Rule G204

G204 *Letting someone coerce you into throwing a MATCH – also not cool. A team, as the result of encouragement by a team not on their ALLIANCE, may not play beneath its ability.

Note: This rule is not intended to prevent an ALLIANCE from planning and/or executing its own strategy in a specific MATCH in which all the ALLIANCE members are participants.

Violation: VERBAL WARNING. RED CARD if subsequent violations during the event.

Example 1: A MATCH is being played by Teams A, B, and C. Team D requests Team C ignore the CAGES at the end of the MATCH, resulting in Teams A, B, and C not being able to earn the BARGE RP. Team C accepts this request from Team D. Team D’s motivation for this behavior is to prevent Team A from rising in the Tournament rankings negatively affecting Team D’s ranking. Team C has violated this rule.

Example 2: A MATCH is being played by Teams A, B, and C, in which Team A is assigned to participate as a SURROGATE. Team A accepts Team D’s request not to participate in the MATCH so that Team D gains ranking position over Teams B and C. Team A has violated this rule.

FIRST considers the action of a team influencing another team to throw a MATCH, to deliberately miss Ranking Points, etc. incompatible with FIRST values and not a strategy any team should employ.