Game Rules - Answer Thread

[JoAnn]

You'll find answers to questions posted about Game Rules in this thread.

[Air Jordan]

<GS5> Autonomous Period Robot Keep Out Area

Consider the situation where two Robots, one from each Alliance, Inadvertently cross In to the opposing Alliance Area during the first 10 seconds of the Autonomous Period and contact each other. For example, if both robots were straddling the Red/Blue line of gaffer's tape. If the Scoring of one Robot (say, Red) is unaffected by the contact but the Scoring of the other one (Blue) is affected by the contact, are there penalties?

A: Referees observing the Match will use their judgment to determine if an Alliance gains an advantage by violating rule <GS5>. If, in the opinion of the Referees, an Alliance violates this rule and gains an advantage, a Major Penalty will be assessed against the offending Alliance. For example, if the early entry into the opposing Alliance's Area prevented scoring by an opposing Alliance Robot, this created an advantage for the offending Alliance and a Major Penalty should be assessed.

Game Design Committee Recommendations: 1) Coordinate Robot travel paths with your Alliance Partner to avoid collisions that may result in early entry into the opposing Alliance Area. 2) Plan Robot travel paths so that they don't approach the opposing Alliance Area during the first 10 seconds of the Autonomous Period.

[Air Jordan]

&lt;GS5&gt; Autonomous Period Robot Keep Out Area

Consider the situation where a Robot (e.g., Red) Inadvertently crosses into the opposing Alliance Area during the first 10 seconds of the Autonomous Period and contacts a Blue Robot. The second Blue Robot contacts the first Blue Robot but not the Red Robot. The first Blue Robot Scores as planned, but the Scoring of the second Blue Robot is affected, in the judgment of the Referees. Is there a penalty assigned to Red?

A: The Game Design Committee (GDC) could have written rule <GS5> such that any ingress into the opposing Alliance Area during the first ten seconds of the Autonomous Period results in a Major Penalty. The GDC felt that this is too fine a line to draw during the Autonomous Period where Robot behaviors can be unpredictable due to collisions. The GDC granted Referees the flexibility to assess the circumstances of the early ingress and to use their judgment to excuse a Penalty for actions that are inadvertent and inconsequential. The example described in the question states that in the judgment of the Referees, the early entry of the Robot into the opposing Alliance Area caused the offending Alliance to affect scoring (i.e., gain an advantage). Per the Game Design Committee's guidance provided with rule <RS5>, the Referees should award a Major Penalty to the Red Alliance.

[Air Jordan]

&lt;GS5&gt; Autonomous Period Robot Keep Out Area

If a Robot crosses into the opposing Alliance Area during the first 10 seconds of the Autonomous Period and contacts both Robots on the opposing Alliance and affects the Scoring of both Robots, are two penalties assessed or just one?

A: The consequence for violating rule <GS5> is one Major Penalty.

Game Design Committee Recommendation: Teams should not make use of the example in this question as a planned strategy. Intentionally violating rule <GS5> to keep the opposing Alliance from scoring even more points than the value of the Penalty is likely to be viewed by Referees as Egregious Behavior and a violation of rule <G25>. The consequence for violating rule <G25> is an additional Major Penalty and possible Disqualification.

[Air Jordan]

&lt;GS5&gt; Autonomous Period Robot Keep Out Area

If both Robots on an Alliance cross into the Opposing Alliance Area during the first 10 seconds of the Autonomous Period and contact the same Robot on the opposing Alliance and affect the Scoring of that Robot, are two penalties assessed or just one?

A: One Penalty is assessed for each violation of rule <GS5>. In the stated example, two Robots violated the rule and each Robot will receive a Major Penalty for a combined total of 80 Penalty points.

[Air Jordan]

&lt;GS5&gt; Autonomous Period Robot Keep Out Area

If a Robot Inadvertently crosses into the opposing Alliance Area during the first 10 seconds of the Autonomous Period and contacts a Robot on the opposing Alliance multiple times and each contact affects the Scoring of the contacted Robot, are multiple penalties assessed or just one? If multiple, is there an upper limit to the number of penalties?

A: One Major Penalty should be assessed for the scenario described in the question.

[Air Jordan]

&lt;GS18&gt; Robot Contact with the All Clear Signal or Cliff Zone Before the End Game

Q1: Rule 1.5.4.2 says that only the first trigger of the All-Clear signal counts. Is this still true if there is a <GS18> violation?

Q2: That is, if a Robot rotates the All Clear Signal before End Game in violation of <GS18>, can the opposing Robot rotate the All Clear Signal on the same Mountain and earn points?

A1: No.

A2: Yes, for example, if a Red Alliance Robot contacts the All Clear Signal, Pull-up Bar or the Cliff Low Bar before the End Game in violation of rule <GS18>, a Blue Alliance Robot may rotate the All Clear Signal on the same Mountain and earn points.

[Air Jordan]

&lt;GS10&gt; Ingress into an Opposing Alliance Climbing Area

If a Robot is trying to Score in a Low Zone, Mid Zone, or High Zone Goal and Inadvertently but not Inconsequentially spills Debris onto the opposing side of the Mountain, does this violate <GS10>?

A: No, this is not a violation of rule <GS10>.

