It can’t be a team update without rope rules!
This is a rope rule change:
I04D. consist entirely of (except for dye or adhesive applied by the VENDOR as part of the normal manufacturing process for a COTS item and no longer tacky, e.g. a “binder coat”) flexible, non-metallic fibers sewn, twisted, tied, woven, knitted, crocheted, intertwined, or braided together except for the last 4 in. (~10 cm) of any cut end (E) which may be whipped (with material that is flexible and non-metallic) or fused only to prevent fraying.
Yeah, that’s what I’m saying. Just about every team update now has had SOME update to I04… I’m just waiting for them to just say screw it on this whole “let’s have teams use their own things on the field thing”. Everybody has to use the field rope now, this was too difficult!
But anyway, a good challenge and interesting effort for teams. Maybe not an entirely well thought out effort, but at least a good one.
It’s not really a change. It’s just something everyone assumed was legal that is now explicitly legal. If teams couldn’t use rope that had been dyed, that limits teams severely - now it is in the rules just to be safe.
The rope rules aren’t that big of a problem, really. We got most of it clarified fairly quickly.
Week 5, be grateful it’s only that.
I agree. I used to shudder with what update the committee would come up with next in prior years.
It clarified that rope dyed by the manufacturer is ok. There is a Q&A that says a team cannot dye the rope.
… and not after week 1 regionals (like has happened before)
Yeah, that’s what I meant, sorry. Forgot to clarify I meant COTS rope that had been dyed, which is most ropes.
I am now waiting for someone to suggest artificially bleaching the rope with high intensity UV.
A quick search popped up camouflage rope and tons of colors so home dye jobs shouldn’t be needed to match team colors.
I’m thinking that there will be a MOE green rope at MAR events this year… 
We found some cheap stuff at Home Depot that was open box, had team colors, and was rated for 600 lbs. Good stuff.