[ColleenShaver]

I disagree that FIRST is attempting to promote malicious strategies or non-gracious professional behavior. That is up to individual teams and how they chose to act, play and interpret the rules.

I do interpret the rule modification in Update 3 as Wayne did and I think it is ridiculous. It would be one thing if your alliance partner was 'supporting' your robot to stay on the ramp, but if they are simply touching, it's going to hurt many teams I think and cause many headaches for the referees.

Plus - given that if the opposing robot is, say, pushing up your front wheels and the rest of you is touching the platform only then you will count as in.... even if when the alliance robot isn't there you would not be fully on the ramp (if you get what I mean).

This is going to make some on-the-field calls like "if you're going up the ramp, don't go anywhere near us!!". It will be a challenge in on the field tactics to make sure you don't subtract your own points like crazy.

But oh well, the rules are the rules.. it all makes the strategy a little more interesting and fun... (whether or not the game is audience friendly anymore....)