Is there a limit to how many balls we can pick up?

[waialua359]

Our robot may be able to hold 40 balls. can we hog cheese and hold them to dump later?? Is there a limit?

[Mullen]

you can hold as many as your robot is built to hold / as many as you can pick up off of the floor. i've heard a number of teams tossing this idea about as a strategy

[Jeff Rodriguez]

No, there is no limit.
http://forums.usfirst.org/showthread...ght=ball+limit

[Bill Moore]

Originally Posted by Ogre

No, there is no limit.
http://forums.usfirst.org/showthread...ght=ball+limit

Actually the limit is 80 balls. (Rule <G13>)

[Bill Moore]

Originally Posted by Mini-Mullet

you can hold as many as your robot is built to hold / as many as you can pick up off of the floor. i've heard a number of teams tossing this idea about as a strategy

This can only be a strategy if you are able to steal the balls as your opponents put them back into play. If you are putting them into play, your opponent has already scored, and holding them doesn't increase your score. Any team that plans to "dump" during the final 10 - 15 seconds is going to find themselves being pummelled by the opposing alliance. It is significantly more advantageous to stop a robot from scoring 40 balls than it is to get onto the ramp for 25 points.

Think about what makes sense; if there are no balls to shoot on the field, what do you expect the opposing alliance to do? Twiddle their shooters? You better expect them to legally harass and block your robot at every move. You are making your robot THE prime target on the field. I hope you have a world-class pit crew!

[Henry_Mareck]

Either that or a tank.

[waialua359]

thats what teammates are for? LOL!
If our alliance had the lead and all the balls are in our bins, it doesnt matter if other teams block us......wer'e still winning. at the end when teams go up the platform, they cant pin us at the same time on the other end of the field.

[EricH]

Originally Posted by waialua359

If our alliance had the lead and all the balls are in our bins, it doesnt matter if other teams block us......wer'e still winning. at the end when teams go up the platform, they cant pin us at the same time on the other end of the field.

You aren't winning if you can't score those balls and the other alliance has more points.
They most certainly can pin you or block you from scoring at the end. It's worth not having the extra 15 points to block a potential 95 (robot on platform, assuming two others already on, + 80 balls in bin, assuming no shooter on your bot). No one says you have to go on the platform at any time in the match.

[waialua359]

if an alliance is losing near the end of the match, say by less than 25 points, why spend your time blocking a team holding balls if you can overcome their score by loading your robot on the platform with your alliance mates. It at least gives your alliance a chance if no balls are available. Not doing anything to score is the worst move in that case.
As far as not having to go on the platform sometimes, it is obvious that this is true, but it has a much bigger impact this year than last year when all you got was 10 points max. 25 points is a difference maker in an evenly heated match.
I think the balls on the ground, however they end up there, will be far and few to come by if teams effectively dump balls in corner goals and can load their robots effectively with the human player. The missed shots on the center goal will probably be the most available.
The scenarios mentioned on this thread makes sense, but in every situation, depending on what's happening, it may call for a strategy of holding on to balls for a period of time.