[The Lucas]

Originally Posted by AlDee

In 2009, our front bumpers failed inspection at the championship, because the plywood backing inside was a half inch shorter than the minimum, even though the bumpers themselves were technically the correct length, and they had previously passed inspection at the regional. In the end it came down the the inspector's interpretation of the rules, even though there was no rule that specifically said the internal backing material had to be a specific length.

In that anecdote, it didn't come down to some inspector's arbitrary interpretation. That was the rule as originally written, immediately clarified by the GDC in the Q&A (below), and reemphasized in Team Update #2

Minimum Length Bumper Segments
Minimum Length Bumper Segments
Posted by FRC1114 at 01/07/2009 05:58:04 pm
<R08>-A states "BUMPERS must be build in segments, with a minimum length of six inches..."
<R08>-J states "Corners and joints between BUMPER segments may be filled with short vertically oriented pool noodle..." Will bumpers be measured by the length of the plywood backing, or the plywood backing + any vertically oriented pool noodles used for corners? i.e. Can we have a minimum length 6" bumper, with less than 6" of plywood.
Cheers,
Re: Minimum Length Bumper Segments
Posted by GDC at 01/09/2009 10:11:08 pm
Please refer to Team Update #2. As indicated in Rule <R08>, BUMPERS must include a solid plywood backing (as well as the pool noodles, clamping angles, and fabric cover). The length of the the bumper assembly that includes all of these items is what determines the "bumper length."