<SG5>
Stay away from nets on the Goals. Becoming Entangled with the net on either Goal is considered a violation of <S1> and/or <G7>, and will result in a Disablement. Causing an opponent to become Entangled with the net is considered a violation of <G15> and, at a minimum, will result in a Disablement for both Teams. This rule is a specific exception to <G15>. Normally, under <G15>, a Robot which is forced into breaking a rule (such as being pushed into the net) is not penalized. However, because heavy Robot-to-Robot interaction is expected around the Goals, and Entanglement carries a high risk of playing field damage, any Robot that becomes Entangled must be Disabled regardless of fault. Robots are responsible for their own actions and mechanism designs. If this occurs during the Autonomous Period, the Head Referee should assess the severity of the Entanglement once the Autonomous Period ends. If they determine that the risk of field damage is low, they have the option to grant a 5-second “grace period” to free themselves at the beginning of the Driver Controlled Period. This exception is only permitted at the Head Referee’s discretion, and is only valid if it is verbally communicated to Drive Team Members before the start of the Driver Controlled Period. If the Team is unable to free their Robot after 5 seconds, this rule will take effect and the Robot must be Disabled.
Note: Lifting the net structure in an attempt to add or remove Triballs is considered a Violation of <SG5>, and may also be considered a Violation of <G7>, and/or <S1> at the Head Referee’s discretion. Violation Notes:
Momentary or incidental contact is expected and is not considered a Violation or Disablement. The rule only becomes invoked once a Robot has become Entangled with a net and the Head Referee wishes to avoid potential field damage. The Disablement associated with this rule is not considered a Major Violation. It is intended to be an avenue for the Head Referee to prevent any potential safety concerns and/or damage to the net. Intentional, strategic, or repeated Minor Violations and/or Disablements may escalate to a Major Violation at the Head Referee’s discretion. Disablements last for the remainder of the match, regardless of whether the status that led to Disablement is resolved or not.