[jacobhurwitz]

The two rules covering robocoach signals are G01 and G49. According to G01, "The ROBOT may react to no more than four distinct external commands provided by the ROBOCOACH." Yet G49 clarifies this: "If the ROBOCOACH will be providing signals to the ROBOT, then prior to the start of each MATCH the ROBOCOACH must place a Signaling Card in the ROBOCOACH STATION. The Signaling Card shall be a 3-inch by 5-inch card listing the one to four actions that can be commanded by the ROBOCOACH."

Notice the varying language between the rules: four commands versus four actions. A command is self-explanatory: for example, the robocoach can send a 1, 2, 3, or 4. However, the rules never explain what an action is. Is an action something physical or something in the program?

Physical actions could include driving straight, turning left, or a series of actions (raise arm, hit ball, then lower arm). Programming actions could be adding a number to a register, or adding a number to a stack or queue. If you interpret the rules to mean that the robocoach can command four different programming actions, then those four programming actions can command more than four different physical actions. For example, you could create 16 physical actions by pressing two buttons in sequence, still using only four programming actions.

Is this loophole valid, or do the rules imply that the four actions must be physical?