[DjScribbles]

It seems to me that further penalizing a team with a stuck ball isn't really necessary (via forcing an E-Stop, foul points, etc).

If placing a new ball into play resets all assist points on a cycle, then that reset can be an effective penalty against the team. If the ball returns to play it must be cleared from the field, just as a left over autonomous ball would be, before a new cycle can resume.

Extra balls on the field are not a benefit in this game, as they only serve to disrupt an alliances rhythm, and present an obstacle to high-value objectives; if a ball gets stuck, reset the cycle, put a new one in play, and get on with the game.

Just my 0.02$