YMTC: Descoring Tetras???

[dlavery]

Originally Posted by Andy Baker

This looks like a ramming situation to me. Looking at <G25> "ramming another ROBOT at high speed" would constitute "inappropriate robot interaction" and the referee's decision could result in a DQ of REDABOT.

15 ft/sec is pretty fast for FIRST robots. That is top speed, all out.

<G25> leaves everything up to the referee's discretion, and their call is final.

If I were the ref (and in this YMTC, that is what the thread is about), it would be a DQ. At this point of the competition, there most likely would be similar situations of ramming in previous matches. I, as a ref, would call those the same way, even if it is qualification match #1. The aim of a ref is to be fair and consistent. If they don't call ramming during the early matches, then they should not call it during the latter matches. Ramming, tipping and similar moves need to be called early and consistently. Precedents need to be set so that it is obvious that a situation like this, even if it is in the finals, would be a penalizing move.

In my opinion, a warning would not be appropriate, as long as this was called consistently throughout the weekend's competition.

DQ to Redabot. The tetra de-scoring by Blueabot is moot, as Redabot's team has 0 points due to the DQ.

Andy B.

Good call Andy, but I don't think you went far enough. Yes, under <G25> a violation has occurred - ramming - and the referee MAY disqualify Redabot. But in addition, Redabot - not Blueabot - has violated <G18> by removing two stacked tetras from the center goal.

"Huh?" you say, "but Blueabot was holding the tetras." That is correct. However, Redabot caused the removal of the scored tetras from the goal, not Blueabot. Under the conditions given in the problem, Redabot "hits Blueabot so hard that tetras start tumbling" and thus just uses Blueabot as an intermediate device to affect the removal of the tetras. Using the logic laid out in Example 4 and Example 5 of the expanded verion of <G15> in Update #4, it is clear that the penalty goes to the team/alliance that causes an infraction, even if they use an intermediate device (such as a tetra or another robot) to implement the infraction. So, penalty to Redabot, Blueabot gets six points for the two removed tetras and owns the goal for the rest of the game.

Bottom line: I would hit them with <G18> and <G25>. Blueabot wins.

-dave