[moderated]: Ask the Championship Head Refs now!

[DanDon]

The rulebook has this to say on pinning:

Pinning - While on the carpeted field surface, a ROBOT cannot pin (inhibit the movement of another
ROBOT while in contact with a field element or border) for more than 10 seconds. This rule does not
apply if either ROBOT is entirely on an ALLIANCE PLATFORM. If a ROBOT has been pinned for 10
seconds, the team with the pinning ROBOT will be told by a referee to release the pinned ROBOT and
back away approximately 3 feet. Once the pinning ROBOT has backed off by 3 feet, it may again
attempt to pin its opponent, and if successful, the 10 second count will start over. If a referee determines
that this rule has been violated, a 5-point penalty flag will be assessed for each violation.

In regionals I've seen pinning called multiple ways, including having a robot pinned into the side of the ramp and not having that called. Unless my interpretation of the rule is wrong, that should've been called as pinning since the robot was not "ENTIRELY ON THE ALLIANCE PLATFORM." I just wanted to verify how this rule would be called in the Championship.

Thanks,

[Jay Trzaskos]

Will drivers be able to step up to their controls as soon as the clock hits zero, or do they need to wait until the buzzer sounds at the end of auto mode?

[Chris Marra]

Are human players allowed to begin throwing balls as the timer hits zero for autonomous, or do they have to wait until the buzzer?

Also, what constitutes "high speed long distance ramming?" Will robots be required to visibly slow down prior to hitting another robot, or how will it be called?

[Nimmy]

If a robot is at a near tipping point (45 degree angle or so), and an opposing robot pushes it, will there be a penalty on that even though it only required a small nudge?
also, if a robot of the same alliance as the one about to be tipped nudges the tipping robot (or even rams into it), and that robot tips over, will there be a penalty for that alliance?

same question for robots halfway up the ramp.

[Mr.G]

This years robots are very fragile with the cameras and turrets, and prone to tipping over. If a robot is tipped over and is hit by another robot causing damage or not. Will the team that hit the tipped over robot be DQ'ed or penalized per G22?

[meaubry]

At the Western Michigan Regional one of the referees began counting upon initial contact when 2 robots came together. I think the ref was using the moment of initial contact as the start time for the pinning rule. This ref was counting alot, and very often, as you can imiagine, BUT - I was wondering WHEN DOES pinning actually begin and will ALL referees be using that same criteria??

[Nimmy]

At the Israeli regional if a penalty was made and I (the coach) had to appeal it, there was very litlle time for the head ref to listen to me, since he was the only one I could approach and he had about 20-30 free seconds between each match
will the be the same at the championship?

[henryBsick]

Prior to the start of the match, is an alliance allowed to move all, or some (more than half) of their balls not being used on the field for autonomous, to one side or another in the human player bins?