Entanglement Rules...

[Jim Meyer]

Are there any rules against entangling another robot?

I am aware of entanglement hazard rules, but no actual rules against getting entangled with another robot. I am trying to make a point as to the difference between something that is likely to entangle another robot or a machine that gets entangled with another robot in a match. I only bring this point up because I have seen people complain that teams should be disqualified for getting entangled with their robot.

How do entanglement rules apply to machines that are designed to pull other machines into their own endzone? (like forklift type devices)

[Joe Johnson]

I agree with you, Jim, there is no rule against actual entanglement, just things that are likely to entangle.

We have been hooked (entangled) by many teams over the years, it has never been called illegal.

Even if a team is actually pinning another robot more than the allowed time limit because they are entangled with that robot the pinning rule is not enforced.

Other opinions welcome.

Joe J.

[Mike Soukup]

It happened to us in the elims at GLR. We were battling with Truck Town (team 68) for a goal and one of their arms got entangled in our ball chute. We couldn't break free to score the goal we had posession of. Some of the students on 111 were upset and thought the 68 alliance won unfairly. But I told them that what happened on the field was 100% legal and 68 didn't do anything wrong.

Mike

[Kris Verdeyen]

The rule says that if your strategy is to entangle, then you can be DQ'd, but accidental entanglements are forgivable.

[purplehaze357]

If you run into a fork-lift type robot....or a "bully bot" of which their strategy is to entangle(which i dont think there is a robot that goes out with the intent to entangle)...this happened to us in philly and because there was no intent to entangle it was deamed incdental and ten points were awarded to our alliance for puttig them in our zone....this was completely accidental the robot drove into us trying to push us and i backed up and the controls and the robot got dragged along with me....soo since it wasnt intentional for them to tangle with us...there is nothing they can do...and we actually almost got called for pinning in this match because we got tied up near the rails...its amazing