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But, come on. . . distance from the floor to underside of the barrier is 14 5/16" +/- 1/2" ?!?
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I don't think you have to worry about the distance being different at every event. The FIRST fields will all be built to spec: 14-5/16". So at most or all events, that's what it will be. What FIRST can't control is if a given venue does not have a hard floor or cover for their floor (almost all do) and instead puts down a soft/foam layer on the floor under the carpet - in which case the field could possibly "sink" a little and affect that distance.
In general you can count on the distance being 14-5/16". I think they are just trying to cover themselves and be honest with all the teams - that it would be wise to give yourself a little room.
Even without this update, that's good advice - it's always good to give yourself a little safety room just in case the field you're on is not EXACTLY to spec. Personally, any team I speak to, I advise them to always give AT LEAST 1/4" on their frame and field measurements when designing (e.g. I wouldn't build the frame to exactly 30x36, and I would build an "under the bar" bot higher than 14" tall - just to be safe. But that's just me)
Not sure if that helps at all - just wanted to clarify that it's more of a "venue" issue than a "FIRST field" issue.
JM