Rule R304

R304 *During an event, only work during pit hours. During an event a team is attending (regardless of whether the team is physically at the event location), the team may neither work on nor practice with their ROBOT or ROBOT elements outside of the hours that pits are open, with the following exceptions:

A. OPERATOR CONSOLES, BUMPERS, battery assemblies (as described in R103-B),

B. COTS items with minor modifications (attachment of connectors, assembly of COTS items per manufacturer instructions, labeling or decoration, etc.)

C. software development, and

D. charging batteries.

For the purposes of this rule, official events begin as follows:

- Regionals, District Championships, and FIRST Championship: at the start of the first designated load-in period, according to the Public Schedule. If the Public Schedule is not available or there is no designated load-in period, the events begin at 4pm on the day prior to pits opening.

- District Events: when pits open

Examples of activity prohibited by this rule include:

A. working on the ROBOT at the team’s shop after load-in for the event has begun,

B. working on ROBOT parts at night at the team’s hotel, and

C. running a 3D printer or other automated manufacturing process overnight producing ROBOT parts.

Note that E107 and E401 impose additional restrictions on work done on the ROBOT or ROBOT materials while attending an event.

This rule is intended to increase equity between teams with significant travel to an event and those nearby (close teams would otherwise have an advantage by being able to work on their ROBOT, in their shop, until it’s time to go to the event).

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