Rule definitions: <SC1> “All Scoring statuses are evaluated immediately after the Match ends …. a. For the purposes of this rule, “immediately after” means when all Discs, Field Elements, and Robots on the field come to rest.” <SG5e> “Robots may not contact the High Goal, Discs which are Scored in the High Goal, or the horizontal supporting structures directly underneath the High Goal. This rule applies at all times, regardless of Alliance / High Goal color.”
Questions: <SC1> states that the match is scored once all objects have come to rest. In a Q&A (https://www.robotevents.com/VRC/2022-2023/QA/1214), it was determined that a passive mechanism that fires after the end-of-match buzzer sounds would not count as scored. Extending this logic to endgame mechanisms, would a mechanism that fires well after (20-30 seconds) the buzzer still have an impact on the match outcome? Or would it be disregarded entirely? The second part of this question relates to when a field is “frozen” for scoring, such that no new actions will be considered in the match outcome. Once referees start to score a match, is there still a possibility for game elements to be scored, i.e a passive mechanism? Or is it understood that once referees begin to score a match, they have determined that all objects have come to rest and the field is frozen? Most referees enter the field to score, so is the status of all elements and robots frozen once the first referee steps foot on the field? If either of these are the case, would this then end the time period set forth by <SG5> part e, in relation to contacting the high goal?