Should this have been allowed?

[Kevin Sevcik]

Originally Posted by Andrew Schreiber

Yes, because playing the game in a legal manner is ungracious. Next thing you will tell me that using my robot in the manner of a battering ram is un-gp. You knew the rules and by not designing your gripper to take a hit you decided that you would take the risk. If I call your bluff it isn't un-gp it is just good strategy.

I've said it before and I will say it again, if I am on the field across from you and find a way of winning a match that is within the rules I will take it. If this means that my strategy incidentally results in damaging your gripper because it was not designed robustly enough then so be it. Will I help you rebuild the gripper? Sure. Were my actions in any way "un-gp"? Not in the slightest. I'm not going to pull a punch on any team. I think going easy on anyone is disrespectful to them.

Totally agree on the fact that legal strategies are... legal. And that throwing tubes at your opponent's claw is legal.

However, you obviously need to be careful about strategies that "incidentally" damage an opponent's robot. There that whole rule outlawing strategies solely intended to damage or disable an opponent's robot. Your intention should clearly be defending the robot in some fashion. As opposed to aiming directly for its arm to damage and disbale it while it doesn't even have a tube near it.

[Andrew Schreiber]

Originally Posted by Kevin Sevcik

Totally agree on the fact that legal strategies are... legal. And that throwing tubes at your opponent's claw is legal.

However, you obviously need to be careful about strategies that "incidentally" damage an opponent's robot. There that whole rule outlawing strategies solely intended to damage or disable an opponent's robot. Your intention should clearly be defending the robot in some fashion. As opposed to aiming directly for its arm to damage and disbale it while it doesn't even have a tube near it.

Intentional damage would be covered under the rules dealing with egregious behavior imho. That being said, I've been in FRC since the days when wedges were a viable strategy and metal on metal was the norm.

[Duke461]

Going a little off topic, since i think the original question has been answered, has anyone tried "spamming" the opponets zone by throwing tube after tube into the zone until the teams cannot score? seems like a fun strategy for the human player

[nighterfighter]

Originally Posted by Duke461

Going a little off topic, since i think the original question has been answered, has anyone tried "spamming" the opponets zone by throwing tube after tube into the zone until the teams cannot score? seems like a fun strategy for the human player

Works great until you realize that they can floor load.

[Koko Ed]

Originally Posted by Duke461

Going a little off topic, since i think the original question has been answered, has anyone tried "spamming" the opponets zone by throwing tube after tube into the zone until the teams cannot score? seems like a fun strategy for the human player

So that's what that human player was doing when they were throwing all those tubes in the opposing zone. And here I thought they were just terrible at their job.

[Duke461]

Originally Posted by Koko Ed

So that's what that human player was doing when they were throwing all those tubes in the opposing zone. And here I thought they were just terrible at their job.

Speaking of which: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I52nJ5bJYkU

Originally Posted by nighterfighter

Works great until you realize that they can floor load.

But i mean like so many that it would take them a while to get all the tube out of the way

[Siri]

Originally Posted by Duke461

But i mean like so many that it would take them a while to get all the tube out of the way

I'd be more than happy to get them out of the way. Know just where I'd put them too.

This strategy does work with some select robots at the Feeder Station, but only because the Lane Divider keeps them from simply plowing the tubes aside. By the Grid, you've got a lot more room and Pegs that stick out rather handily. You'd probably run out of tubes before you blocked some of the better scorers, especially those with arms. And even if it takes a bit, once they scored the one they came with, they've got a whole slew at their proverbial fingertips.

[Koko Ed]

Originally Posted by Duke461

Speaking of which: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I52nJ5bJYkU


But i mean like so many that it would take them a while to get all the tube out of the way

If nothing else poor human player plays have upgraded the comedic potential of the event. Especially on the dry hours of an early Friday afternoon.

[Kims Robot]

Interestingly enough, our Human Player was Yellow Carded at FLR for throwing a tube that hit an opponent robot that was in its zone. If I remember right, the robot didn't even have a tube.

I believe <T06> was what it was sited under, although that's a very general all encompassing... refs can make decisions needed type rule... Being that it was a week 1 event, my guess is that it just wasn't clear whether it was legal and within the spirit of the rules or not.

Im glad to see an actual ruling (at least by the Q&A).