Analysis: Should Coaching Be Banned in the FGC? 

I think it should be like in karate kid, where they train with their coaches for a long time, and then the coach sits in the audience and is like "you can do it" for the finale.

limit coach to between matchs and all coaches must be declaired

time limit, only between matches. now off to cure cancer.

1. Have a designated coach 2. They may only Coach in between matches, not during the match. 3. A time limit. A good 10 - 15 seconds will do. The reason for this time is so that player momentum is not disturbed by something outside of the game. 4. No coaching during Top 8 Double Elimination OR Top 4 Single Elimination.

I feel like Smash 4 did it right. Each person gets one 30-second timeout in-between a set where they are allowed to get advice. In my opinion, this is a perfect balance of coach and no coach ruling.

I feel the rules on coaching could be this easy. 1. the coach must be designated before the match. 2. the coach will not be present during the game but in between games 2. a time limit (thinking 30 seconds to a minute) The trinity law - Players must be physically present to coach

I'm speaking from a Smash perspective, but i think just for time's sake coaching shouldn't be allowed til top 16/top 8, and at that point each player should have a pre-designated on stage coach that they can confer with for a pre designated amount of time in between games/sets. all things being equal I don't mind coaches, I'm on the "it leads to higher quality of play" camp.

Mango just got Tafo !!

I say no coaches after top 8. I was playing at a local tournament and in losers the guy had 4 guys walk up to him and give him information while I only had some basic frame data/notes. What bothered me was every match I won or did well something they told him changed the way he fought. I'm not saying I would have won but I did lose confidence on my more sneaky set ups and frame traps everytime this guys coach talked to him. I felt like I lost to a team. This is why I think after top 8 you gotta be on your own. Or if both players agree to coaching. Adding a time limit would be nice too.

Awe, just got to watching this. Excellent video and kudos on using the green screen. Once you learn to key, you get an instant professional boost.

love this. please keep on making more analysis vids

I think coaching should be allowed under two regulations. One a player must pick a coach before hand and stick with them. Two say in between a best 2 out of 3 set a coach would only have 15 to 30 seconds to coach. But I think it should still be up to the whoever is running the event.

I'm gonna say coaching should be before and after sets, but not between or during matches in a bracket. Figure it out yourself or get fucked, to put it bluntly. Being told what you did wrong is fine, but save it for after getting kicked to losers. Alternatively, an interesting requirement would be that all coaching must be carried out in a clear speaking voice, so that both players can hear it.

that stuff with Julio was ridiculous though, but one registered couch per player should be allowed.

another godlike video. so informative not just in fighting games, but pretty much any 1on1 competition.

Your videos are so thorough yet so succinct. I always know that every second of your content will be worth my time. Absolutely perfect (if there is such a thing).

The impact of coaching varies at the level of play as well as the level of tournament. I'm sure the top players are well aware of the frame data and set ups, any advice given to them would likely be more towards habits or exploits. At a local level, as demonstrated in the birdie example, something small can change the match and I've seen it a lot personally. One of the things people praise in fighting games is how you need to adapt in a match and be knowledgeable but that's slightly mitigated if people are there to fill in for what you didn't do. Lastly, depends on the game too. You can barely coach someone in 3rd strike, that's mainly footsies individual play. A game like MKX that has many set ups or sf5 that relies on frame data a ton, small advice goes a longer way.

Coaching is fine but you can't just randomly phone a friend like you're on Who Wants to be A Millionaire. Coaches need to be seen by both players and acknowledged by one another before the game begins and like in boxing defined breaks between rounds need to be set so that it limits how much advice can be given

The editing on these videos always make them engaging to watch. Good job.

Man the quality and detail of your videos are so f*cking good! I can't believe it took me this long to find your videos. You deserve more subs!

Make a Patreon so I can support you guys.

each video takes a while but man this is great stuff. will rather have this quality than quantity. Keep it up guys !!! This channel is awesome

Great video as always man. This is an interesting topic, and I'd love to see coaching more regulated but not eliminated.

This is one of my favorite channels now! ありがとうございました!

I'd be all for banning the coaching of a player while he's playing a set. Fighting games are, generally, one on one games. Fighting games should be kept one on one, and players should do their homework before stepping into the ring.

Good points being made about coaching. I personally don't like it. Hopefully, there will be a more standard regulation.

Dude, nice video. You're super professional, calm voice, and you use tons of examples. Definitely subbed

This is great content! I'm sure this will make its way around the FGC and other communities as well. Excellent work Core-A Gaming!

I think we should ban Coaching during matches. Adaptation and reads are very important tools in any player skill-set, and can make the difference in a match. If you do not know something about a particular match then it's your own fault. As you said, it's like cheating, especially in SFV where the execution is less important.

This channel is a gem

I was going to ask when the next analysis video was but you read my mind! Thank you!

Your editing skills are out of this world. Nice videos man!

