[dtengineering]

Well, we're rehashing a rule for a game that has passed, which is not particularly productive... aside from the fact that it does highlight an ambiguity that the GDC may want to tighten up for next year.

However since we're having a bit of fun examining this rule, I believe the GDC posted to the Q&A explaining that the "bumper zone" consisted of the space between two planes... one 2.5 and the other 8.5 inches off the field. This means that if a robot accidentally drives on top of another very low robot then the contact did occur within the bumper zone... even though it occurred on a horizontal surface within the bumper zone that was not intended to push or interact against other robots... meaning that <G35> does not apply. The contact was INSIDE the bumper zone.

It is an academic argument at this point, of course. On a general note, however, while requiring ALL teams to use standard bumpers eliminates some design choices (and just try finding pool noodles in Canada in winter... it can be done, but they aren't that common...) and is not something I'd really like to see, I can heartily recommend that bumpers make life happier.

Jason