[pntbll1313]

This may sound like lawyering but I promise it was not. We send a student to the question box because we had a question based on what we had read in the Q&A and how it was called on the field. To set it up this was in the elims. A robot was climbing on the front of the pyramid. Our robot drove to the feeder station to refill. As it turned the corner it touched the far back corner of a pyramid with its bumper (about 8 feet from the climbing robot). Because we touched the pyramid we were assessed a penalty per G27, and given a red card, and our alliance forfeited the match. We asked the head ref why that was considered “consequential contact”. And referred the Q&A below where it states “For example, if a ROBOT contacts the opponent's PYRAMID as it drives past it, and no opponent ROBOTS are nearby or affected, the action would be considered inconsequential.” It is completely justifiable for the ref to say in his judgment it is consequential because touching any part of the pyramid as someone was climbing must be affected and is worthy of a red card. And he did say something similar. However he also said that the Q&A is not official so the below did not matter. We won the match and I am not bitter I am just wondering how to proceed in the future if a situation comes up that is more clearly addressed in a Q&A to show a ref. (I understand that G27 is a little arbitrary and not cut and dry enough to probably ever get overturned)

Q190
Q.What determines "inconsequential" contact with an opponent PYRAMID? Is consequentiality based on the consequence of the whole action, or only on how the itself pyramid is contacted? e.g. Is it legal to touch an opponent's pyramid while hitting climbing/shooting opponent (not contacting its pyramid)?
A.The determination of if an act is consequential or not is determined based on what happens because of the action. For example, if a ROBOT contacts the opponent's PYRAMID as it drives past it, and no opponent ROBOTS are nearby or affected, the action would be considered inconsequential. If a ROBOT contacts the opponent's PYRAMID and blocks an opponent's attempt to CLIMB, it would be considered consequential. Contacting an opponent ROBOT who is contacting its PYRAMID is illegal per [G30].