It's pretty simple, YES - to coaching - If it's a team oriented game like League of Legends, Overwatch, Star Craft etc. Because you need a guy to designate & orchestrate different roles. NO - to coaching - If the game is completely a 1 vs 1 duel. You're on your own once you step on the stage and the match has begun. A true champion has to be the complete player that can think and adapt by himself.

Don’t know what that random shot of food was at the end but it was delicious and I’m glad I saw it

SUCH a well done video, especially with the incorporation of all that research. subscribed!

Core A, your video game essays are just remarkable. Subscribed.

Simple way to fix this: 1. Only one designated coach. 2. Time limits between games to talk to coach. 3. If use of any device is seen that is not part of the game (cell phones, Ipods, ipads,etc.) by players qualifies as a game/match disqualification, but a coach can have lets say a notebook/notepad. 4. No coaching during a match in between rounds (ex. street fighter) as it could give too much of a sudden edge. I think these are the perfect steps in implementing coaching I do not see a huge problem with coaching it is a great way to promote more strategy and makes the spectator experience better.

Adapting and recognizing both you and your opponents' patterns / tendencies is such a ridiculously huge part of FGC now (especially the closer you get to high level play) that I feel like mid-set coaching shouldn't be allowed. It's a part of the game and competition. The time to teach and learn is not in the middle of a tournament match.

I love the effort put into your videos, they're all great and remind of how vsauce videos work where you can go in watching for one thing and then hooked on one or two more things in the video and you start learning a lot more than you thought you would when you started. Good job! Keep it up.

That was an impressively well thought out and researched. I have now subscribed.

If a player can win a match over someone else purely from the input of a coach on standby is a bit too unfair for the guy on the receiving end. I think it should be illegal to coach during a match, there should be a time limit on how long a coach can talk between matches, and most importantly, if a player is feeling overwhelmed by other player/coaching teams, he should be able to add a coach to his own team mid-tournament. Like this: let's say I make it to top 8 at EVO without a coach, and I hear that my rival also made it to top 8, and he did it with a good coach. I learn that one of my buddies is at the event, and he says he can help me with the matchup. I should be able to go to a referee and register my partner as the single coach, on the spot, but after that I cannot change my coach or add more. By doing this we can avoid elite players with dedicated coaches having an unfair advantage over smaller players who haven't had the resources or time to build up their own coaching talent.

These videos are awesome. I really like the inclusion of smash content. Keep it up :)

these videos are amazing edited. I love watching these, keep it up

Every one of ur videos are insanely entertaining. Always pumped when u upload!

If you're going to compare fighting games to live sports, compare them to combat sports as they are the most comparable. I wanna suggest two things. -some combat sports (mostly western ones like boxing or wrestling) allow for it, and you can listen for people shouting advice during matches, during rounds for that reason. Some it's a HUGE factor, where the coach says everything they need to do between rounds. -others, (usually more formal/traditional ones such as fencing or sport karate) tend to not allow for it because (and this is my speculation here) a match is to be a representation of live combat and they want to keep that part of it; should you be in a real duel or street fight, you won't have a buddy offering advice every 3 minutes. -the simple answer for it in games is to either include it, or dont, and clearly define it. If it's such a factor that it divides people, offer two different divisions

Dope video as usual Gerald.

Your videos are so insightful! Keep up the good work!

I love your editing skills! so good

If coaching is allowed, is every player guaranteed to get a coach if they ask for one? Like what if you have no friends?

Personally, I think Coaching should be allowed before or after a match, not after a round in a set. But if the tournament allows coaching, have at least one person to coach you and give a set time limit, a solid 30-45 second chat before the next round, that way each match can be swift.

Always looking forward to your new videos that come out, I definitely think coaching should stay, but be regulated to a minute. Maybe also have a limit of how many time a player can coach during that daily session.

Well put video! I hope this makes it to the top guys at EVO. Standardize the rules so that there would be a time limit for coaching.

Mmatches should be you versus your opponent, if you cant do it on your own then you dont deserve to win.

"[...] I think making a standard will also help coaches what kind of role they'll play in the future and plan accordingly." *shows Chinese BBQ through a window*

Great video, super well thought out and with a depth of research some of the bigger guys could learn from.

I like the scientific approach to the matter, other than providing the BGM (which is awesome and should be done by every youtuber) I would love to see the sources you used where it is possible. Great work!

I definitely think coaching should be banned in majors where theres real money on the line unless it's team play maybe. Any lack of match up knowledge or frame data should be that players burden. I think it's wrong to be winning and have someone come and tell your opponent how to beat you

In my opinion mid set coaching should not be allowed. Sure you could use the argument of "It's fair if both players have a coach and both players get 30 seconds with them" but the problem with that is then, when is the win because the player is good or if the coach is good? Even if both players have a coach if one coach is a random person who also plays the game and the other is a professional sports psychologist then a 1v1 game turns into a 2v2 game where you will be left behind if you cannot find a coach better than your opponents.

Your videos are just the best! you always look at every aspect. Keep up the good work:)

Thank god I've found this channel and suscribed, great work and very interesting videos :D

5:40 omg... infiltration HAD more hair at some point in life? WOW.

you need to be on excellent adventures gerald. also do u have psn?

