Originally Posted by Nathan Streeter (Post 1018676)

From R48A:
"A ROBOT with a mechanism outside of its BUMPER PERIMETER may be penalized under this rule if it appears they are using that MECHANISM to purposefully contact another ROBOT inside its FRAME PERIMETER."

It sounds like the teams that have made mechanisms that extend out of the bumper perimeter to defend against other robots have had their designs ruled against! I'm sure it would've been valuable to know this intent earlier in the season... :-/

Originally Posted by Joe G. (Post 1018683)

I think the key word here is inside. This rule seems to penalize mechanisms that reach inside of an opponent's frame perimeter, but doesn't prevent a team from using an extension to contact an opponent's bumpers, or other devices also beyond the frame perimeter.

Originally Posted by Grim Tuesday (Post 1018828)

Eeh, dislike this update. Even if it is accidental, anyone who reaches inside a robot and messes up their electronics should be heavily penalized, not just a penalty. Yellow at minimum.

Originally Posted by JB987 (Post 1018849)

Great defensive strategy in some cases...a team can possibly take out opposing alliances top scoring bot now with just a yellow even if obviously intentional (and no red?). Why would the GDC reduce a basic level of protection all robots should benefit from to protect hundreds of hours of hard labor and thousands of dollars worth of equipment? Certainly means at the very least teams need an extra robust level of lexan shrouds protecting their vitals, and a minimum level of exposed wiring on their mechanisms...or maybe we should design a titanium shroud now?

Originally Posted by pfreivald (Post 1018855)

Better question: Why are you driving around with exposed electronics?

Originally Posted by JB987 (Post 1018849)

Great defensive strategy in some cases...a team can possibly take out opposing alliances top scoring bot now with just a yellow even if obviously intentional (and no red?).

Originally Posted by Chris is me (Post 1018913)

That's not the case at all. First, a yellow card means the "strategy" would obviously only work once.

(Once may be all that is needed if you take out a top scorer?)

Secondly, <G48> still exists - you would earn two yellow cards in a single match. Does that become a red card?

("Repeated or egregious violations of this rule will earn the offending ROBOT a YELLOW CARD."...doesn't say repeated violation earns a red card, it says repeateted violations receive a yellow card,Chris.)

"Violation: PENALTY and potential YELLOW CARD"



Because FIRST doesn't want to give out red cards to a team with an arm holding a tube that just brushes against another robot?

(From the blue box..."A ROBOT with a mechanism outside of its BUMPER PERIMETER may be penalized under
this rule if it appears they are using that MECHANISM to purposefully contact another
ROBOT inside its FRAME PERIMETER. Regardless of intent, a ROBOT with a
MECHANISM outside its BUMPER PERIMETER that causes damage to another ROBOT
inside of its FRAME PERIMETER will be penalized." So a penalty is to be assigned regardless of intent per this explanation, a yellow at most which a team may be willing to live with, especially for a high stakes qualifier late in the rounds.


Yellow cards are not trivial things! There is a BIG PENALTY for doing something. Why is that the end of the world now, just because they need to do it twice to get disqualified instead of once?