I’m collecting all the usual starting rule details in one place, sorry for redundancy of some of them:
(parenthesis and letters added for clarity)
Update 042611: <SG2> Prior to the start of each Match, each Alliance will have two (2) Barrels and two (2) Balls available as Preloads, one (1) of each per Robot.
A Scoring Object is considered to be legally preloaded if it is
(a) touching the Robot or
(b touching) a legal Preload,
© and would not be considered Scored if there was no contact with a Robot.
(d) Preloads may also not be touching any Goal.
May Preloads extend outside the 18" sizing cube?
May Preloads be suspended over Circular Goals? (no, <SG2> © )
May Preloads be suspended over Low Goals?
May Preloads touch any goal? (no <SG2> (d) explicitly)
May Preloads touch the floors, walls, and gate?
May Preloads hang over the walls and hang over a Gate?
May Preloads touch other Scoring Objects (those prepositioned on field)?
(eg: touch-chain of: field-object, preload1, preload2, robot, starting square)
What about touch-chain of: preload2, field-object, preload1, robot, starting square ? (presume preload2 is not legal, since field-object is not a legal preload for touch chain)