Chapter 6: Loading and Possession Rules
Introduction
So far, this course has followed the sequence of a match: first confirming that the field and robots are set for a legal start, then applying the rules of the Autonomous Period. Once the Autonomous Period ends and the Driver Controlled Period begins, robots spend most of the match handling scoring objects (Pins and Cups) by picking them up, moving them, and placing them in or on goals. This chapter focuses on the rules that govern how those Pins and Cups legally enter play and how many a robot may handle at once.
Two ideas sit at the center of this chapter. The first is possession: how many Pins and Cups a robot is allowed to control at one time, and what counts as possessing an object versus simply pushing it across the field. The second is loading: how new objects are introduced into a match through Loaders, and when a team may do so. Both come up constantly during live play, and both can affect scoring and lead to violations when a team goes beyond what the rules allow. A Head Referee needs to recognize these situations quickly and apply the limits consistently from match to match.
In a future chapter, you will explore how robots interact with each other on the field.
The time to complete this chapter is approximately 30 minutes.
In This Chapter
This chapter introduces the rules for legally handling and introducing scoring objects during a match. You will learn how possession limits work during live gameplay, including the difference between possessing an object and plowing, and what a robot must do when it is possessing too many scoring objects. You will also explore when and how Match Loads can be introduced through Loaders, and how robots may interact with Loaders.