This is the best laid out set of arguments for and against coaching. Thanks!

Yo, I love your videos. Interesting topics, great research, good visuals. Excellent work.

can you touch on the fact your average joe/intermediate players won't get the luxury of being coached in a tournament and it can be an unfair advantage when up against someone that has it.

Make more videos more often

Maan you video has soooo much quality! Great job !

Your content is some of the best and most wel informed on RU-vid. 👏🏻👏🏻

RIP Lunchables

Yes coaching should not be aloud In actual competitive play. Practice yes but actual tournament play no.

Your videos are so well made! Subbed!

Fantastic video. Great clips and great research.

csgo is also currently having a coach issue you used to be able to talk during rounds now u can only talk during the 4 30 second timeouts

let coaches talk between games in a set like doc in punchout between the rounds.

These are so well done, subscribed

Man, these videos are incredibly thorough. Especially the research papers. Mega kudos to you. Where do you find the time?!! I don't even have time play fighting games much these days, let alone make videos about them! :)

Sorry, what's the implication of having a male tennis coach?

No! Just like Justin implied "No Coach No Victory". He spent no time in the Lab; evolving his character, studying the frame data or how to counter the opponents character. It also negates mind games which is a huge part of FGC. Team sports have coaches to see and make sense of the chaos of the field . Boxing has coaches cause it's hard to concentrate when someone is constantly hitting you in the face, or when one eye is swollen shut and sweat is pouring in to the other eye.

Thanks, Gerald. You're really stepping your motion graphics game up. Good stuff as always.

Love your videos! Keep up the great work!

I think outright trying to prohibit coaching will not work as intended; better to regulate it as it exists instead, and from there I think stuff like limiting it to one person and putting a time limit is fair, though enforcement gets harder when it's something like pools compared to something like top 8 or even top 32, particularly at an event like EVO.

I didn't really understand the implications tennis coaches being men have. Does it really matter? To be honest, I was somewhat of a tennis-head in my teens and the fact is tenniswomen do have significantly shorter careers than most males so I think it's not that diffcult to imagine why they would become coaches less often.

it would be selfish of me to say i hope you never stopped making these videos, cuz man you are great at what you do, keep it up!

Solid presentation. Great points. Hella good video.

Fighting games should be one on one affair. Coaching makes it 2-1 and that's pretty much cheating.

im gay

Freshmen and sophomore year for track and field I went to state each year. Never won state but I made it out there. Junior year I had a new coach and didn't make state... it was more difficult to stay motivated. It just wasn't the greatest experience that year. But the best time I ran that entire year was when we had a meet against multiple schools and one of them was coached by my old coach. I walked up to him and asked him what he thought I should do to prepare for my race and how he thought I'd do. We chatted for a bit and I took his advice and got warmed up and ran my best time for the year. With FGC I think coaching should be allowed but regulated. Like boxing. You can pick a coach before you enter and if your coach is a contestant you can have a backup in case they're still competing. And then have a set amount of time in between rounds where you can receive advice. Or if for the entire tournament as a whole you're given a timer. You can only use so much time on coaches like the time you have to make moves in speed chess.

Fantastic breakdown. I truly appreciate your content bro.

No, it should not be allowed. It removes too much of the meta. Plus, the coaches are just random people who pick their favorite player. So, it's unbalanced because, most of the time, only one player gets coached.

No coaching. If you don't know then you should go back and hit the grind. Figuring stuff out for yourself is what makes you better than the next person.

Your videos are awesome man! Keep them coming :D

I think 30 seconds is the most they should be allowed to coach their friends.

Just ban coaching

amazing video,as always!, great topic man!

This is amazingly well put together, I agree with having a designated coach, that way the coaching becomes a part of the strategising

I've been playing fighting games my whole life and it shitty to see when players don't sit next to each other, wear headphones, or are isolated in some kind of way. I just feel like I'm old school where the arcade cabinet was standard you stand shoulder shoulder and 20 plus people are yelling in your ear... coach included. I used to play with Julio "the voice" at his pad when Street fighter third strike was still a thing. Even then he was vary good. one of the best around San Jose but fights between us were always very heated. I would be yelling and jumping basically trying anything Break his concentration to gain any kind of advantage. I won our last fight. It's tight to see him professionally now.

Great video, as always, very entertaining and informative

Dude, your videos are so well put together will proper research material etc. Mad props for putting in all this hard work!

I think one of the follow-up questions should be: What information should players be able to access during a match? There have been instances of players checking their phones for frame data or their personal notes. I have a personal inclination to setting rules for and allowing coaching. However, I also kind of wonder if coaching undermines the elements of observing, reading, etc, instead turning a larger part of the game that tests how well you can follow your coaches instructions. Gerald is right when he says we should set proper expectations for coaches, but I think it's equally valid and equally important to explore what we should expect from players. Totally love the video! Great work! Many thanks!

Dude this is a lot of interesting stuff to think about. Thank you