[FTC]: Illegal: Pushing the Ball Tube and/or Intentional Contact with Ball Tubes

[wgardner]

Hi Everybody,

I just wanted to make sure that I'm not misunderstanding something.

It looks like the recent rulings in the Game Forum say that any intentional contact with any ball tube (including pushing a tube on your own alliance's rolling goals) is illegal and will result in a penalty. See for example this forum posting (http://ftcforum.usfirst.org/showthread.php?3035-Game-Rules-and-Game-Play-Answer-Thread&p=10343&viewfull=1#post10343) and this other forum posting (http://ftcforum.usfirst.org/showthread.php?3035-Game-Rules-and-Game-Play-Answer-Thread&p=10474&viewfull=1#post10474).

The Game Video shows a robot running around pushing a goal by its ball tube the whole time. These rulings would seem to indicate that all of these actions shown in the Game Video would be illegal.

Does everyone else have the same understanding?

(Yes, yes, I know that the Forum takes priority over everything else, but I'd like to think that they'd make a bigger deal out of this change as I'd guess that many teams, especially rookies, aren't closely following the Forum and may be building a robot based on the Video and Game Manuals which may then end up being illegal and incurring big penalties.)

[ftcTeam6389]

Yes, that is our understanding as well. Teams should plan on controlling the rolling goals by the base only.

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Rachel
Team Captain
FTC Team #6389 - The LazyBotts

[MattRain]

That's how I'm reading it as well. I would really like to have a clarification even more, as I'm one of the Head Referees in AZ.

[wgardner]

I would really like to have a clarification even more, as I'm one of the Head Referees in AZ.
I asked the forum but have not seen a reply. This seems to be typical if they think the question has been answered before even if their answers end up confusing lots of people.

This time is particularly confusing and concerning because they originally answered that you could push a ball tube and then went back later and reversed their decision by updating a previous forum post. So now, not only do you have to read all of the forum posts, but you have to go back and reread ones you've already read from time to time in case they reverse themselves!

I would humbly suggest that for major clarifications like this, FIRST should release an update to the game manual with the change clearly spelled out. This is particularly true for things that are shown grossly wrong in the game video. I'm not sure if anybody out there has enough pull within FIRST to suggest this? Say, maybe one of the Head Referees of AZ? :)

[ftcTeam6389]

The GDC has made an official ruling on this here (http://ftcforum.usfirst.org/showthread.php?3035-Game-Rules-and-Game-Play-Answer-Thread&p=10707&viewfull=1#post10707)

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Rachel
FTC Team #6389 - "The LazyBotts"