Shield under bumpers allowed or not?

[cbeavers6790]

My team was wondering if we are allowed to have a shield under the bumpers to help keep balls from going under our robot. the shield would not go to the edge of the bumpers and would still be inside the 38-28 inch frame perimeter.
Is this allowed or must the robot stay inside the bumper perimeter?

[big1boom]

As long as the shielding is within a vertical projection of the frame perimeter it would be allowed.

During kickoff it was specifically stated that teams should be careful to build some sort of blocking mechanism so that balls do not inadvertently penetrate the frame perimeter.

[EricH]

If I understand you:

You want a shield in the frame perimeter that stays inside the frame perimeter. This is legal under all the rules I can think of.

If you want one that goes out to the bumper perimeter, then <G30-A> applies.

[Al Skierkiewicz]

R16> During normal operation no part of the ROBOT shall extend outside the vertical projection of the FRAME PERIMETER, except as permitted by Rule <G30>.
Note: This means no “mushroom-bots.” If a ROBOT is designed as intended, in normal operation you should be able to push the ROBOT (with BUMPERS removed) up against a vertical wall, and the FRAME PERIMETER will be the only point of contact with the wall.

<R19> ROBOTS must be designed so that in normal operation BALLS cannot extend more than 3 inches inside the FRAME PERIMETER below the level of the BUMPER ZONE.

I think those two rules would answer your question in the affirmative.

[cbeavers6790]

thanks so you are basically saying that a shield has to stay inside the frame perimeter no matter the size of the robot?

[Al Skierkiewicz]

The rule points to that.