Rule <T3> reads as follows:
The Drive Team is permitted to immediately appeal a Head Referee’s ruling. If Drive Team Members wish to dispute a score or ruling, they must stay in the Alliance Station until the Head Referee from the Match talks with them. The Head Referee may choose to meet with the Drive Team Members at another location and/or at a later time so that the Head Referee has time to reference materials or resources to help with the decision. Once the Head Referee announces that their decision has been made final, the issue is over and no more appeals may be made (See rule <T1>).
Are drive team members permitted to discuss the match with others before the appeal? I think <G2> explicitly disallows discussions with Adults, but my understanding (as a competitor and now also as a head referee and EP) has always been that the drive team must appeal a decision independently; they may discuss with each other (and presumably with their alliance partner's drive team), but not with others, including Students who are not on the drive team for that match. I think this is a reasonable consequence of <G8> and <T3>, but it is not written in explicitly so I would like some clarification.
PS: If the GDC agrees with my interpretation (i.e., that Drive Team is not permitted to discuss the match with anyone before/as part of the appeal), then I would suggest that:
- This should be made explicit in the wording of <T3>.
- The logistics of this rule should be considered in recommendations for EPs and Head Referees in the KB. In particular, note that referees are posted on the opposite side of the field from the audience; depending on the event layout, it may even be possible for drive team members to converse with someone in the audience zone without physically leaving the driver station, or only leaving by a couple feet (which is generally not very enforced, especially after match play), and it is difficult for head referees to watch for this while scores are being counted or the other alliance is being talked to. Should someone other than a head referee be posted there? Should there be standard signage for audience areas close to fields (or equivalently on the drive team side) to note that this is prohibited?