Suggestions for resolving stuck balls

[ToddF]

I liked the aspect of the game that required teams to come up with a technical solution to the ball-in-a-dead-robot problem. But, since they are considering changing the rules, I'll make some suggestions.

Balls stuck on trusses are a field fault.

Change autonomous mode to be 15 seconds long. For the first 5 seconds, neither goal is hot. For the next ten seconds, the goals function as before, randomly becoming hot. This allows time for floor loading of balls, and robots do not need to be preloaded. It also makes it clear which teams respect their partners enough to floor load rather than preloading their robots for auto.

During teleop, if a team feels their robot is dead, they may hit the estop. If the ball is released from the robot within 10 seconds, no other action is necessary, and their only penalty results from potential loss of alliance points. If the ball remains stuck after 10 seconds, that ball is considered dead, and the pedestal light is lit, allowing a replacement to be introduced. That team is issued a yellow card.