Different Types of Balls?

[Karibou]

Originally Posted by tzjin

Hi all,

So we're currently at the regional in Chesapeake, and we've noticed that FIRST is using two distinct types of foam balls: red inside (firm), and yellow inside (soft). This is wrecking havoc with many compression-based shooters, since the ball trajectory and total distance will change so much. We've been fine, since we have been able to shoot at the fender and minimize the variation, but many teams have had autonomous completely wrecked.

Does anybody know if these balls will be standardized sometime soon (by St. Louis at least)? I'm sure many other teams have this question too.

With a smile,
Tony

Field reset point of view:

I specifically looked at Waterford after reading this Friday night, and I didn't see any balls with a yellow inside - just red/pinkish/orangeish (depending on the lighting) ones. What you may have been seeing is the yellow foam that is directly under the orange outer material of the ball - it is a very thin cushion similar to the material under the fabric of 2009's orbit balls. Occasionally the orange coating would be scraped off and some yellow would show, but any chunks out of the ball should show the pink.

New balls are definitely more firm than old balls.

[Hebrew]

From what I saw at Lake Superior regional the only difference in the balls were that some were beat up and torn a bit and some were basically new. Our team really did not mind at all since the only times our robot contacts the balls are at the start when we take 2 just to keep them off the CO-OP bridge and when we bump into them randomly since we are strictly defense/balance.

[Travis Hoffman]

Don't let new balls get you down:

http://youtu.be/GxsalSrmCto

[MichaelBick]

Originally Posted by Travis Hoffman

Don't let new balls get you down:

http://youtu.be/GxsalSrmCto

I wonder if that is Legal?

[Travis Hoffman]

Originally Posted by MICHAELABICK

I wonder if that is Legal?

The two refs watching it take place in front of them don't seem to mind.

[dsalvucci]

Team 23 didn't look into it since there was nothing we could do about it to help our situation at the time, but we noticed that by the end of qualifiers in WPI almost none of the balls were the same size anymore. At the same time, however, there were some that still fit into our cannon like brand new despite being torn apart. Whether it be different balls or just being worn down at different rates we are not sure.

Unfortunately for our team, being driven by fan power on a shooter, that meant our scoring power was severely crippled. We went from being one of the best scorers in the early matches to being one of the worst by the end. Had it not been for our ability to balance, Team 23 would've been dead in the water.

[Hawiian Cadder]

At what level of wear have the refs been replacing the balls? We had problems powdering them when a jam occurs, how much wear is acceptable?

[dsalvucci]

In WPI's case, the balls were not replaced until the elimination matches(long enough for our robot to struggle enough to fall out of the top 8). Once the balls were replaced we started scoring well again.

PS I do not want this to come off as a rant. I enjoyed my time at WPI tremendously and would recommend it to anyone, im just providing seemingly relevant info

[SamMullen]

Originally Posted by dsalvucci

In WPI's case, the balls were not replaced until the elimination matches(long enough for our robot to struggle enough to fall out of the top 8). Once the balls were replaced we started scoring well again.

PS I do not want this to come off as a rant. I enjoyed my time at WPI tremendously and would recommend it to anyone, im just providing seemingly relevant info

At Chesapeake we replaced balls that had chunks taken out of them, but were hesitant to replace ones that only had scuff marks. We replaced all of the balls (regardless of level of wear and tear) for the elimination matches though. I would assume replacing the balls then is standard procedure, but I would love for someone else to back me up on that.

[Karibou]

Originally Posted by Hawiian Cadder

At what level of wear have the refs been replacing the balls? We had problems powdering them when a jam occurs, how much wear is acceptable?

I was told to replace balls with chunks missing from them. I believe that we also replaced a few that had evidently been through significant wear (lots of black streaks on the outside was a pretty good indicator). I'm sure that ball replacement standards will be different for every event, though, so take that with a grain of salt.

[Walter Deitzler]

Originally Posted by Travis Hoffman

Don't let new balls get you down:

http://youtu.be/GxsalSrmCto

I never thought of that, I might have to do it at the St. Louis Reigonal. Looks like a good way to break in the balls!




A bit off topic but, I was honored to be the 48th viewer of this video!

[Austin2046]

This may have been what happened to us in Oregon yesterday. we had been making hybrid baskets very consistently all through saturday up until the finals. In match 1 of the finals, nothing was different and our alliance scored 30 points in hybrid. Then suddenly in match 2 our hybrid shots flew clear over the backboard, and in match 3 it was the same. we lost finals matches 2 and 3 each by 9 points.

[216Robochick288]

There are some very different density balls out there! We have one at the build site we call the Wonderball because the first time 216 shot it, we almost took out a row of lights, 3 ceiling tiles and the rack of parts at the far end of our full length field!!! The next one we fired only went to the other end, hardly scraping the far bumper. We marked it and hid it where it will NEVER be shot indoors again.... It really messes with a lot of shooters.

[Sean Raia]

Originally Posted by Travis Hoffman

Don't let new balls get you down:

http://youtu.be/GxsalSrmCto

That is both hilarious and clever. *Pictures seeing 6 people on the field doing that routine*

Edit: its actually really neat to look at the wear and tear on the field at the end of the regional... We should have a "most beat up bridge" competition (not purposely beat up the bridge, but see which one has the most visible wear on it)

[A_Reed]

Originally Posted by Sean Raia

That is both hilarious and clever. *Pictures seeing 6 people on the field doing that routine*

All 18 balls were replaced before the elims started and before the first finals match they swapped out any broken balls from the rest of the elims. Before the first match only the red alliance took the time to 'condition' the balls, the blue teams got the hint and took the time to do this for final 2.

Not all of them took it to this extreme but there was a lot of single knee pounding and 'cpr' done on the once fresh balls.