our catapult doesn’t work and we don’t have time for a rebuild. can we pull down our catapult while touching the match load bar?
If you mean physically pushing down the catapult with your hands, I don’t think that would be allowed. You can only gently place triballs on your robot.
Any question asking about the legality of something must be answered by looking in the game manual.
As you read the game manual, keep in mind that the game manual tells you things that you must do, and things that you are prohibited from doing. It can’t tell you everything you might do, so if the game manual does not prohibit an action, then it is generally legal.
Assuming you have read the game manual, what rule makes you think that [blank] might not be legal?
Credit to @kmmohn
7 Likes
Read Rule G9 to see what you think about it.
Hands out of the field. Drive Team Members are prohibited from making intentional contact with any Triballs, Field Elements, or Robots during a Match, apart from the contact specified in G9a.
a. During the Driver Controlled Period, Drive Team Members may only touch their own Robot if the Robot has not moved at all during the Match. Touching the Robot in this case is permitted only for the following reasons:
- Turning the Robot on or off.
- Plugging in a battery.
- Plugging in a V5 Robot Radio.
- Touching the V5 Robot Brain screen, such as to start a program.
- Drive Team Members are not permitted to break the plane of the field perimeter at any time during the Match, apart from the actions described in G9a, SG3(VRC Over Under Game Manual - VEX Robotics), and SG6(VRC Over Under Game Manual - VEX Robotics).
- Transitive contact, such as contact with the field perimeter that causes the field perimeter to contact Field Elements or Triballs inside of the field, could be considered a Violation of this rule.
By placing the Match Load gently onto a Robot from the Drive Team Member’s Alliance. Game Manual 2.1
I don’t think pushing down a catapult would constitute gentle and it’s more than just match-loading so I don’t think a ref would allow it.
Answering rule questions with go read the manual is not helpful. This site has more go figure it out yourself responses then helpful ones. If you don’t want to be part of the discussion then just skip the post.
There is a QA answer that addresses this question - Match Loading and <SG6> : Robot Events
TLDR- No, you can’t push down on a catapult with a tri-ball while match loading.
1 Like
That’s because there are more rtm questions on this cite than thought provoking questions debating the intricacies of a bullet point or red box.
12 Likes
This was a answered QA so the OP wasn’t the only one with the question.
What’s clear to you isn’t clear to the person asking or they wouldn’t be asking. Yes maybe they are just lazy or maybe they are brand new. Maybe just give them the benefit of the doubt and help them or ignore it and scroll on. Let someone else help them. Then the thread becomes helpful to anybody reading it instead of being cluttered with copy and paste gatekeepers telling them to read the manual.
2 Likes
If you really need to match load, you can just set it on top of your robot and let it fall. Unpractical, yes. But it can get you points.
Then I have no problem coming across as snarky.
In which case I’m being incredibly helpful. My first year in vex I didn’t even know there was a manual till halfway through my season. The next year I made sure to know the ins and outs of all the rules. By directing new users to the manual you set them up for future success. You can answer there question, but they won’t learn. You show them to the manual and they’ll learn a lifelong skill of looking through answers in a technical document. Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man how to fish, feed him for life.
And your welcome to disagree, but this topic has come up before, and most users on the forum will agree rtm is a perfectly good responce.
7 Likes
agree 100%, but it’s also important, at least for a non-obvious RTM question, to direct the student to the section or rule in the manual, otherwise, the manual can become a bit overwhelming for a new student who may not even know a manual exists (which is why a link to the current manual is so important VRC Over Under Game Manual - VEX Robotics ).
At the end of my “cut-and-paste” is a line directing the user to a section of the manual…it doesn’t always get copied by others, though.
3 Likes
and don’t forget that the Robot Inspection Checklist a team and their coach verifies:
Team has fully read and understands the game manual and Q&As, including but not limited to G1-G4, R1, R2, and T1.
I bring this up as the Q&A referenced is not new.
6 Likes
So what does someone do that doesn’t fully understand the manual if all they are ever told is to read it again?
The referenced QA was not new. But answering the question with a link to the QA takes them to the QA. It makes them aware of the QA. The cut and paste response to go read the manual doesn’t mention the existence of the QA. If this question was asked at a drivers meeting what would the response be?
Pretty much as we always do, invite them back to add more details, clarifications, or ask them specific questions that leads them to understanding the Game Manual and Q&A better. Struggling to find meaning in technical text is an important skill that will lead to stronger teams.
3 Likes
Then we get great discussions. This is a perfect example from a few years back.
OP didn’t understand the rule. But they clearly read the rule and put effort into their post. Nobody replied read the manuals. The discussion was engaging because it’s wasn’t the clearest rule. And as a result of it, we got an excellent explanation by @sazrocks that continues to be referenced.
9 Likes
yeah im a second year student. i didnt know there was a manual till this year and my team isn’t that great
1 Like
thats a issue because to compete you have to agree to have read that years manual and understand the rules
make sure your acually reading your inspection checklists!
1 Like
The inspection checklist isn’t in the manual.
i never said it was in the manual, but when you compete you fill out a inspection checklist at the tournament and at the bottom has a box stating “i have read the current game manual and understand the rules” or something along those lines, and you sign said sheet.
this is a great time to learn to read what your signing before it can impact your life
1 Like
What teams will realize, it is the RECF is requiring teams and their coaches to be better prepared prior to coming to events.
This past competition I spoke with teams during inspections with 80% having not looked at Q&A for over a month. Teams who follow the Q&A will understand the Game Manual better.
3 Likes