Driver-Controlled Period

[Billie Jean]

Answers to questions about the Driver-Controlled Period.

[Air Jordan]

Subject: Ring Stuck in the Return Rack Question: During the Driver-Control Period, if a ring is placed by the Human Player in the Return Rack AND it gets stuck (does not fall out of playing field side), is the Human Player allowed to reach into the Return Rack to retrieve the stuck ring and attempt to return it again?

Answer: Yes

[Air Jordan]

Subject: <G27> Removing Game Elements from the Playing Field and <G16> Human Player Station - Returning Rings to the Playing Field

Question: For Remote Events, what will occur with the Rings that go outside the field perimeter either by robot launching, or when a match is played without a solid side perimeter barrier?

Answer: The answer that you seek is found by reading rules <G27> and <G16> in the Game Manual Part 2 - Remote Events. Field Personnel and the Human Player may return Rings from outside the Playing Field back into the Playing Field.

Rule <G27> states that Rings that go outside the Playing Field Boundary will be returned to the Playing Field by Field Personnel at the earliest safe and convenient opportunity at a non-Scoring location approximately where it left the field. The intent of this rule is to apply to Rings that exit the Playing Field and are out of reach by the Human Player Station.

Rule <G16> allows the Human Player to leave the Human Player Station to retrieve Rings. The Human Player shall use the Return Rack to introduce Rings into the Playing Field.

[Air Jordan]

Subject: Blocked Return Rack

Question: In the event that a human player's ring return were no longer a viable method of getting rings back into the field (i.e. zip tie breaks, disabled robot it, etc.), then what would be the best recourse for them to return their rings to the field? Would they be allowed to toss them back in one at a time from the same height as the ring return? Should they pass them over to the opposing human player to let them return them?

Answer: In the highly unlikely case that a Ring Return Rack is rendered unusable/blocked, the Head Referee can declare the Ring Return Rack obstructed. Once this declaration has taken place, the Human Player may drop/gently toss the Rings back into the Playing Field with a couple of constraints:

• the Ring needs to land in the back portion of the field (i.e. not in the Launch Zone)
• the Ring needs be dropped/tossed with the minimum force required
• the Ring should not be directed towards any Robot or Wobble Goal
• the Ring should be returned in approximately the same location on the field as the Ring Return Rack

Violations of the above constraints should be treated as violations of <GS4> ... i.e. a warning followed by Minor Penalty per infraction for subsequent violations.

[Air Jordan]

Subject: <GS6> Control/Possession Limits of Scoring Elements - Deflecting a Ring that Exits the Return Rack.

Question 1: If a ring rolls from the return rack, hits the ground, and bounces off the robot, would it be considered herding/controlling? The game manual's definition of "herding" is "pushing or impelling one or more Game Elements to a desired location or direction that gains a strategic advantage beyond moving the Robot around the Playing Field," however the robot would not pushing the ring(s) to a location; it would be blocking their path.

Question 2: If our robot is in possession of 3 rings and intentionally moves to block the path of another ring rolling from the return rack, would a penalty be incurred?

Answer 1: For a Remote competition, no Penalty is assessed if the Robot is Possessing or Controlling two or fewer Rings when Ring contact occurs.

Answer 2: Yes, the action described violates rule <GS6>.

[Air Jordan]

Subject: <GS6> Control/Possession Limits of Scoring Elements - Inadvertent Contact with a Ring Entering the Playing Field

Based on answer at https://ftcforum.firstinspires.org/f...trolled-period, it said " If our robot is in possession of 3 rings and intentionally moves to block the path of another ring rolling from the return rack, would a penalty be incurred?", answer is "Yes, the action described violates rule".

Question: What if the robot does not intentionally moves to block the path of another returned ring, but happens to sit in a location preparing to shoot for the goal with 3 rings on robot, then a returned ring hit the robot. Will that violate the rule and get penalty? It is really hard to avoid hit by returned ring in that case.

Answer: The scenario described in the question is Inadvertent contact between the Robot and Ring that does not violate rule <GS6>.

[Air Jordan]

Subject: Control/Possession Limits of Scoring Elements

Question 1: If a team implements auto ring detection and ejection, does it violate GS6 if the excess ring momentarily stays inside the intake but gets ejected right away?

Question 2: If a team accidentally picks up 4 rings, and scored all of them within 5 seconds, how many minor penalties do they get?

