Little-known rules for 2008

[jgannon]

I'm sure that a lot of people will find these to be pretty fundamental, but I was surprised at the number of teams this weekend that were unfamiliar with these rules.

You can start your robot anywhere in your home stretch, so long as you are touching either the player station or the fence, and not touching each other. You cannot start your robot on the left side of the field (as viewed from the player station), nor do you have to cram all three of your robots flush against the player station.

Your robocoach should be looking directly at your robots when standing forward in the robocoach station. If you have to crane your neck to see your robot, you're in the wrong place. Also, your coach (the team member with the yellow dot on their badge) should not be in the robocoach station... particularly not the remote station.

You cannot grasp the opponent's ball, even as a method of removing their ball from the overpass. You also cannot grasp another team's robot, even if they forced themselves into your gripper. You are responsible for anything that happens with anything you stick outside of the starting envelope.

You cannot rear-end an opposing robot that is in the act of HURDLING. If you turn them, tip them, or otherwise interfere with their attempt, you will incur the wrath of the referees.

When you are fully within a quadrant of the field, you cannot break the plane of a line in the clockwise direction. This includes hybrid mode. This includes reaching your gripper over the lane divider into the previous quadrant. This includes your bumpers.

If you have any horizontal extension on your robot that can fit through a chain-link fence, please consider modifying it. I don't know that there is a rule specifically outlawing parts from passing through the corner fences, but you will undoubtedly incur a penalty under <S01> if you impale a robocoach.

Considering the cost of a penalty in relation to the average match scores so far, it's easy to see that adhering to these rules will greatly increase your chances of winning matches. Best of luck to all teams.

[AdamHeard]

Per the Q&A, I would like to add Impeding in Hyrbrid; So little-known this year, the refs weren't even aware.

[Laaba 80]

Originally Posted by jgannon

You cannot rear-end an opposing robot that is in the act of HURDLING. If you turn them, tip them, or otherwise interfere with their attempt, you will incur the wrath of the referees.

You arent supposed to, however at the midwest regional today I never saw it called, when I thought it should have been called.
Joey

[jgannon]

Originally Posted by Laaba 80

You arent supposed to, however at the midwest regional today I never saw it called, when I thought it should have been called.

This call was made several times yesterday and today at Midwest. Sometimes the announcer does not always announce why a penalty was given.

[Laaba 80]

Originally Posted by jgannon

This call was made several times yesterday and today at Midwest. Sometimes the announcer does not always announce why a penalty was given.

Were you at the regional, or watching a webcast? I was at the regional, I admit I may have missed some, however whenever I thought there should be a penalty I would look at the refs and they werent waving a flag. If you were watching the webcast, were you sure the penalty was for impeding? It is hard to tell what the penalty is called for while watching a webcast. They dont say the difference between impeding and clockwise penaltys at the end, I kind of wish they would. The vast majority of penaltys were from clockwise, I still havent seen a penalty called outside of that.
Joey

[EricH]

Originally Posted by Laaba 80

Were you at the regional, or watching a webcast? I was at the regional, I admit I may have missed some, however whenever I thought there should be a penalty I would look at the refs and they werent waving a flag. If you were watching the webcast, were you sure the penalty was for impeding? It is hard to tell what the penalty is called for while watching a webcast. They dont say the difference between impeding and clockwise penaltys at the end, I kind of wish they would. The vast majority of penaltys were from clockwise, I still havent seen a penalty called outside of that.
Joey

I did see a few on the webcast...There was one match that one highly veteran team hit another from behind when the second team was hurdling. At least one flag waved almost immediately. There were a few others that looked like penalties, but I couldn't see the flags.

When I was looking at the webcasts, if the team(s) I was watching broke a rule, I noted that they would have gotten a penalty, regardless of whether I saw that they actually got one or not.

[Cory]

Originally Posted by Laaba 80

Were you at the regional, or watching a webcast? I was at the regional, I admit I may have missed some, however whenever I thought there should be a penalty I would look at the refs and they werent waving a flag. If you were watching the webcast, were you sure the penalty was for impeding? It is hard to tell what the penalty is called for while watching a webcast. They dont say the difference between impeding and clockwise penaltys at the end, I kind of wish they would. The vast majority of penaltys were from clockwise, I still havent seen a penalty called outside of that.
Joey

He was a referee at the event

[Laaba 80]

Originally Posted by Cory

He was a referee at the event

Yeah, now I know. I dont mean it to sound like I'm bashing them, I'm just pointing out some of the things I saw. There are so many rules created that are hard to keep track of. I think this game needs more refs with more specific tasks. They did make alot of right calls though. This is a very hard game to ref, especially week 1. It just kind of bothers me that a match can change depending on the views of the referee, but so far I do think this ref certification is helping. I guess all sports change depending on the calls, and even the professionals miss things. Sorry if I bothered any of the refs, I am just pointing out some of my observstions to try to make later competitions better.
Joey

[Vikesrock]

Here's another one that does not appear to be known widely enough:

You can catch your control board/OI if it is falling off of the shelf due to a robot colliding with your player station wall in hybrid. Teams, don't let your control boards smash!!!

[Laaba 80]

Originally Posted by Vikesrock

Here's another one that does not appear to be known widely enough:

You can catch your control board/OI if it is falling off of the shelf due to a robot colliding with your player station wall in hybrid. Teams, don't let your control boards smash!!!

Don't rely on your drive team catching it. On the alliance station these is a long strip of velcro that you can connect your controls to. I dont know if it is the fuzzy or pokey side of the velcro though. Could someone who was at one of the comps let us know?
Joey

[Vikesrock]

Originally Posted by Laaba 80

Don't rely on your drive team catching it. On the alliance station these is a long strip of velcro that you can connect your controls to. I dont know if it is the fuzzy or pokey side of the velcro though. Could someone who was at one of the comps let us know?
Joey

According to the manual it is loop side (fuzzy). So your controls should have hook side (plasticky).

Anyone know if any controls that were velcroed have fallen?

[BenB]

When in starting configuration, does your robot have to be flush against the wall or just toughing it?

[Danny McC]

Just touching it.

[GBilletdeaux930]

[quote=jgannon;710615]
You cannot rear-end an opposing robot that is in the act of HURDLING. If you turn them, tip them, or otherwise interfere with their attempt, you will incur the wrath of the referees.
QUOTE]

I was watching the webcasts and did see this happen alot but no penalties being thrown. Is this rule like the high-speed hitting rule only its watched more closely. Or is it like any time of tap, bump, anything being thrown at it and refs are just not noticing?

Im not insulting the refs or anything just want clarification because yea watchin the webcasts saw it and no penalty...

[Mike o.]

Someone please correct me if I am wrong, but in reply to an earlier post the impeading during hybrid penalty was removed in a team update. Not too sure which one it is though.