My teammates wish to place a mechanism outside the bumper perimeter to loosely contain a soccer ball (it will not legally be in the robot’s possession). Is this legal to have something like this (Would have to be at least 9" outside the robot)? Clarification please 
Thanks guys
No. See <G30>.
Summary: Any interaction outside of the bumpers is illegal. Under the bumpers, as long as it meets certain requirements.
That does not make sence because you have to be outside the bumpers to get an arm up to hang.
In the finale where you’re allowed to hang, you can extend to a different size, please consult TheRobot and TheGame out of first manuals http://usfirst.org/roboticsprograms/frc/content.aspx?id=452
Well actually you can extend up to the top of the tower during the match just like the finale just as long as you are in contact with the tower
There is no extending outside of the bumper zone.
However, you can have something that goes from within the FRAME PERIMETER (right? The area under the robot, within the inner edge of the bumpers) up to the bumper zone perimeter, for 2 seconds at a time, with a minimum 2 seconds between repetitions.
Simple answer, you can’t have anything outside of the bumpers.
Yes and no. If you’re in FINALE configuration, you can go beyond the bumper perimeter. If you’re in NORMAL configuration, you can’t, except as outlined in <G30>.
That’s the only way to interpret the rules as a whole, as <R11> bars articulating frames, but <R10> allows expansion beyond the normal configuration, and <G30> governs which reading of the chart in <R10> is applicable.
Simple answer: which configuration are you in and why?
so during the finale configuration we are allowed to extend outside the bumpers as long as we stay within the finale dimensions ( 90 inches tall with an 84 inch diamenter cylinder around the robot) am I right?
Yes, and you can also extend outside the bumpers if you are trying to right yourself after falling over or if you’re helping another robot to right itself.
Well, in theory, you can be in that configuration the entire game (possible re-wording could come of this) as long as you are in contact with the tower.
I wanted to ask if that your robot is being lifted and your robot is verticle, does that mean that the height shifts to the now-top front or is the original top of the robot still considered the top?
My understanding is that the “Right Clyinder” is always at 90 degrees to the ground, not to the “top” of your robot.
That makes sense. I think I have heard that today from another team mate, but I was wondering because although you could just barely make it if the original top was still the top, it makes it a bit easier positioning if you attempted to do that. And thanks Jeffy
My understanding is exactly opposite. The cylinder moves in relation to your robot, so that the bottom of your robot is always on the base of the cylinder. <R10> says “note: these limits are defined in reference to the ROBOT, not the FIELD”
I believe the cylinder being in relation to the robot was probably due to response from penalties assessed in 2008 where the cylinder was in relation to the field. (Think tipped bot)