I know there is the definition of what controlling a piece is, but I have questions to clarify further.
From the 2024 manual:
CONTROL: an action by a ROBOT in which the NOTE is fully supported by the ROBOT or it intentionally pushes a NOTE to a desired location or in a preferred direction (i.e. herding)
When does this end of control happen? Say I have a piston on my robot that slides a NOTE on the floor. Is end of control when I stop contacting it, or is it when the piece stops sliding on the floor? When the piece is sliding on the floor, I can’t “intentionally push … or in a preferred direction” anymore.
Now, something more like using a fan to push a piece probably is control, while you aren’t touching the piece, you are affecting the direction.
When can you reengage a piece again to not be considered continuous control? If you do some type of “dribble”, where you push a second piece for 2 seconds, then back the robot up to no longer effect it’s direction, then push it again, does that break G409 (greater-than-MOMENTARY CONTROL)?
(I agree that this probably should be a QA question, just not sure the question or answer could be <500 characters)
G403
1 NOTE at a time. In AUTO, ROBOTS may not CONTROL more than 1 NOTE at a time, either directly or transitively through other objects.
A ROBOT is in CONTROL of a NOTE if:
A. the NOTE is fully supported by the ROBOT or
B. it intentionally pushes a NOTE to a desired location or in a preferred direction (i.e. herding).
The definition is repeated (or at least paraphrased) in the Glossary.
It doesn’t really answer my question. I want to know when you are considered done controlling a game piece.
I forgot to mention too, notice the rules change between auto and teleop. In auto, it’s only one piece period, in teleop is greater-than-momentary control. This (I’m assuming) is so you don’t get repeat fouls for touching a game piece that’s in the way that you weren’t controlling. 2017 was terrible for that.
The moment the note is no longer fully supported by the robot or is being intentionally pushed by the robot. Being that it is a refereed sport: the judgement on this is by the human eye.
If you have a solenoid rapid tapping two notes down the field ahead of your robot. You will likely be penalized as the Ref cannot clearly tell you are only possessing 1 Note at a time.
I would say good luck though. You have 3 enemy robots that are going to be hungry for notes to pick up. Dribbling is not a great strategy.
Sorry, when I first looked at your post all that came up was the title. While it’s not in the rules, my expectation is that interruption of continuous control would requre more-than-momentary gaps in contact with the game piece.
I’d say that the likeliest ruling on this is that there is no “back-off point” at which you would not be considered in control. The thing is, what you’re describing here is exactly what the rule prohibits: “intentionally pushing the note to a desired location or in a desired direction (i.e., herding)”. There is no time limit to doing this that can be counted in seconds. The greater-than-momentary contact exception is meant to allow robots to shove a note out of their way, say away from the front of the Amp so that they can score the note they’re carrying. It’s not meant to allow loopholes that would let you carry one note and herd another across the floor by pushing it quickly and then backing off for a couple of seconds then doing it again. That’s the kind of rules lawyering that does not get favorable consideration from the referees. Just assume that you can only move one note at a time and figure out how to do that as fast as possible rather than trying to figure out a way around the obvious intent of the rule.
Dribbling would fall under Controlling Multiple Game Pieces and/or Herding.
Controlling multiple as your loss of control is less than the momentary control time (3 seconds) and you can’t re-gain control until you lose control.
Herding due to preventing access to the game pieces.
Some of your questions would take Q/A or a HR ruling to answer, but at least one specific situation is addressed.
If you do some type of “dribble”, where you push a second piece for 2 seconds, then back the robot up to no longer effect it’s direction, then push it again, does that break G409 (greater-than-MOMENTARY CONTROL)?
If you have control of a game piece before the dribble of the second, and maintain control of that game piece the whole time you would be safe from “greater-than-MOMENTARY” violations but if you did this more than twice you would certainly be in violation of “frequent” control which does not require “greater-than-momentary” duration per the blue box on G409. This could get you a yellow card for excessive violation (likely also a regular foul but the wording isn’t clear).