Robotics Education & Competition Foundation
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Official Q&A: VRC 2023-2024: Over Under

Usage Guidelines All Questions

Dented Triballs


Josh Tremblay (Event Partner)
21-Jul-2023

In a scenario where triballs are dented as shown in the picture, what is the way for the head ref or event provider to deal with this? Is it supposed to be replaced, pumped back up in some way, or is it just expected that this is something that teams will have to play through? If the answer is that the triball is replaced or pumped back up, could this happening in a match due to normal gameplay be a reason to replay a match? img

T7  
Answered by committee
28-Jul-2023

In general, damage to Triballs during Match play should be addressed the same way as damage to any other field elements would be treated.

The Head Referee should make a judgment whether the damage was due to a particular Robot mechanism and/or action, per <R5> and <S1>. Repeated offenses by the same Robot will influence this decision.

Triballs are expected to withstand standard Robot interactions, and truly incidental damage should be rare. However, if the Head Referee judges that the damage was Match Affecting but is unable to identify the Robot responsible for the damage, Match Replays are always an option that may be used at the discretion of the Head Referee and Event Partner per <T7>.

Repairing damage that occurs outside of Match play is typically outside the scope of the Game Manual / Q&As, as there are limitless possibilities for root causes and severity. Per <T11>, repairs which do not affect gameplay may be made at the Event Partner's discretion. If any field elements have been damaged beyond repair, Event Partners should contact [email protected] for further guidance or to order a replacement. As a quick solution, we recommend swapping severely damaged Triballs with those from a practice field or un-used Robot Skills Challenge field.