Before I post an official Q&A I figured I’d poll the braintrust here first.
Situation: Our team put “mandibles” on the front of our bot (see photo 1) that protrude into the pickup zone a bit (see photo 2) and in rare circumstances when we double score (high+low or low+low) they can get hung up on the mandibles in the Goal Wall (see photo 3). However, the leading ball is making contact with the floor; so by rule it can be picked up, which would then make the next ball come down and touch the floor.
Question: We’re worried that judges might not realize the ball is in contact with the floor and perceive it as a violation of Game Rule (referenced below). Would it be as simple as our team just giving the judge a heads-up on the situation before the match starts to prevent any confusion/concern?
The Violation Notes in section states:
Egregious or repeated Violations that result in retrieving a Ball before it contacts the Floor of the Pickup Zone are inherently Score Affecting, and will escalate to a Major Violation at the Head Referee’s discretion.
