Can you drop a tri ball for match loads?

[Cfc]

I was wondering if you could drop a triball / match loads?

[Tropical]

You can’t exert any extra force on the match loads other than what would be required to gently “place” it on the robot. In other words, no you can’t drop the triballs.

[Micahy321]

RTM (Read the Manual)

RTM (Read the Manual): There’s a few of us on the forums that push hard about properly reading the manual to answer all the questions about “is it legal/allowed.” I’d like to point out that learning to RTM is an important job skill, with the difference that the “manual” becomes the specifications you will work with on the job. Obvious RTM questions never seem to go away. This morning, I was reviewing some questions in the appendix of the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section IX (I…

There’s only one way to find out!

VRC-Manual-2324-2.2Release.pdf

[355Y-Coach]

But the manual isn’t always clear.

“Dropping” is not “throwing” or “rolling,” And if you are dropping it onto your shooting mechanism, it will never bounce out.

[355Y-Coach]

Looks like the next section covers this. Dropping is not placing the match load ONTO the robot.

[RangerSTEMGirl]

Don’t tell me this is gonna be a “Vex needs to tell people the definition of gently in a video” group chat. My account got paused because of it!

Regardless, @355Y-Coach is right… dropping isn’t placing the match load on the robot

[73805B1]

It is allowed so long as it is “a short distance, in a controlled manner, onto a ramp” under this Q and A post

[Trent_13444A]

Yes, it is allowed.
There was a Q&A about this: Q&A 1778
Specifically, look at the example video links in the “placing” section of their answer, they give a great illustration of how to legally drop triballs onto a robot.

[Trent_13444A]

Correct, however it isn’t limited to a ramp, that was just the example question used. Later in the answer it also gives an example of legally dropping match loads onto a spinning part.

[Trent_13444A]

Yes, I agree that reading the manual is important, but in some cases (like this one) the manuel isn’t clear. Maybe some cases should be directed to the Q&A rather than the manuel?

[NotJohnnyTamale]

I don’t believe so, but iirc teams get around this by placing zip ties onto their robot in a way that allows them to “drop” the triball but it’s still touching the robot. It does depend on the Rev however, because we had a flywheel launcher and one of our head refs argued that we have to drop it from an inch or so above otherwise we were imparting energy onto the triball.

[Liam_5405]

IDK the new ruling but I did see many teams “bowling” by just dropping one on the corner. My view on why bowling is legal is that there is no force applied on it by the human, he just lets go and has gravity do the work so that is how. It is unto because it lands on the robot so. Vex might have had a game rules update.

[Micahy321]

@Trent_13444A

Maybe some cases should be directed to the Q&A rather than the manuel?

Yeah absolutely. However, my response was about a month before the q&a was posted. At that time, the only rule we had was SG6 point 2d. That made it pretty clear that a slight drop was well inside the requirements.