[Jarren Harkema]

The way I've interpreted the rule is if you don't want a ball, you don't have to have one. In fact I saw multiple matches where there were only one or two balls loaded at the beginning of the match.

I too observed the Southfield tournament, and it was painful to watch three robots miss their shots. Even worse was when the balls were positioned next to the robots, and they simply drive away at the start of auto.

My opinion: If you can't shoot reliably, don't start with a ball.