Answered: Removing balls from the playing field/goals

[WisVex]

During one of the finals matches at event I was attending a ball bounced off of the high goal, off a person who was standing outside the field, then back into the field into the blue alliances tile. One of the teams on the blue alliance picked up and shot the ball in the last couple seconds of the match. After the match the referees removed the ball stating that it was no longer valid because it had bounced out of the field. I was wondering if this is an appropriate way to deal with this situation, and if not how should it be dealt with. Would it make a difference if there was a different ball the robot could have picked up instead? Should referees make an attempt to immediately remove any balls that have bounced off the field?
Here is a video in which the situation that i’m describing occurred.

Wisconsin VEX State Championship-Nothing But Net 2016-Division and Tournament Finals

The ball bounces out of the field and back in at 28:55
the blue alliance picks up and shoots the ball at 29:20

[Karthik]

@WisVex

I was wondering if this is an appropriate way to deal with this situation, and if not how should it be dealt with.

In this case, I would have let the Match play out, and if the two balls ended up being Match affecting, I would called for a replay. This is the best practice in this type situation. Since the presence of those balls changed a team’s strategy, it’s hard to be certain if removing them from the goals would be the best course of action.

@WisVex

Should referees make an attempt to immediately remove any balls that have bounced off the field?

Absolutely, provided this can be done safely.