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

Illegal Matchloading DQ Threshold

392X
8-Oct-2023

Rule <SG6> states that you can introduce a match load "b. By placing the Match Load gently onto a Robot from the Drive Team Member’s Alliance. 1. The Robot must be contacting the Match Load Zone or the Match Load Bar. 2. Momentarily / accidentally losing contact with the Match Load Zone or Match Load Bar is permissible, provided that the Robot is still “breaking the plane” of the inside edge of the Match Load Bar. See Figure 28. 3. Rules <S1> and <S3> still apply to this interaction; there should be no reason for a Robot to extend outside of the field perimeter during this action."

Assuming that illegal matchloading refers to dropping a triball onto a robot or onto the field tiles around the robot, what would be the penalty for the following scenarios:

  1. Blue Robot illegally matchloads 4 triballs and proceeds to win the game by 100 points.
  2. Blue Robot illegally matchloads 4 triballs and proceeds to win the game by 20 points.
  3. Blue Robot illegally matchloads 4 triballs and proceeds to win the game by 8 points.
  4. Blue Robot illegally matchloads 4 triballs and proceeds to tie the game.

The intent of asking about the scenarios above is to determine the threshold for when an alliance should get disqualified for match affecting illegal matchloading.

Thank you!

SG6  
Answered by committee
25-Oct-2023

It is impossible to issue a blanket answer beyond what is written in the Game Manual that encompasses all possible situations based on a snapshot description of a hypothetical Match. All Head Referee calls, including when Violations without Violation Notes should escalate from Minor to Major Violations, require analysis of the full context of the Match and a judgment call by the Head Referee.

We can suggest some of the factors that a Head Referee should consider when deciding whether or not the potential <SG6> Violations you've described should lead to a Major Violation and DQ:

  • Were the Match Loads scored in an Offensive Zone or a Goal? How many total points?
  • Has the Team received a Minor Violation for this rule already at the event?
  • Has the Team received a warning or Minor Violation for this rule already in the Match? (i.e. were they warned after the first illegal Match Load, and chose to introduce three more?)

Most importantly, the Head Referee should give the Team a verbal warning during or following the first incorrectly introduced Match Load. In most cases, this will be enough to prevent the issue from escalating.