RobotEvents.com
Robotics Education & Competition Foundation
Inspiring students, one robot at a time.

This Q&A is Read Only.

Official Q&A: VRC 2023-2024: Over Under

Usage Guidelines All Questions

<SG6> Placing a Match Load That Hits the Field Tiles

Dale Nacianceno
6-Jun-2023

<SG6> Match Load Triballs may be safely introduced during the Match under certain conditions. For the purpose of this rule, “introduce” refers to the moment when a Match Load Triball is no longer in contact with a human and has crossed the plane of the field perimeter.

During this action, a Drive Team Member’s hand may temporarily break the plane of the field perimeter. This momentary interaction is an exception to rule <G9>. Excessive, unnecessary, or unsafe actions while introducing a Match Load may be considered a Violation of <S1> and/or <G1> at the Head Referee’s discretion.

Match Load Triballs may be introduced by a Drive Team Member in one of two ways:

[…]

  1. By placing the Match Load gently onto a Robot from the Drive Team Member’s Alliance. a. The Robot must be contacting the Match Load Zone or the Match Load Bar. b. Rules <S1> and <S2> still apply to this interaction; there should be no reason for a Robot to extend outside of the field perimeter during this action.
  1. Can a Match Load be placed against the side of a Robot so that it is contacting both the Robot and a field tile?
  2. Can a Match Load be placed against the side of a Robot so that it is contacting the Robot and is 1 inch above the field tile?
  3. Can a Match Load be placed on the top of a Robot that has a slightly slanted top so that it rolls or slides off the top of the Robot?
SG6  
Answered by committee
9-Jun-2023

Thank you for your question and for quoting the relevant rule. As quoted, the Match Load should be placed "gently onto a Robot". When no game-specific definition for a word is available, a standard dictionary definition should be used.

The dictionary definition for "onto" is "to a position on; upon; on". The dictionary definition for "on" is "so as to be or remain supported by or suspended from". We'll address your three scenarios with these definitions in mind.

Scenarios 1 & 2, in which the Match Load is placed "against" the Robot, do not meet the definition of "onto" and are not legal ways to introduce Match Loads.

Scenario 3, in which the Match Load is placed "on the top of a Robot" and then slides or rolls off, does meet the definition of "onto" and could be a legal way to introduce Match Loads as described in rule <SG6>.