[AmyPrib]

Going in goal more than 3" regardless of who caused it... DQ! Drive carefully opponents!

Question
Our robot is in the process of dumping balls into the corner goal and no part of the robot is extended into the goal. We are then pushed by an opponent's robot such that our dumping mechanism is now more than 3" into the goal. Who would receive the penalty for extending into the goal more than 3"?

Answer
Any robot that extends more than three inches into the goal (three inches past the plexiglas barrier) will be disqualified. If your robot has been designed such that it can extend into the goal, even if pushed, then you would be wise to operate the robot cautiously when in the vicinity of the goal.

Don't ram someone at high speed or excessively in automode!

Question
<G22> Intentional ROBOT - ROBOT Interaction - Strategies aimed solely at the destruction, damage, tipping over, or entanglement of ROBOTs are not in the spirit of the FIRST Robotics Competition and are not allowed.

If a robots only purpose, in autonomous mode, is to run across the field and push/ram a robot that is trying to shoot will they be penalized for damage to the other robot?
Will it depend on the speed of the ramming robot? Slow speed and pushing as opposed to high speed and ramming?

Answer
Robot strategies intended to disrupt the aim of an opposing robot are acceptable and to be expected as long as they are not excessive. Excessive robot-to-robot interactions, as defined in Rule <G22> are not acceptable. This rule apples to both autonomous and teleoperated phases of the game.