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1450: <SG5> Robot Endgame Mechanism Hitting High Goal

NJIT
12-Feb-2023

<SG5> Vertical expansion is limited. Robots may expand vertically within the following conditions:

[...]

e. 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.

[...]

Violation Notes:

[...]

  • Even if an expansion was accidental, it can still be considered a Major Violation if the Head Referee judges that the expansion was intentional, strategic, and / or Match Affecting. This especially applies to part “e” of this rule.

Scenario:

It is the Endgame period of a Head-to-Head Match. A Robot has an Endgame mechanism that shoots 2 strings. The Robot is sitting in between two Rollers in a corner (Covering 1 tile), and deploys their mechanism by shooting string across the field. One string flies normally across the field and covers 2 tiles that otherwise would not be considered Covered. The other string hits the side of a High Goal and then rests on the ground, covering 1 tile that would otherwise not be considered Covered. This is a clear Violation of <SG5> part (e). The Head Referee determined this Violation to be non-strategic and incidental. The Robot Covers a total of 4 tiles.

Question 1

What should be considered when determining whether this Violation is Match Affecting or not?

  1. Should it depend on the string that touched the High Goal?
  2. Should it depend on both strings?
  3. Should it depend on all of the Covered tiles the Robot covers (that isn't also Covered by its Alliance partner)?

Or is there an alternative interpretation entirely?

Question 2

Would the answer to Question 1 be different depending on whether the Robot has 1 Endgame mechanism that shoots both strings, or 2 Endgame mechanisms that each shoot 1 string? I understand the line between those is blurry, and so it might be up to the Head Referee's as to whether there is one mechanism or two.

Thank you for your time.

SG5  
Answered by committee

Teams must always be in control of their Robots, particularly expansion mechanisms. If an expansion cannot be deployed safely and without breaking game rules, it should not be deployed.

As noted in clause E of rule <SG5>SG5 and the note following that rule, Robots may never contact the High Goal or its structure, and a Match Affecting violation of SG5 should be considered a Major Violation.

If an Endgame expansion mechanism contacts the High Goal or its structure, all points earned by that Robot for Covered tiles should be identified and considered as a whole when determining whether or not the <SG5>SG5 violation is Match Affecting.

For example, if Robot RED1 launches five strings during the Endgame and one of them contacts a High Goal, all Field Tiles contacted by any one of the Robot’s strings and/or its drivebase (that are not also contacted by RED2) will be counted. If RED1 is contacting eight (8) tiles (that aren’t also being contacted by RED2) and wins the Match by 24 or fewer points, the violation is Match Affecting and RED1 should receive a Major <SG5> Violation and a Disqualification for the Match.