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

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Defensive / Blocking Behavior at the Rollers


14444A
24-Jan-2023

<G12> Just looking for clarification on defensive play around the rollers. This is the Scenario: Robot 1 rotates the roller to the appropriate color to score for their alliance. Robot 2 moves in after that robot leaves and spins the color to their alliance. Robot 2 begins to move away, maybe 1 tile away, and as Robot 1 moves in to score the roller again, Robot 2 engages in contact with Robot 1 to prevent the robot from getting to the roller. It is not incidental contact of 2 robots going to the roller but rather a deliberate defensive maneuver to block the robot from being able to reach the roller.

Is this covered under 'trapping'? Or should a warning be given to the robot for the defensive maneuver and to cease the maneuver?

How should this best be addressed. The rollers are increasingly important and many robots who don't have a means to score into the high goal are focused on the rollers and defending them for their alliance.

Answered by committee

Thank you for your question. While it is impossible to provide a blanket answer that would encompass all possible hypothetical maneuvers, the scenario you describe does not appear to meet the definition of Trapping in the General Definitions in Section 2 of the game manual. Neither Robot is restricting the other's movements and neither is attempting to escape.