Quote:
G25 A ROBOT may not attempt to stop or impede the flow of the MATCH in any of the following ways:
A. intentionally tipping over
B. coordinating a blockade of the FIELD with ALLIANCE members
C. blocking GOAL(S) while in contact with its own BATTER using anything outside its
FRAME PERIMETER except its BUMPERS
D. blocking more than one of the opponent’s HUMAN PLAYER STATION openings while not
contacting the carpet in the opponent’s SECRET PASSAGE
E. isolating BOULDERS in the opponent’s SECRET PASSAGE from opponents while not
contacting the carpet in the opponent’s SECRET PASSAGE
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G25-E has no bearing on this situation. You are trapping boulders in your own secret passage, not the opponents.
Quote:
G28 ROBOTS may not control more than one (1) BOULDER at any time.
Violation: FOUL per extra BOULDER
Moving or positioning a BOULDER to gain advantage is considered
“control.”
Examples include, but are not limited to:
A. “carrying” (holding BOULDERS inside a ROBOT)
B. “herding” (intentionally pushing or impelling BOULDERS to a desired
location or direction)
C.“trapping” (holding one or more BOULDERS against a FIELD element
in an attempt to shield or guard them)
D. “launching” (shooting BOULDERS into the air, kicking across the
floor, or throwing in a forceful way)
Examples of interaction with BOULDERS that are not “control” include,
but are not limited to:
A. “bulldozing” (inadvertent contact with BOULDERS while in the path of
the ROBOT moving about the FIELD)
B. “deflecting” (being hit by a BOULDER that bounces into or off of a
ROBOT).
If a BOULDER becomes lodged in or on a ROBOT, it will be considered
controlled by the ROBOT. It is important to design your ROBOT so that
it is impossible to inadvertently or unintentionally control more than the
allowed maximum.
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I would argue that G28 outlaws this strategy. I would consider playing defense in your own courtyard against balls in your own secret passage as an example of "trapping boulders against a field element". It is analogous (in the eyes of your opponent) to playing defense on a group of boulders in a corner of the field as they have no other (legal) access point. IIRC, this was clarified in a Q&A as illegal, and a foul per extra boulder (herding in a corner, not herding in SP). Therefore, if I were reffing a match where a defender in the courtyard was actively trying to prevent the opponent from obtaining multiple balls from the defender's secret passage, I would likely call a foul per boulder. IF the defender was an appreciable distance away from the defense-guardrail choke point, I probably wouldn't consider it trapping. Only if they were close to blockading the choke point. There has to be an ability, however small, for the offender to get past the defender (robot and driver skill excluded) However, every event is called differently and your mileage may vary.
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I might even argue that a team entering the secret passage from the neutral zone to obtain boulders would have a fair argument for a G11 under this scenario. I'm sure it would take a lot of effort to convince the head ref though...