Rule/parts changes

[Mr. Van]

I haven't been doing this FIRST thing for very long (2nd year), but I'm concerned by some rule changes that have been announced in the last two updates.

It is now allowed to interact with the stainless steel edge of the upper goal platform and hinges have been added to the additional hardware list.

Why were these changes made at this time? It is four weeks into the design/build season! As far as I can tell, these changes only benefit teams that didn’t follow the rules (or read their manual) to start with, while teams that designed and built according to the rules posted previously may now be at a disadvantage.

Is this sort of thing historically common? Should I hold my breath for the update that adds "Motors – any size, any amount" to the additional hardware list?

-Mr. Van
Team 599