Answered: Large ball introduction, immediately rolls off-field

jgraber · November 19, 2009, 8:45pm

A simple robot may have no way to score the large ball.
A simple robot may have a flat top surface sloping from 18" to 12".
Is it a legal large ball introduction if the large ball is gently placed on the sloped surface, and it immediately rolls off the robot and off the field?

Karthik · November 19, 2009, 9:50pm

Provided that the robot in question is contacting the large ball introduction zone, the maneuver you describe would be a legal large ball introduction. Please see <SG3> for full details on legal large ball introductions. (Quoted below)

<SG3> Each alliance MUST introduce the large ball into the field of play sometime in the last thirty seconds (0:30) of the match. The large ball must be introduced by a coach on the alliance. To be eligible to be scored, the large ball must be introduced in one of the following ways.
• Gently placed onto the alliance’s large ball introduction zone.
• Gently placed directly “into / onto” a robot which is contacting the alliance’s large ball introduction zone.

The intent of this rule is that the large ball is gently introduced into play such that a robot can then score it. It is against the intent of the rule to introduce the ball in such a way that the coach imparts energy on
the ball which will cause it to score (i.e. bouncing the ball across the wall). It will ultimately be up to referees to determine what constitutes a “gentle” introduction.

Violation of this rule may result in a disqualification per <S1> at the discretion of the head referee, if the action is judged to be overly egregious.

If an alliance does not legally introduce the large ball into play, it counts as being scored in their opponents scoring zone.
• Illegal ways of introducing the ball include: introducing the ball into play early, not “gently” introducing the ball, not introducing the ball into the large ball introduction zone, or not introducing the ball at all.