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Official Q&A: VRC 2018-2019: Turning Point

Usage Guidelines All Questions

11: <SG8> Keep Game Objects in FIeld


8044A
18-May-2018

Depending on how taut the net is installed, is it conceivable that balls can get caught in the net. If they do, will these balls be released by the refs back into the playing field or are they considered out of play?

Since it is possible that the degree of tautness could vary from one tournament to the next, are event partners going to receive guidance on how taut to install the nets?

Visual Aid: The Turning Point Manual and Appendix A does not contain any instruction on how taught the net should be on the Turning Point playing field. If the net is secured on the top and bottom of the net (seen in figure one), it has too much slack and the balls get caught in the net.

Figure One https://i.imgur.com/G0P771R.png

We simply attached the net to the top horizontal pole in the net's second Row (Figure Two) this removed all slack, and the balls no longer got caught in the net.

Figure Two https://i.imgur.com/IN7ALPm.png

I am concerned this will result in discontinuity between fields from event to event, or even within a single event.

Answered by Game Design Committee

There is no specification for tautness in the Net; Teams should expect some variance, both due to manufacturing tolerance in the Net itself, and due to wear over the course of a season. One good way to avoid balls being "caught" in the bottom of the Net, other than by "pulling it tight", is to make sure that the rubber feet at the bottom of the Net are attached per the guidelines in the Field Assembly Instructions - https://link.vex.com/docs/vrc-turning-point/field-assembly

The building method you describe (removing slack by attaching the top an extra "row" down) would be permissible.