Chapter 7: Robot Interaction and Judgment Calls
Lesson 3: Endgame and Midfield Interactions
Learning Objectives:
- Identify when the Endgame period begins.
- Identify Endgame-specific expansion limits.
- Describe how robot interaction changes near or in the Midfield during the Endgame.
- Identify legal and illegal Endgame contact.
The final seconds of a match raise the stakes in the Midfield. Robots race to end the match there, the area gets crowded, and your expectations for contact change. Knowing what shifts during the Endgame — and what does not — keeps these high-pressure calls consistent.
Before continuing, read the following in the current Game Manual:
- <SG12> Some rules change during the Endgame.
The Endgame Period
The Endgame is the last 10 seconds of a Head-to-Head Match. When it begins, rules around scoring in the Midfield change. During the Endgame, robots may not place Pins or Cups on the Midfield Goal. This ensures that robots are not expanding or further interacting with tall stacks while vigorous interaction is in place. By not allowing robots to score on the Midfield goal, referees can ensure that they are watching the interactions between robots on the field.
Contact in and Near the Midfield
Because ending in the Midfield is worth points, robots crowd into it during the Endgame, and contact there is expected. Under <SG12>, a robot trying to end in the Midfield should expect vigorous interaction, and incidental pushing, tipping, or Entanglement near the Midfield during the Endgame is not a violation. A robot that tips itself over while forcing its way in does not earn a call against the opponent it bumped.
What does not change is the line for unsafe or intentional play. Intentional damage or a dangerous mechanism can still be a violation under <S1> at your discretion. The Endgame widens what counts as expected contact, but it does not make the Midfield a free-for-all. The call you are watching for is the difference between robots legitimately contesting the Midfield and one robot using these last few seconds of the match as cover to target an opponent.
This matters because Midfield position decides points: which robots end in the Midfield, and which alliance owns the Yellow Pins there (covered in Chapter 2). A single bump in the last two seconds can swing the outcome, which makes these some of the highest-pressure calls you will make. Hold the same standard you used all day — the Endgame is not the time to tighten or loosen that standard.