Last minute question

[whitepokefrost]

Can a robot possess 2 balls this year? NOT AT THE BEGINNING, throughout the whole match.

[Chris_Ely]

There is only one ball in play for each alliance after autonomous, and G12 states that:

An ALLIANCE may not POSSESS their opponent’s BALLS.

So, no you cannot possess multiple balls.

[whitepokefrost]

Thank you but no help. During auto if a robot doesn't have a ball at the start of the match the ball is in the middle of the field. if we can hold two balls, can we?

[Chris_Ely]

Originally Posted by whitepokefrost

Thank you but no help. During auto if a robot doesn't have a ball at the start of the match the ball is in the middle of the field. if we can hold two balls, can we?

Ok, now I understand your question.
I can't find anything in the manual that states you can't, so I would be inclined to say yes. But, I am not the GDC, so you should ask the Q&A.

[Electronica1]

From what I understand from the rules, you can not start touching more than one ball but once the match has started you can pick up the rest of the balls. Although, you still can't pick up your opponents ball.

I am 75% sure on this but I have not seen anything on the q and a or in the manual about it.

I assume what you are trying to do is pick up your alliance partners balls after auto starts and score those so you do not have to drive back and forth for a multi-ball auto.

[Whippet]

No. No new balls are released onto the field until all autonomous balls are scored or declared as trapped in the robots.

[whitepokefrost]

Thanks for all the help. besides Whippet who needs to read the rest of the posts.

[Electronica1]

Remember this, no matter how cool chief delphi is, it is not official. If I were you, I would double check with the Q and A.

[Chris_Ely]

Originally Posted by whitepokefrost

Thanks for all the help. besides Whippet who needs to read the rest of the posts.

If you look at the time on his post, he was probably writing his post while mine was posted.

[Whippet]

I apologize, I misread your question. I thought you were implying that balls would be added to the field while another was still in play. In addition, The other posts that I "should have read" were posted while I was typing.

Also,

Originally Posted by whitepokefrost

During auto if a robot doesn't have a ball at the start of the match the ball is in the middle of the field.

This is incorrect. Only if the robot starts in the goalie zone can the ball be placed in the center zone, according to G5:

For ROBOTS starting in the white ZONE, the TEAM may preload one (1) of their ALLIANCE’s BALLS such that the BALL is touching their ROBOT.

For ROBOTS starting in their GOALIE ZONE the TEAM may decide if the BALL is: staged between the TRUSS and the ZONE LINE and not contacting an ALLIANCE partner, or removed from the FIELD for the MATCH.

If a ROBOT does not report to a MATCH, its ALLIANCE may decide if the BALL is: staged between the TRUSS and the ZONE LINE and not contacting an ALLIANCE partner, or removed from the FIELD for the MATCH.

Violation: If the situation is not corrected before the start of the MATCH, TECHNICAL FOUL per BALL improperly staged.

You can not just choose to set the ball in the field while your robot is in the white zone. While your robot is there, the ball has to be either touching your robot or out of play.

[G_rupp]

q&a has answered this. q113