If you have a question that's not answered here, please email the Head Refs at kcfllref@gmail.com. Every rules answer we send to coaches or teams will be added to this site on the appropriate page.
Each rule now has a unique, sequential, number (as opposed to starting over at "1" on each page).
The wording in rule 20 (for separating mission models joined to something) has been slightly reworded to be more clear.
There are no mission models that start inside Home; all are placed somewhere on the field.
There is no mission involving a team's Innovation Project, as there has been for the last several years
There is no longer a provision for optionally using tape on the edges of the mat in the rules. This is, however, mentioned in the table building instructions; see the Field Setup page for the KC Region's policy.
During the Coaches' Workshop on September 21st we were asked if a team could take a clipboard & writing implement to the table in order to take notes about the match. The correct answer to this question is "no" -- the equipment rules don't allow this. Rule 1 limits teams' equipment to "...LEGO building pieces...." Rule 6 allows teams to bring 1 sheet of paper for each Home area with notes the team will need during the match. (added 9/21)
Rule 10 -- The rule text didn't change from last year; it mentions putting mission models in either home area as desired. Note, however, that this year there are no mission models that start in Home.
Rule 14 -- The first bullet prevents students from handing anything from one Home area to the other. If a team tries to do this (either the robot, an attachment, or a mission model), the ref will just prevent the handover, or put the object back in the correct Home if he or she couldn't prevent the exchange. However, note that Rule 17 allows a robot interrupted completely outside Home can be returned to either Home area; if a student from one side does this & hands it to the other side (hopefully with the help of the referee) it could appear to an outside observer that we allowed a forbidden exchange. (added 11/14)
Rule 14 -- The third bullet says: "Technicians may not...Cause anything to move or extend outside this area, except for launching the robot." Previous year's rules included a statement about allowing Technicians to "calmly" retrieve anything they accidentally allow to go outside Home (for example, dropping an attachment & having it roll completely outside Home). In Kansas City we will continue to allow retrieval of items in this case; the referee may just pick up the item and put it back in Home without involving the students. (added 11/12)
Rule 16 -- See Update 02 from 8/6; while returning to Home parts of the robot extending past any enclosing wall are still considered to be completely inside Home. Note that the rest of the robot still has to be completely in Home in order to be handled without the loss of a precision token.
Rule 20 -- the words about the test for separating mission models from something to which they are attached has been changed, and provides a more clear test for compliance. Last year the separation had to be able to be done "immediately;" this year's rules use "in a single motion."
Rule 20 -- Due to the fragility of the Scuba Diver's fins, refs in Kansas City will not consider the mission model to be "broken" or "taken apart" if one or both fins accidentally fall off.
A team sent this question: My team has a question about the shark. If they knock the shark off of the cave, it lands in their home. Are they allowed to pick up the shark, adjust its fins, then place it in their robot attachments how they want, in order for their robot to move it into the shark habitat? Answer: As long as the shark is completely in Home, the team is allowed to touch it and do whatever manipulations they want (short of taking it apart in any way). The relevant rules are 13 and 20. If when the shark comes off the cave it doesn't land completely in Home, the team would have to leave it alone unless the robot moves it so that it is completely in Home. (added 11/12)
Update 10, released on Dec 2nd, restates the scoring condition for the 2nd part of the shark mission. The update points out that the scoring criteria come from the rules, NOT the scoresheet (which in this case has imprecise, and therefore incorrect, wording). (added 12/2/24)
See Update 09 (released 10/1/24). The mast must be fully upright, and the latch locked, for the mission to score. Pushing the mast past vertical (to rest on the front part of the shipwreck) will not score. (added 10/2)
During the Coaches' Workshop on September 21st there was some misunderstanding about the provision some missions have about not allowing any equipment touching the model. This constraint is laid out on page 9 of the robot game rulebook: this is the entire statement:
No Equipment Constraint: When this symbol appears in the top-right corner of a mission, the following constraint is applied: “No equipment may be touching any part of this mission model at the end of the match to score for this mission.”
This doesn't say that the equipment can't be touching the part of the mission that's scoring; it says that equipment can't touch "...any part of this mission model...." An example would be mission 12 (Feed the Whale); even if the krill have been placed in the whale's mouth, if the team's robot is touching the outside of the whale at the end of the match, no points could be scored for this mission.
Update 04 from August 6th modifies this slightly; here's the text:
UPDATE 04 – NO EQUIPMENT CONSTRAINT “THIS” MISSION MODEL – When missions include the NO EQUIPMENT constraint, and consist of multiple mission models, each mission model should be evaluated independently.
The update then gives as an example mission 03 (Coral Reef) and the 3 reef segments that are in various places on the mat. These are completely separate pieces, and it makes sense that the "no equipment touching" constraint be evaluated separately for each.
Note that the "No Equipment Constraint" applies to the following missions: 01, 03, 06, 07, 08, 10, 12, and 15.
Information about most updates is included with the rule or mission about which they are concerned. General updates are discussed here
Update 05 from 8/6 lists the sources of authority that are used during a tournament by referees and the Head Ref. The sources are (in order):
Updates and Clarifications
Field Setup video
Missions video
Robot Game Rulebook