Introduction
Mistakes
Instant Style
Outside Assistance

Incorrect or incomprehensible style forms

Many teams don't understand style, and fill out the style forms incorrectly, or worse, incomprehensibly. Style is the elaboration of the problem solution, which means you can put down for scoring anything you do that add to or embellishes the solution to the problem. Many teams don't think about what their strongest areas are, and put down something ambiguous like 'Costumes'. What about the costumes? What aspect of them makes them special?

A very common error is to duplicate items already scored in the problem. For instance, an Omerdroid team will put down 'Humor of the performance'. When this happens, I have to ask them to change the style forms while they're standing there in the staging area.

For some problems, teams have to submit an extra sheet of paper describing some aspect of their solution. In Omerdroid, this was a list of actions the robot would do. Some teams confuse this list with the style form, and put their actions on the style form.

Many teams handwrite the style forms, or make bad photocopies, or write very long, unclear descriptions of their presentation in the box at the bottom. The judges will only have about three minutes to read this. If they can't understand what you've written, they'll ignore it, to the detriment of your team.

Not having read the rules thoroughly

I've seen so many teams lose points because they, or their coaches, obviously haven't read the rules. Coaches have asserted to me that the tournament director must provide an extension cord, but I then I show them the rulebook (and ask another team if they could lend them one). Teams don't put the right information on their membership sign, or don't understand outside assistance. Teams will tell me of people who quit, and the new people who took their places.

Please make sure to read the rulebook and the problems thoroughly. One team at a recent competition entered one problem but solved a different one!

Making unwarranted assumptions about the performance room

Assume the worst. Assume the plugs will be far away and you'll need a very long extension cord. If your team needs a hard floor, assume carpeting. If you need carpeting, assume a hard floor. Assume a standard doorway.

I've seen many teams who panicked because they forgot to bring an extension cord, or it wasn't long enough, or they couldn't turn off the lights, or the judges table was facing the wrong way, or the performance area wasn't big enough.

Not talking loud enough, clear enough, or slow enough

Performances often take place in gyms, with awful acoustics, or loud fans blowing in the background. Teams often mumble their lines, lines of a script that's already too complicated to be understood by watching it only once.

 

Staying up the night before

An OM solution is not something you want to do at the last minute. The best teams will have taken their time, and it shows in their presentations. Get a good night's sleep so you can enjoy the day ahead.