<G42> Protection While Hurdling?

[EricH]

Originally Posted by ALIBI

Lets say that Redabot is traveling roughly the same speed directly behind Blueabot. There are all kinds of open lanes. As they get close to Redabots' finish line and Redabot begins to raise the Trackball to hurdle, Blueabot hits the brakes, Redabot slams into Blueabot and loses the Trackball. Are the rules written so that Redabot should have had a clear distance between it and Blueabot (Redabot gets raming penalty), or are the rules written so that Blueabot gets a penalty (for either impeding or G42)? I would like to think that Redabot would get the penalty, there are other open lanes. But then again (sorry, rule book is at the shop and I can not quote), by slaming on the brakes in front of another robot causing them to get a penalty are you in violation of the rules similar to pushing them into a quad behind them? Or would this be called normal interaction between robots with no penalties (assuming neither robot gets damaged).

I'm going to say no penalty in this; Blueabot forced Redabot into a penalty situation. (<G23>)

[Peter Matteson]

I believe that Bluabot is impeding in that situation and would get penalized as such if it was that flagrant. It sounds like a good Q&A question to ask Aiden how he will have the refs call it.

[GaryVoshol]

Originally Posted by ALIBI

Lets say that Redabot is traveling roughly the same speed directly behind Blueabot. There are all kinds of open lanes. As they get close to Redabots' finish line and Redabot begins to raise the Trackball to hurdle, Blueabot hits the brakes, Redabot slams into Blueabot and loses the Trackball. Are the rules written so that Redabot should have had a clear distance between it and Blueabot (Redabot gets raming penalty), or are the rules written so that Blueabot gets a penalty (for either impeding or G42)? I would like to think that Redabot would get the penalty, there are other open lanes. But then again (sorry, rule book is at the shop and I can not quote), by slaming on the brakes in front of another robot causing them to get a penalty are you in violation of the rules similar to pushing them into a quad behind them? Or would this be called normal interaction between robots with no penalties (assuming neither robot gets damaged).

Originally Posted by EricH

I'm going to say no penalty in this; Blueabot forced Redabot into a penalty situation. (<G23>)

That, or impeding by Blueabot.

[EricH]

Originally Posted by GaryVoshol

That, or impeding by Blueabot.

Yeah, I was thinking that was the other option. No penalty for Redabot for sure.

[Alan Anderson]

Note that there's a difference between IMPEDING (given in the definitions) and the action of IMPEDING traffic (as described in <G40>). Merely IMPEDING is not enough to draw a penalty. IMPEDING traffic is penalized, but your robot is explicitly not IMPEDING traffic if there's room to pass around it.

[Ian Curtis]

I'm not concerned by BLUEABOT impeding traffic. I don't think he is becuase REDABOT has clear paths around him.

Remember, part of the deal REDABOT needs to be moving quickly in order to HURDLE (he needs the forward momentum to impart to the ball). So REDABOT needs to chose a course as he makes his way past the LANE DIVIDER. He needs to line up and shoot a straight course.

BLUEABOT can take advantage by moving in the way of this. Will Aidan consider this to be impeding? When you've only got at most 4 seconds to line up for a straight shot, I'd imagine it'd be nearly impossible to avoid BLUEABOT if he's determined to be in the way. I think part of the issue may be whether or not the GDC will consider moving the robot to increase the force we can impart on the ball as a necessary part of HURDLING.

I plan on asking the Q&A as soon as I get ahold of our TIMS contact.