According to <R9> non-functional decorations are permitted as long as they do not affect robot performance in any significant way or affect the outcome of the match. So can a 3D printed screen protector be used?
Our Problem: The polarity on our brain somehow has changed (or new brains have a different polarity than the old ones?) which prevents any screen protectors from attaching properly. Playing matches without a screen protector at all is a huge risk! Right now the ruling by inspectors at our event is that our 3D printed screen protector counts as functional because it is not backed by legal materials that serve the same purpose. But additionally in R9 it says that "A simple way to check this is to determine if removing the decoration would impact the performance of the robot in any way". Because adding or removing the 3d printed screen protector does not result in an impact in the robot's performance, our team believes that it should be permitted (we would further argue that even standard screen protectors are not "functional" occording to the above definition).
We would appreciate an official ruling as this would be very helpful for us and other teams who might also have lost their screen protectors! It also allows more fun customization and decorative options for teams.
Sincerely, ~ 9181C