Re: Questions on the arena
 

I would assume eventually an update will be released giving an exact formula/algorithm of some sorts to determine this-I believe that's what they did in 2010. Basically, IIRC, the way formula/algorithm was written was so that you had more time to get rid of the balls once you had more balls in the alliance station.

Re: Questions on the arena
 

Im wondering if you get penilized for entering the other alliances alley? I havent seen any rules about not being allowed to.

Re: Questions on the arena
 

You are only penalized when you touch an opposing robot in the alley. Same for the keys.

Re: Questions on the arena
 

No, there appears to be no penalty for entering your opponent's Alley(and you don't get penalized in the Catalyst simulator), only when there is contact. Regardless of who commits the contact. In other words, if you're in your opponent's alley, you're fine, but if someone on your opponent's alliance touches your robot, the penalty is against you, per <G28> and the blue box underneath it:

Re: Questions on the arena
 

This would change our strategy massively. Does anyone have a setup to try it yet?

Re: Questions on the arena
 

It's not necessarilly a setup needed in my opinion, moreso just the brute force required to do such a thing. And the fact that rule <G33> doesn't clarify whether or not Inbounders can break the vertical plane formed by the Starting Line, or if the rule is only that their feet can't cross it, so that's something to think about. Also keep in mind, the under-publicized "end game", as I consider it, is that in the last 30 seconds, you can throw the ball over the Inbound Station.

Re: Questions on the arena
 

We had a field set up in NC yesterday and one of the mentors demonstrated a method of throwing the ball through the slots so that it would bounce over the barrier if unimpeded.

Re: Questions on the arena
 

Past interpretations have been foot faults. In fact, it pretty much has to be that, because the Corral is beyond the Starting Line. You can't have one rule that says the Inbounders must reach across the line, and another that says they can't. But it's something to ask the GDC.

Re: Questions on the arena
 

Except...
I'm not sure the Starting Line extends across the front of the Corral, so the question may be irrelevant anyway.

Re: Questions on the arena
 

Keep in mind that in 2010, there were sensors that could keep track of every time a ball entered and exited. There are no sensors (as far as I can tell) on the inbound slot. Hence it would be kinda hard to determine the time it takes to inbound the ball after it is scored.

That is only if we can have more then one inbounded with a set. Also, we will need to ask if passing is aloud.

Re: Questions on the arena
 

If one Inbounder passes (throws) the Basketball to another Inbounder, then after the first Inbounder throws the Basketball, but before the second Inbounder catches it:
The Basketball in the air, it has been removed from the Corral, it is in the Alliance Station, but it is not being held by an Inbounder. This seems like a violation of [G31].

Of course, by this interpretation, throwing the Basketball into the Inbound Slot would also violate [G31] despite probably being within the intent of the game rules.

Huh, that is interesting. But, we don't need to 'throw' it either. Can just do a line and pass it if you desire.

Back to the original question, it is sounding like we can have up to three in-bounders holding 6 basketballs at one time?

Re: Questions on the arena
 

Tried! Succeeded. Was able to get one bounce in the near court and the next in the far court on my best try. With nothing but field elements in the way, I was able to get around 75% over the hump. With practice and more youth, I'd predict more like 95% for the best throwers. A variant of a volley ball serve can be made to work too, but I only tried it once.

Re: Questions on the arena
 

Cool! Thanks!