Question 3: If a team drives the robot close to the return rack, and one or more rings touch the robot first, then bounce to the floor, is this action legal? If not, what's the penalty?

Question 4a: If a team has an arm on their robot sticking out, that is designed to block rings passing by? Is this design legal?

Question 4b: If not, what about the arm is only sticking out when the robot controls less than 3 rings, and as soon as the robot is in possession of 3 rings, the arm is raised up, is this legal?

Answer 1: The action described does not violate rule <GS6>, provided that the fourth Ring Possession is brief, Inadvertent, and Inconsequential.

Answer 2: One (1) immediate Minor Penalty for Possessing one (1) Ring over the three Ring limit plus one (1) Minor Penalty for Scoring a Ring while the Robot Controls or Possesses more than the allowed three Ring maximum.

Answer 3: In general, this scenario is Inadvertent and Inconsequential Ring to Robot contact and not a violation of rule <GS6>. A rule <GS6> violation should be assessed if the Robot Controls or Possesses the maximum allowed three Rings and this is a deliberate strategy to Herd or direct Rings for an advantage.

Answer 4a: In general, a Robot arm design feature does not violate Robot Construction rules. How the Robot arm is used during gameplay may violate game rules. For example, rule <GS6>b states that Controlling or Possessing a Ring by a Robot before the Ring has been Supported by the Playing Field Floor earns a Minor Penalty for each occurrence [independent of how may Rings are Controlled or Possessed].

If Ring Herding or deflection is the Robot's strategy, a rule <GS6> Penalty should be assessed if a Ring exits the Ring Return Rack, contacts the Playing Field Floor, then contacts the Robot when the Robot already Possesses or Controls three or more Rings.

Answer 4b: For a Remote Competition Match, no <GS6>a Penalty is assessed in this scenario for non-<GS6>b contact if the Robot is Possessing or Controlling two or fewer Rings.

[Air Jordan]

Subject: Human Player Manipulation of the Ring Return Rack

Question: Is it legal for the human player to apply pressure to the return rack to control where rings fall?

Answer: No

[Air Jordan]

Subject: Is the Transitive Property Applied to Stacked Rings?

Question 1: If a ring leaves the return chute, is completely supported by the playing field, and then ends up completely supported by another ring, is that ring still eligible for scoring? (Rule GS6, 1B)

Question 2: If a ring is placed by the robot on top of another ring, is that ring still eligible for scoring?

Answer 1: Yes

Answer 2: Yes, provided that the top Ring was eligible to be Scored before the Robot placed it on top of another Ring that is on the Playing Field Floor..

[Air Jordan]

Subject: <GS4>c Human Player Ring Handling - Returning Rings to the Playing Field as Quickly as Practical

Question: Is the intent of <gs4>(c) to prevent teams from hoarding rings from other teams or is it about holding them until it's strategic to intake them? If the former, how does this apply to remote events?

Answer: The intent of the rule is to address both scenarios. The Human Player is required to return Rings to the Playing Field as quickly as practical for both Traditional and Remote Events.

[Air Jordan]

Subject: <GS4>c Human Player Ring Handling - Robot Directly Under the Return Rack

In the clarification to rule <GS4>(c), you stated "The Human Player is required to return Rings to the Playing Field as quickly as practical for both Traditional and Remote Events." However, for remote events, we see different teams interpreting this rule differently and many human players are holding rings for 5+ seconds at times before putting them into the return rack. We have a few follow-up questions:

Question 1: Is the human player allowed to hold rings if the robot is directly under the return rack so as to avoid <GS6>(b) penalties? If so, how long can the human player hold those rings?

Question 2: If the answer to #1 is yes, then is the human player allowed to hold rings if the robot is driving up to/near the return rack but is not actually on the field tile directly below the return rack?

Question 3: If the answer to #1 is no, then when should the penalty be assessed? Rule <GS4>(c) says "Penalties will be assessed per Ring with additional Penalties per Ring for every five seconds the violation continues." Does this mean that the first penalty is assessed after the first five seconds or is the penalty assessed earlier? If earlier, then how long can the human player hold rings before putting them into the return rack before being penalized?

Answer 1: Yes. The Human Player may wait as long as necessary to avoid a rule <GS6> violation. The intent of <GS4>c is to prevent the hoarding of Rings, not to force a Human Player to drop a Ring into their Robot.

Answer 2: Yes, if there is a reasonable risk of causing the Robot to receive a rule <GS6> Penalty.

Answer 3: Not applicable.