Interaction Zone - From a Referee
 

Some teams are not reading the rules regarding the zones where contact and non-contact can occur. The field is clearly marked for all to see.

There will a team leaders meeting to discuss this and several other items of interest before the competition starts.

Interaction...
 

Is interaction allowed outside the "HOT" zone if the two machines are fighting for the possession of a ball?

The rules allow for "incidental" contact, of course, but that's not what Mike Martus was referring to; some teams are staging muggings outside of the "hot" zone and it looks like the refs are going to be giving out more than warnings from now on...

Intentional Contact...
 

Based on the following following statement in GR15, I was under the impression that INTENTIONAL contact was allowed as long as you were fignting to gain possession of a ball.

"A robot may attempt to steal or push a ball from an opponent at any time."

If I have misinterpreted this rule, which team would have the "right of way" to a ball that rolls outside of the "Hot Zone"?

Hot zone
 

You are correct.

What I was referring to was the teams that were ramming and pushing other robots with no intention of getting a ball ( there was no ball there and the robot had none ). This was well into the zone (several feet) and was very calucated on their part.

Teams will be turned off if the action is clearly to push the other robot around or damage them with no intent to get a ball to score.

Rough play should be limited to the "Hot" zone, that is why it is called that.

Sports Analogy
 

Think of it this way:
outside of the hot zone, the robots are playing basketball, inside the hot zone they're playing hockey.

Hot Zone
 

What a great answer!