[Al Skierkiewicz]

The Team Update material gives teams who have unintentionally scuffed their wheels to return them to as near "out of the box" condition as possible. Checking the wheels for wear and any possible change in the coefficient of friction will be a line item on the Inspection Checklist. (Watch for it soon on a First website near you!) The inspectors are trained to look for certain anamolies that may give a team an advantage or cause playing field damage. Two methods are suggested in the team update to correct issues for teams that practice on surfaces other than the regolith. Inspectors and refs are charged with insuring each team plays with a robot that meets spec and all that that implies. There may be problems that the prescribed method cannot correct. Replacement may be the only option in those cases. Be prepared.
Inspectors meet on a phone conference each Monday night to discuss these and other issues and to try and make inspections uniform around the world. These conferences begin before the first event.