[Lil' Lavery]

Ramming, oh boy ramming...
The biggest change in rules from prior years to this one, in regards to defensive contact, it the one dealing with bumper zones. Whether this rule should or should not effect ramming is a debate that will likely rage long into the season. Here's my interpretation:
The bumper zones deal more with contact area than the bumpers dampening the blows themselves. Generally, base-to-base contact is not incredibly harmful, aside of maybe a wire coming unplugged, a couple bolts becoming loose (if not loc-tited etc) and that level of damage, even when it is a high speed collision from 10-15 feet away. The issue becomes of robot damage typically becomes involved when a robot tips or suffers a blow to lesser protected area, such as a shoulder, arm, shooter, etc. A majority of these infractions occur when contact is made high on the robot.
With the establishment of penalties for almost ANY high contact (the exception I beleive is when it is obviously un-intentional, such as your robot tipping, or your robot being shoved; and/or when your robot is helping an alliance member onto the ramp) you have taken away the biggest cause of damage, disabling, cripping, and tipping caused to other robots. Thus why more liberty can be applied to LEGAL contact in the "bumper zone".