[FTC]: About <GS1> and docking with rolling goals

Other FIRST Tech Challenge
1

As <GS1> says -

Robots may not Control more than five (5) Balls at any time. If a Robot is Controlling more than five (5) Balls, the Alliance will incur an immediate Minor Penalty for each Ball above the limit plus an additional Minor Penalty per extra Ball for each 5-second interval that this situation continues. A Double Minor Penalty will be assessed for each Ball Scored while a Robot Controls more than five (5) Balls

I think a few of us have considered the possibility of “docking” with rolling goals this year, so balls can be put into the goals easily. However, when I was reading the manual again, I caught this -

Control / Controlling – An object is considered to be Controlled by a Robot if the object is following the movement of the Robot. Examples are: pushing an object still on the Playing Field or holding or carrying a Ball. Balls Controlled by a Robot are considered to be part of the Robot. Driving through more than the maximum number of Balls is acceptable as long as they are not collected, guided, herded, etc.

I’m not really too sure how this would handle “docking” with a rolling goal, because the balls (inside of the goal), are following the motion of the robot.

Anyone have any sort of clarification?

2

My thoughts are that once a ball is scored in a goal it no longer counts as a ball for the purposes of being controlled. The end game scoring is based on moving the rolling goals to either the parking zone, the ramp or off of the floor. I doubt that the intention is to make it so that they can not be moved to those locations if there are more than 5 balls in them. Since they can be moved at other times you could move them to that location first and then fill them up but again I do not think that is the intention. Of course we need an official ruling to know exactly what will be legal.

3

+1

4

If moving the goals full of balls is a penalty, then you should be penalized for moving them to the ramp - or are there different rules for different parts of the game?

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