Game Design Committee Warning: Intentionally depositing Debris into an opposing Alliance Mountain Climbing Area is considered to be a strategy that Blocks Access and violates rule <GS9>. Inadvertently depositing Debris into an opposing Alliance Mountain Climbing Area during the act of Scoring into a Mountain Goal is allowed.

[Air Jordan]

&lt;G24&gt; Match Replay and &lt;S1&gt; Unsafe Robot and Playing Field Damage

If two Robots grab the All Clear Signal at the same time (during End Game) and try to hang from the Cliff Pull-up Bar, and the All Clear Signal breaks, does this count as failure of a field element under <G24> if the Match's outcome is changed by the breakage?

A: Yes.

Game Design Committee Warning: Referees may invoke rule <S1>, Playing Field Damage penalties, for the scenario described in the question.

[Air Jordan]

&lt;GS11&gt; Interfering with Climbing Robots

If two robots grab the All Clear Signal at the same time and try to hang, and one Robot Inadvertently slides down the All Clear Signal and the Robot extends into the opposing Area of the Mountain and contacts the opposing Robot, preventing the opposing Robot from hanging from the Cliff Pull-up Bar, is this penalized under <GS10> or <GS11> or forgiven under <G17>?

A: In general, the described scenario is a violation of rule <GS11> because of the consequential contact with the opposing Alliance Robot. However, Referees will use their judgment and they have the option to invoke rule <G17> and forgive the <GS11> rule violation.

[Air Jordan]

&lt;GS10&gt; Ingress into an Opposing Alliance Climbing Area

If two Robots grab the All Clear Signal at the same time and try to hang, and one Robot slides down the All Clear Signal and slides into the opposing Area of the Mountain, can this Robot still earn points for hanging from the Opposing side of the Cliff Pull-up bar?

A: Yes, per the Game Design Committee intent specified in rule <GS10>.

Game Design Committee Warning: Referees may invoke rule <GS11> if the Robot contact with the opposing Alliance Robot is consequential.

[Air Jordan]

Section 1.5.4.2 All Clear Signal Scoring

If, during End Game, a Blue Robot contacts the All Clear Signal first and begins to rotate it, but does not rotate it to an approximately vertical position before the Red Robot contacts the All Clear Signal with more force and successfully rotates it to an approximately vertical position, which Robot earns the points?

A: The first Robot to rotate the corresponding Alliance color baton upward into an approximate vertical orientation earns twenty points for the Alliance indicated by the color of the baton as specified in the All Clear Signal scoring section 1.5.4.2. In the scenario described in the question, the Red Alliance Robot is the first Robot to rotate the All Clear Signal in its favor (i.e., the red color baton is approximately vertical). The Red Alliance should be awarded the All Clear Signal points for the Mountain.

[Air Jordan]

&lt;G10&gt; Autonomous to Driver-Controlled Period Transition

Q1: When a Robot is Parked on the Mountain during the Autonomous Period, what criteria will the Head Referee use to reposition it under <G10>?

Q2: For example, if the robot is precariously perched on the Mountain and unable to be driven off safely without risk of tipping or damage (in the judgment of the Head Referee), would the robot be repositioned under <G10>?

Q3: For a more extreme example, could a team design a one-way mechanism for use during the Autonomous Period and depend on the Head Referee to move the Robot off the Mountain so that the Robot could participate in the Driver-Controlled portion of the Match?

A1: The Head Referee will make adjustments to a Robot's position and orientation when adjustments are deemed necessary to enable a Robot to participate in the Driver-Controlled portion of the Match.

A2: This is a judgment call to be made the the Head Referee.

A3: No.

[Air Jordan]

Section 1.5.3.2 Scoring for Zip Line Climbers

Consider the case when a Blue Robot is Disabled and Blocking Access to the Red Mountain Climbing Area on the Red side of the Playing Field. In this case, the Red Robot may be unable to trigger the Red Climbers. Under <GS12>, the Red Robot can proceed to the Mountain on the Blue side of the Playing Field and climb on the Blue Mountain Climbing Area. Can the Red Robot also trigger the Blue Climbers and earn points for Red?

A: The Red Alliance Robot is allowed to engage the triggers for the Blue Alliance Zip Line Climbers. However, the Zip Line Climber points will be awarded to the Blue Alliance. Zip Line Climbers are Alliance specific and scoring isn't affected by which Alliance Robot activates the Zip Line Trigger as specified in section 1.5.3.2.

[Air Jordan]

&lt;GS12&gt; Disabled Robot Blocking Access to or In the Opposing Alliance Climbing Area

Consider the case when a Blue Robot is Disabled and Blocking Access to the Red Mountain Climbing Area. Under <GS12>, the Red Robot can use the Blue Mountain Climbing Area on either side of the Playing Field. A circumstance may arise, particularly near the End Game, when the functioning Blue Robot and a Red Robot both wish to access the same Blue Mountain Climbing Area that either is allowed to climb. Does the functioning Blue Robot have to give the right of way to the Red Robot if neither is contacting the Blue Mountain Climbing Area and the Blue Robot can get there first?

A: The functioning Blue Alliance Robot does not have to give the right of way to the Red Alliance Robot in the scenario described in the question.