<SG3> states:
Emphasis mine.
1) [Robot A] pins [Robot B] for 3 seconds, and then [Robot A] backs away at least 2 feet, and stays 2 feet away for at least 5 seconds. If [Robot A] proceeds to go back and pin [Robot B], does the pin count start back up at 3 seconds or does it reset to start at 0 since [Robot A] backed away the minimum 2 feet and stayed away the minimum 5 seconds?
Based on past experience, I would expect the count to reset to 0 seconds, but the way this rule is worded would make me think that the count would start back up at 3 seconds. To make this the case, perhaps the wording on this rule should be:
"if a team does pin the same Robot again without waiting the minimum of 5 seconds, the pinning count will resume from where it left off when the pinning Robot initially backed off.
Bold is the suggested additional wording.
2) If the ruling on 1) is that the count would start back up at 3 seconds, then consider this scenario. In addition to Scenario 1), the second pin on [Robot B] lasted 1 second, then [Robot A] moved away 2 feet once again for at least 5 seconds. If [Robot A] began to pin [Robot B] again would the count pick up at 4 seconds?
Basically if 2) is true then this rule would basically be saying that any one robot can pin one specific robot for no more then 5 seconds in a match total. I am almost positive this is not the case, but again the way the rule is worded does suggest this.
Obviously this would be very difficult for the referees to keep track of, which is another reason why I am very sure that this is not the case, but I wanted to ensure this was clarified, as pinning calls are arguably the most subjective in the game already.
Finally,
3) If [Robot A] is pinned against a field wall by [Robot B], but [Robot A]'s drive is situated such that it could drive along the direction of the wall, would a pin count still be initiated by a referee if there were openings on the field to either side of [Robot A] and the only directions that [Robot A]'s movement was limited was toward the field wall and toward [Robot B]?
Does the force that [Robot B] is enacting upon [Robot A] mean that the pin count is still initiated as [Robot A] may not have enough power to overcome the side force [Robot B] is putting on it, thus “inhibiting the movement of an opponent robot”?
Again, I would expect that the pin count would be initiated in this situation, but I wanted to clarify this as technically [Robot A] would still have avenues of escape.
Thanks,
-Nick