Would this be legal?

[Anthony Galea]

I've looked through the Game Manual, and I cannot find a rule that would prohibit this, so I'll see your opinion.

A team builds a robot just like this (sorry for the paint picture):
http://i43.tinypic.com/y0a5f.png
To try to block shooters. Not just full court shooters.
During the match, they plan to go under the opposing pyramid, and extend their blocker, like so:
http://i43.tinypic.com/2yotj08.jpg

Which stops teams from shooting through the pyramid.

Would this be considered legal? I know its after the season, but I thought of this and would like to know what you think.

[Gregor]

Are you contacting their pyramid? No.
Are you blockading? No.
Are you interfering with a climb? Maybe.

[AlecMataloni]

My advice? Read the rules/team updates. If it's not explicitly disallowed, then it's completely legal.

[tickspe15]

We found that we could block a pyramid shooter by just sitting in front of the pyramid with our 60 inch blocker

[dudefise]

We were able to block teams shooting through the pyramid with our very tall robot's body. Be careful though, if you get nudged into the pyramid it's a foul and possibly a tech or climb interference.

[apples000]

Also, from reading the rules, the height restrictions only apply during the match, but the scores are assessed 5 seconds after the match ends. If you grabbed four blue discs, parked near the pyramid, then at the last second pulled a pin which let a spring loaded arm go up and dump four colored discs in, would it be legal?

[ToddF]

I'd put it down as legal, but extremely dangerous for your alliance. You would be virtually assured to be committing penalties, either by touching the tower while a robot is touching it, or by touching a robot while they are touching the tower.

[AGPapa]

This is legal. Team 869 had a similar design (although theirs involved a wind stock being extended by a fan).

Here's a video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qG38P2a6CJg&t=1m50s

Contrary to what most posters in this thread believe, they did not rack up many penalties.

[JohnSchneider]

If you were playing a purely defensive role, and you block one shot then your opponent moves forwards to give you a 3 pt foul, you actually came out ahead. You forced your opponent to waste time and prevented as many points as were scored. Obviously if they auto fire 4 then come forwards you're way ahead.


2848 in Lubbock has this weird arm shooter thing sort of like 973, and they just stuck that through the pyramid to block shots. It worked well until they got sandwiched by 16 and the third robot and took some penalties.

[who716]

I don't think that is necessary because like I found out at battle cry, if there is a short robot one that can go under the pyramids and your a 60in tall robot you can just sit in front of the pyramid and block there shots you just have to be carful as they might try to draw a foul on you

[Chris is me]

If you were playing a purely defensive role, and you block one shot then your opponent moves forwards to give you a 3 pt foul, you actually came out ahead. You forced your opponent to waste time and prevented as many points as were scored. Obviously if they auto fire 4 then come forwards you're way ahead.

If you get a three point foul when your opponent drives forward to touch you, the foul was called wrong.

G18-1

Strategies aimed solely at forcing the opposing ALLIANCE to violate a rule are not in the spirit of FRC and are not allowed. Rule violations forced in this manner will not result in assessment of a penalty on the target ALLIANCE .

Violation: TECHNICAL FOUL


A literal interpretation of this rule would mean that sitting in the pyramid, a robot driving forward to "tap" you and then resume shooting, while remaining in contact with the pyramid, would result in a technical foul on the robot that was shooting.

I hate this rule, but it is what it is.

[AdamHeard]

If you were playing a purely defensive role, and you block one shot then your opponent moves forwards to give you a 3 pt foul, you actually came out ahead. You forced your opponent to waste time and prevented as many points as were scored. Obviously if they auto fire 4 then come forwards you're way ahead.


2848 in Lubbock has this weird arm shooter thing sort of like 973, and they just stuck that through the pyramid to block shots. It worked well until they got sandwiched by 16 and the third robot and took some penalties.

I love it.

[JohnSchneider]

I love it.

No offense given. I don't know the technical word to describe it :o