Quote:
Originally Posted by EricH
A "static set of Fabricated Items that shall not exceed 30 lbs"...
What I see there is that the set can't change--it's static. I don't see anything saying that each event has a different set; it's possible to make that argument by implication of semantics, but some folks call that lawyering rules.
In other words, the 30 lb you bring to event 1 is the 30 lb you bring to event 2 (I would concede repairs on a broken item as being allowed, for sure, possibly some replacement of worn COTS items in Fabricated Items, but not much more).
Again, that's how I'm reading the rules. I suspect that this would be a good Q&A question; after all, we've got two interpretations, and either could be right. One is a bit more lenient; one is a bit more cautious.
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This will indeed be a good one for the Q&A. I considered that they could be restricting the set of parts for all of a team's events, but I think it was probably intended to prevent a team from creating a large set of extra fabricated parts, and then bringing those parts to the event (from nearby storage) on an as-needed basis. (This arises with spare robots, practice robots, etc.. This may reopen the argument about whether to limit post-build fabrication, and whether such limits disproportionately impact less-wealthy teams or teams with tighter time constraints.)
I hope they clarify it to state that the 30 lb static set must be declared at the beginning of each event, and may be changed from event to event. Even better if they instruct teams to e-mail a simple list to FIRST, for the officials' reference.
Also, I'm glad they've ditched the term "withholding allowance". It wasn't really a good descriptor anymore, and the change serves to draw a distinction between old and new rules.