RobotEvents.com
Robotics Education & Competition Foundation
Inspirando estudiantes, un robot a la vez.

This Q&A is Read Only.

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

Usage Guidelines All Questions

Blue robot pushing red robot into blue elevation short bar during last 30 sec

James Reilly (Event Partner)
28-Sep-2023

If red robot is on blue offensive side during the final final 30 secs. and the blue robot starts manueving toward the blue elevation bar, but the red robot is between the blue bot and blue elevation bar. If the blue robot drives into or bumps the red robot and in that process pushes the red robot into the lower short bar of the blue elevation bar is that a violation for the red bot or not. One of my students felt this is falls into a SG11 violation due to blocking or preventing elevation. My head ref and I felt this was not intentional and that G15 applied. Can you provide direction on which rule takes precedence?

<SG11>

<G15>

Thanks

G15   SG11  
Answered by committee
12-Oct-2023

In your scenario, the blue Robot has forced the red Robot into contact with the blue Elevation Bars during the final 30 seconds of the Match. Rule <G15> specifies that a Team cannot force an opponent into a penalty, so the red Robot should not be penalized for the contact.

Given the potential for restricted views in the area of the Elevation Bars, Head Referees may not be able to determine whether a Robot is in Violation of rule <SG11> or should instead receive protection from <G15>. The first Violation Note for rule <SG11> should be used to help guide the referees' decision:

Regarding points “a” and “d”: If no opponent Robots are in the process of Elevating, then most incidental or momentary contact is unlikely to be Match Affecting, and should only be considered a Minor Violation.

Our answer to this unrelated question about Tipping takes a deep dive into the need for Head Referees to consider the context of the Match when making judgment calls, which also applies in this and other situations.