FIRST Robotics Competition can be a full-contact competition and may include rigorous game play. While this rule aims to limit severe damage to ROBOTS, teams should design their ROBOTS to be robust.

Examples of violations of this rule include, but are not limited to:

A.      A ROBOT leaves an arm extended, spins around to change course, and unintentionally hits and damages a COMPONENT inside the ROBOT PERIMETER of a nearby opponent ROBOT.

B.      A ROBOT, in the process of trying to quickly reverse direction, tips up on a single pair of wheels, lands atop an opponent ROBOT, and damages a COMPONENT inside that opponent’s ROBOT PERIMETER.

C.      A ROBOT high-speed rams and/or REPEATEDLY smashes an opponent ROBOT and causes damage. The REFEREE infers that the ROBOT was deliberately trying to damage the opponent’s ROBOT.

Examples of functionally impairing another ROBOT include, but are not limited to:

D.      opening an opponent’s relief valve such that the opponent’s air pressure drops and

E.      powering off an opponent’s ROBOT (this example also clearly results in a RED CARD because the ROBOT is no longer able to drive).

At the conclusion of the MATCH, the Head REFEREE may elect to visually inspect a ROBOT to confirm violations of this rule made during a MATCH and remove the violation if the damage cannot be verified.

For the purposes of this rule, “initiating contact” requires movement towards an opponent ROBOT.

In a collision, it’s possible for both ROBOTS to initiate contact.

"Unable to drive" means that because of the incident, the DRIVER can no longer drive to a desired location in a reasonable time (generally). For example, if a ROBOT can only move in circles, or can only move extremely slowly, the ROBOT is considered unable to drive.