Defensive Strategy - cornering opponents ball

[Gary Dillard]

This appears to be legal and a good strategy if you are going up against 2 good hurdlers, or if you have one big slow robot. If you push your opponent's trackball into a corner and "trap" it there, you can prevent them from getting potentially 8 points per lap versus the 2 points per lap you give up sitting there. The definition of herding allows continuous contact, and it doesn't meet the definition of being captured since the ball wouldn't keep the same position relative to your robot if you moved. You aren't impeding traffic so there is no requirement for you to move.

[Torboticsmember]

I'm pretty sure they mad the corners like they did to stop the balls from getting trapped in the corner. I'm pretty sure it says that somewhere in the manual

[Gary Dillard]

Originally Posted by Torboticsmember

I'm pretty sure they mad the corners like they did to stop the balls from getting trapped in the corner. I'm pretty sure it says that somewhere in the manual

I agree that the 135 degree corners will make it more difficult to maintain control of the ball then a 90 degree corner, but I think it's still possible. We'll see how well it works if anyone tries it.

[SSMike]

What if a robot on the opposing alliance nudges you? If they got in a postition where you were technically impeding them, then you would have to move out of his way and free the trackballs from the corner. This is unless of course the rules specify that you only have to move if you are in the straightaways, which I believe they do not.

[IbleedPink233]

If you are in a corner, then you won't be impeding traffic, unless there are a lot of robots around you.
The rules say that you can herd as many balls as you want, potentially both of your opponents' If you get them both into and inaccessible corner for half the match, then you would be making the game less fun, but you would get a serious advantage.

[Torboticsmember]

I thought the rules said that you could only herd 1 trackball

[Gary Dillard]

The only way I would be technically impeding them is if one of my alliance partners was blocking the rest of the track; there is over 14 feet worth of space between the corner and the lane divider, my robot and the ball will take up 6.5, which leaves enough room for a robot (even 2 robots) to go around me.

[Gary Dillard]

Originally Posted by Torboticsmember

I thought the rules said that you could only herd 1 trackball

<G27> HERDING TRACKBALLS – ROBOTS may HERD one or more TRACKBALL at one time. ROBOTS shall not HERD a TRACKBALL while also being in POSSESSION of a second TRACKBALL. A PENALTY will be assigned for each infraction.

I hadn't thought of that - trapping both trackballs with one robot. Brilliant!

[IbleedPink233]

Originally Posted by Torboticsmember

I thought the rules said that you could only herd 1 trackball

If I am not mistaken, you can "herd" as many as you can get your hands on. If you are in "possession" of a ball, then you can't herd any others.
Like I said, I think that ball-hogging will make the game get very old and dry very quickly and I hope that teams find strategies that go along with the spirit of the game instead.

[pakratt1991]

I thought is would be niffty to wait next to your opponents ball until they came into that zone to get it, then hit it into the previous zone, therefore making them go all the way around the field to retrieve their ball.

[Gary Dillard]

Originally Posted by IbleedPink233

Like I said, I think that ball-hogging will make the game get very old and dry very quickly and I hope that teams find strategies that go along with the spirit of the game instead.

I believe it is in the spirit of the game is to score more points than your opponent within the rules. That means offense AND defense.

[jrdude]

this seems like a very good idea

[BrianD]

hmm...
Lets say you were cornering the ball. If one or two opposing robots came up beside you, so together you were all blocking the track, could they then bring in another robot and bump you to pass? Might be a counter to this strategy.

It probably be more interesting to simply knock the ball out of the field, but that's unfair to the other team.

[Dolan]

you could have one of your team bump them to counter the counter

[Gary Dillard]

Originally Posted by BrianD

hmm...
Lets say you were cornering the ball. If one or two opposing robots came up beside you, so together you were all blocking the track, could they then bring in another robot and bump you to pass?

<G40> ....
Note that a ROBOT is not IMPEDING traffic if:
• there is a clear “passing lane” around the ROBOT, or
• the IMPEDING ROBOT and the approaching ROBOT are from the same ALLIANCE (i.e. a ROBOT can not impede another ROBOT of the same ALLIANCE), or
• the ROBOT is in the process of HURDLING (except as noted in Rule <G43>).

My interpretation of this rule is that you are not impeding if the clear passing lane is blocked by the other alliance. They can't simply declare you to be the one who is impeding by bumping you.