[EricH]

Originally Posted by kylelanman

Where does it indicate this in the manual?

Section 2.2.5: A Bridge will count as Balanced if it is within 5° of horizontal.
[G40] When the final score is assessed per [G37], a Balanced Alliance Bridge will earn points based on the number of Alliance Robots completely supported by the Bridge, per Section 2.2.5,[...]

In other words, to be balanced, a bridge must be within 5 degrees of horizontal and completely support any robots that are on it.

Should a basketball be under a bridge, in contact with both the bridge and the floor/ball deflector, SOME of the weight of the robots on the bridge will be transferred through that basketball. It's physics. So, the surface of the bridge is taking all the weight... but a little weight is going through the floor instead of the pivot, assisting with balancing.