[jspatz1]

I think it is very unlikely for an "arms race" of speed to the first ball to become a thing. Firstly, there are only a handful of robots, out of hundreds at CMP, that have demonstrated the 2-ball auto. The odds of meeting one in a match and being prepared to reach this ball faster than them (< 0.5 seconds?) in a match where they decide attempt it is extremely small. Can burglars in 2015 were much, much more common.

Secondly, the space available between this first ball and the berm on the defensive side is very narrow. Most robots would not fit in this space facing the ball. We once tried to place a dead partner in this space, and could not fit them there even sideways. Any movement required by the defensive bot is unlikely to win a race to the ball, the 2-baller has a significant set-up advantage.