While practicing loading, I was told by one of my teammates that there was a rule change regarding that you can only have one hand from one person be in the field at a time, even though multiple teams have two hands from one person. I checked the game manual and found nothing on the matter of how many hands you could have in the field, so I’m currently wondering if anyone knows.
I would suggest you look at pages 11 to the end. If you don’t find it there, then I don’t know.
https://www.robotevents.com/faqs/27/pdf?tag=SG6
I don’t know if it’s official but we also just got told the same thing today if that helps
Directly from SG6
During this action, a Drive Team Member’s hand may temporarily break the plane of the field perimeter.
Note it is a singular hand - not multiple.
I would recommend you read the Game Manual with more attention.
1 Like
General rule of thumb, if you do not know if it is official, don’t post it. We do not even know who told you, what context, etc. Too vague to be helpful.
Best to post when you can cite where the information is coming from and include exact wording.
5 Likes
U can use two hands BUT only one triball should be in it if u want to load two at once u have to first wait for the first one to launch THEN the other triball can enter the field
What confuses me is that there are multiple videos online showing big teams using both hands in skills and in matches. While we were competing, we constantly had two hands in field hit were never called out for it.
And it doesn’t specifically say there’s only one hand allowed, so it makes it a kinda gray area. I’ve also never seen this rule enforced or even acknowledged by any refs, judges, or even my mentor.
Please refer to this Q&A: QA 1778
Specifically, the one final note section states that “The intent of this addition is to prohibit actions such as the following: Any interaction where two Triballs are being held past the plane of the field wall (at the same Match Load Zone), even momentarily”
So no, you can’t have more than 1 handheld matchload triball crossing the field at a time.
8 Likes
Read the rule carefully, only one hand may break the field perimeter plane. What the other hand is doing outside the perimeter is not in question.
The rule in the Game Manual and the Q&A are clear.
1 Like
where does it say that only one hand can break the field perimeter, i just read qna 1777, 1778, and sg6 and did not see that anywhere
This QA [Official GDC Q&A Post] Is my hypothetical Match Load design / strategy allowed? : Robot Events
Says this - " In the next Game Manual update, an additional guideline will be added to SG6 stating that Match Loads must be introduced one at a time . We are not going to include any more specificity than saying “one at a time”; please interpret it using as much “common sense” as possible."
SG8 in the Dec 5 manual says
" During this action, a Drive Team Member’s hand may temporarily break the plane of the field perimeter."
It also says-
“Note 2: Match Loads must be introduced to the field one at a time.”
It seems like the intent of this update was to allow it but it still says “hand”. I see the argument that people with small hands may have difficult holding a triball with one hand. Ask the head ref at your event if they will allow 2 handed loading of a single triball at a time. I would say its going to be at their discretion whether they allow it or not.
1 Like
Directly from Game Manual first sentence second paragraph of :
That is where my one hand placing triball placement is allowable.
We definitely know explicitly that bringing two triballs by the driver onto robot is prohibited.
Despite the fact that the game manual uses singular “hand,” I strongly believe that their is no intention to restrict match loading to using one hand at a time, only one triball. This falls completely within the “Use Common Sense” guideline.
It would not be practical for refs to monitor if a drive team member is only breaking the plane with one hand while match loading. There are too many other important things to look for.
To further support my interpretation, Q&A 1778 has several short videos that show examples of legal triball match loading. At least a couple of those videos show 2-handed loading. If anyone has a ref question using two hands to load a single triball, I would refer to those videos as evidence of it being allowed.
1 Like
Yes, this is true. I do agree that the game manual stating a singular hand is not specifically stated and creates a gray area.
This would be a very insightful topic for a Q&A, and if someone has already created one could you link it on this thread? Thanks.
This QA [Official GDC Q&A Post] Is my hypothetical Match Load design / strategy allowed? : Robot Events
Says this is an example of a legal matchload
https://content.vexrobotics.com/docs/23-24/vrc-overunder/gifs/Video16.gif
3 Likes
Yes it does. So do a couple of other examples in that Q&A.
As shown by @T1mH 's post and the other examples in the referenced Q&A, it has been asked and answered. I do not think it warrants another Q&A. Excessive unnecessary Q&A’s reduce the efficiency and usability of the Q&A system. Did you know that if you download the Q&A as a pdf to use as a ref reference, it is currently 121 pages. That is too many. Let’s not add one more that isn’t necessary.
5 Likes
So do we have a definite answer?
The best take away from Q&A and discussions is that 1) intent clear not to allow two triballs to cross the field perimeter, 2) hands that are legally allowed to be in the field to fulfill the action should do so safely, 3) your face/torso should not be leaning unsafely into the field as it is unsafe.
As Grant Cox will say - “don’t over think it”. (which I do at times 
)
Hope this helps.
4 Likes
I wasn’t aware of the examples on Q&A 1178, and that is why I also said
I wasn’t suggesting creating a Q&A that wasn’t necessary, I was attempting to find the Q&A and make it if it wasn’t existent.