You Make the Call

Other FIRST Tech Challenge
#1

A friend of mine recently sent me this FTC 2022-2023 Powerplay match video: FTC POWER PLAY 164 PTS MATCH (2nd final || 12529 & 16950 vs. 14103 & 9746) - YouTube.

They asked me, if I were a Referee for this match what recommendation would I make to the Head Referee for the situation at the last five seconds of the match. What ensued was a lively discussion about several elements of the Game Manual that apply here. Each of us brought up aspects of the situation that the other had not considered in our first review of the situation.

Please do not second guess the actual call. Please do not look to the past or try to assign blame. This is not for Referee training. This is not any clarification of the rules. There is an official Q&A forum for those things.

I want to pose the same question to you. How would you present your interpretation to the Head Referee who will make the final judgement?

I’m hoping this sparks the same style of engaging discussion that it did with me and my friend.

I know my experience volunteering as a Referee gave me a whole new perspective through which I view the new Game Manual when it is released at Kickoff. I think running through hypothetical scenarios with a friend and thinking as a Referee is very useful in developing your own Game Strategy.

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#2

My read on this situation as someone with 10 years of FTC volunteer experience (but haven’t referee’d in several) is below. I’ve put it all in a hidden tag to avoid biasing the conversation but happy to move it out if that’s preferred.

My Answer

Timeline of events near the end

  • With 0:15 remaining, 12529 scores a red beacon on the Low Junction. It’s the first beacon they have scored in the match so it counts
  • With 0:02 seconds remaining 12529 drives back to that area of the field and runs into the junction pole. That impact launches the Beacon off of the junction and to the floor
  • 12529 then proceeds to continue their intended path to the Terminal, scores the Red Cone they were carrying, and parks in the Terminal at the buzzer
  • 14103 is the last robot to stop moving, but appears to stop before the end of the buzzer so no penalties there.

Interpretations
This one is interesting because I think there’s a conflict between what the GDC intends and how the rule could be read. Specifically around the definition of the word Scored.

If something is Scored at Rest, then “The achievement is considered Scored based on the position of the Robot or Scoring Element when the entire field has come to rest after the Period (Autonomous or Driver Controlled) ends.” Per 4.4.4, End Game tasks are Scored at Rest, and therefore the act of Capping the Junction to gain Junction Ownership (4.4.4.1) is Scored at Rest. Which means there’s an argument that a Beacon is not Scored until the end of the match when the field has come to rest.

That comes into play when interpreting GS5. GS5 Part (c) covers the descoring of Beacons, specifically stating that “During the End Game, Robots may not descore Scored Beacons from Junctions. Each violation of this rule results in a Major Penalty per Scored Beacon.” So there’s an argument to made, if Beacons are not Scored until the match is over that knocking the Beacon off does not fall under GS5.(c) because the Beacon isn’t a Scored Beacon when it happened. But if you take that read on it then all of GS5 is irrelevant because everything in GS5 is about descoring Scored elements, and if nothing is scored until the match is over then it can’t be descored by a robot.

For that reason I’m choosing to believe that the Beacon placed on the Junction by 12529 counts as a Scored Beacon as defined by GS5.

Interestingly there’s no provision in GS5.(c) that allows you to descore your own. Presumably because if you could then they would be moved around strategically and be a nightmare. So despite a red robot descoring a red Beacon, it applies here.

Final Call

  • The Red Alliance is assessed a Major Penalty per GS5.(c) for descoring a Scored Beacon.
  • The Beacon does not count for any points, as the field is Scored at Rest and at rest the Beacon is not in a scoring position (consistent with how descored items, legal or illegal, are handled).
  • 12529 does get points for Navigating to their own Terminal and the Cone scored in the Terminal also scores.