Rule G415

G415 Expansion limits. A ROBOT may not extend more than 1 ft. 6 in. (~45 cm) beyond the vertical projection of its ROBOT PERIMETER.

If the over-expansion is due to damage and not used for strategic benefit, it is an exception to this rule, and no penalty is imposed.

Violation: MINOR FOUL, or MAJOR FOUL if the over-expansion is used for strategic benefit, including if it impedes or enables a scoring action.

Examples of compliant and non-compliant extensions are shown in Figure 7‑2. ROBOT A violates this rule for having an extension that is too long, while ROBOTS B, C, and D do not violate this rule.

Figure 7‑2 Examples of compliance and non-compliance of this rule (examples A and B are side views, examples C and D are top views)

Figure showing compliance and non-compliance of the expansion rule G415.

The intent of this rule is to prevent piling on a punitive response to a ROBOT that’s already experienced hardship and not leveraging that hardship for gain. Examples for this rule include the following:

A. a physical device on a team’s ROBOT, whose purpose is to restrain their CORAL scoring arm from extending beyond the limit, breaks after a collision with another ROBOT. Provided the ROBOT does not use the now-too-long extension to score SCORING ELEMENTS, no violation is assigned.

B. a vertical structural member of a ROBOT breaks at the bottom and rotates out such that it breaches the limit imposed. The ROBOT then parks such that its extension blocks opponent ROBOTS from reaching their PROCESSOR. A MAJOR FOUL is issued.