2Look up a team or event on FTCScout and write down two things the public data tells you and one thing it cannot tell you.
3Review one of your own practice matches using the four steps: record, compare with the plan, find the cause, decide one change.
4List at least four failure modes for your robot, with warning signs and a backup plan for each.
5Turn your backup plans into a pre-match checklist and test it before your next practice match.

Deliverable: Three completed scouting forms, a risk table with at least four failure modes and backup plans, and a printed pre-match checklist.

Knowledge check

Answer every question, then check your answers.