pool noodles

[Basel A]

Originally Posted by EricH

The rule says "pool noodles" (and again in other spots without the quotes). You're getting a tactical advantage by buying something that isn't pool noodles but can be used as pool noodles.


Emphasis on "tactical advantage".


If y'all don't mind me sayin', them words should not come into play with respect to a closely-defined bumper construction element. Cloth, sure, because the requirement is that the cloth be rugged and smooth, but no other requirements are placed. But when the term is "pool noodles", then you should be using pool noodles. Not ordering stuff that gives some tactical advantage over pool noodles.

You know WHY bumpers are standardized these days? Back in the bad ol' days, before the standard bumpers were introduced, teams could build bumpers and put them on their robot, provided that they fit in size and weight, and you wouldn't hurt your hand by punching them. Some teams are rumored to have built a system into those bumpers that would transfer their opponents' weight to THEM, by lifting. The next year or so, the standard bumpers came out and had a prescribed construction.

If some "rugged and smooth cloth" can have a tactical advantage over other "rugged and smooth cloth," then why can't some "pool noodles" have an advantage over other "pool noodles"?

[EricH]

Originally Posted by Basel A

If some "rugged and smooth cloth" can have a tactical advantage over other "rugged and smooth cloth," then why can't some "pool noodles" have an advantage over other "pool noodles"?

Wrong question.

The product in question is marketed as "can be used for pool noodles". NOT marketed as "pool noodles".

"Rugged" and "smooth" are characteristics of the cloth--thus, any cloth with those characteristics, as judged first by the team, then by the inspectors, falls into the category. "Pool noodles" is a product type--if I go to the store and buy pool noodles, I have a reasonable expectation that they won't give me a pipe blanket (foam used to protect pipes/people contacting hot water pipes). They might be the same material, but if I got a pipe blanket instead of a pool noodle, I'd have some pretty good grounds of asking store management to retrain whoever gave me that.


It might be the same discussion as we had in '07 over "grip tape" vs "grip tread", or in '11 over "light switch" vs "switch" on the Minibots, but when it comes to FRC, the distinction can be the difference between a lot of work to pass inspection on Thursday and a lot of practice on Thursday.