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Official Q&A: VRC 2022-2023: Spin Up

Usage Guidelines All Questions

Knocking Stack into Other Side of Field in Auton

392X
29-Dec-2022

Rule <SG8> says that

The fourteen (14) Discs which begin the Match on the Autonomous Line are not considered to be on either side, and may be utilized by either Alliance during the Autonomous Period. If attempting to utilize these Discs, Teams should be cognizant of the possibility that opponent Robots may attempt to do the same. <G11>, <G12>, <G14>, and <G17> will be taken into account when these types of Robot interactions occur. Teams should also be prepared for additional scrutiny from Head Referees to ensure that any mechanisms which interact with these Discs do not contact the foam tiles on the other side of the Autonomous Line

This rule specifically mentions to make sure that mechanisms don't touch the tiles on the other side of the Autonomous Line, but are Robots are allowed to push discs to the other side (whether accidental or intentional)?

Scenario A: a robot from the Red alliance knocks a stack or one disc into the Blue zone, causing one of the Blue robot's autonomous programs to intake more discs than allowed.
Scenario B: a robot from the Red alliance knocks a stack or one disc into the Blue zone, but doesn't cause any issues with any Blue robots, because the Blue robots don't go into the area in which the discs were knocked.
Scenario C: a robot from the Red alliance knocks a disc slightly into the Blue zone, but the disc is still in the vertical projection of the neutral zone. This one disc causes a Blue robot to intake more than allowed.
Scenario D: a robot from the Red alliance knocks a disc slightly into the Blue zone, but the disc is still in the vertical projection of the neutral zone. This disc doesn't cause any issues with Blue autonomous.

Which of the above scenarios would be legal, causing no penalty to go to the Red alliance, and which would cause Red to lose autonomous due to a penalty?

Thank you for your time!

SG8  
Answered by committee

Thank you for your question. As described in rule <SG8>, Discs that begin the Match on the Autonomous Line may be utilized by either Alliance. As long as they avoid contact with foam tiles, Discs, and Rollers on their opponent's side of the Autonomous Line and if no other rules are broken in the process, all of the red Robot's actions in your scenarios are generally legal based on <SG8> and its subclauses.

Scenarios A & C, in which the blue Robot then intakes an extra Disc in Violation of rule <SG7>, should result in a Minor Violation of <SG7> for the blue Robot, except in situations that involve a blatantly intentional Violation of <G14> as described in the red box note for <SG7>. Additionally, if the blue Robot autonomously scores points while in Possession of an extra Disc and those points change the outcome of the Autonomous Bonus, the Autonomous Bonus should be awarded to the red Alliance (as described in rule <G11>) and the blue Robot should receive a Minor Violation for the unintentional action.