Official Rules – 1 January 2007

1. General objectives.
   1. Each machine must start each game inside a designated starting volume (plan form: 18 in. by 14 in., height 12 in.).
   2. At the start of the game, machines will collect their ball(s) from a bin and deposit them downward through a basketball hoop one at a time, which means that balls may follow each other into the hoop, but the top of one ball must pass the plane of the hoop before the bottom of the next ball enters.  Each ball placed through the designated hoop scores one point. Alternatively, students may choose to manually preload a maximum of six ping pong balls.  The balls can only be loaded when their entire robot is within a designated loading station.  When the robot is preloaded, baskets (1 point/ball) will be awarded when the basket is made outside of a 24 radius.  After all 6 balls have left the robot, the student may return to the pre-load station.  This may be repeated as many times as desired.  The machine scoring the most points in regulation playing time (3 minutes) wins the game.
   3. If the score is tied at the end of regulation time, there will be a one-minute sudden death overtime period.  If both machines fail to score in this overtime, the winner will be the machine that scored first during regulation time.  If neither team scores in either regulation or overtime the winner will be the higher seed.
2. Inspections and approvals:
   1. Each machine must pass a technical inspection before the competition starts and is subject to additional technical inspections during the competition. Machines found to be out of compliance with the rules will be disqualified.  Safety is paramount.  Any machine thought to have safety issues will not be allowed to compete.
   2. Major changes to approved design concepts should be discussed and approved by a member of the design contest committee before implementing.
3. Timing
   1. Regulation time for each game is 3 minutes. The sudden death overtime is 1 minute.  Game times do not change from round to round.
   2. Before each game you have 1 minute to setup your machine and test/trim the control system.
   3. You must remove your machine from the court within 30 seconds of the end of the game.
4. Prototype Demonstration, Seeding Trial, and Impoundment Inspection
   1. Machines must participate unopposed in a prototype demonstration, and must score at least one basket in three minutes, or receive a 10 second penalty during each competition game.  If you reach the final four the penalties are forgiven.
   2. Seeding is based on the results at the seeding trial.  In the seeding trial, the goal is to score as many points as possible, unopposed, in three minutes.  Seeding will be based on the number of points scored in the seeding trial.  For machines achieving the same number of points in the seeding trial, the seeding will be based on the judge’s evaluation of the quality of your design and fabrication.  In the seeding trial you must score at least one basket in three minutes, or you will receive a 10 second penalty during each competition game (possibly in addition to the 10 second penalty resulting from the prototype demonstration).  If you reach the final four the penalty point is forgiven.
   3. An inspection will be conducted at the time of impoundment.  The judges will inspect the machines, and each machine will be asked to give a quick demonstration of starting, stopping, turning, ball collection and shooting.  If a machine cannot adequately perform these actions, and has not scored a point in either the prototype demonstration or seeding trial, it may be disqualified.
5. Games
   1. Machines will start out facing one another at the center of the court.  The basket that you are facing is the basket you should score in.  The balls behind you are the balls you may use to score with. 
   2. In the event that both machines suffer incapacitating failures during play, the judges may call a brief time out and allow minor repairs.
   3. In the event that either control system malfunctions, through no fault of the machine, the game may be re-run if the judges determine that the failure may have changed the likely outcome of the game. The game may be completely re-run (a do-over), or restarted from the point of the malfunction, at the judges’ discretion.
   4. For a game with only one qualified machine, the machine will play against a placebo machine.  To continue on to the next round the machine must win the round or tie.
   5. A machine leaving the court cannot be replaced on the court, except for a game tied at the end of regulation time.  The machines will then be placed in the starting positions for the sudden death overtime.
   6. Malicious destruction (e.g. hammers, saws, intentional ramming …) is not permitted.  The judges may disqualify a machine for deliberate destruction of an opponent or the court.  You are not permitted to intentionally flip over an opponent, nor may you push your opponent off the court unless you are being prevented from moving or scoring by the opponent.  You are permitted to remove balls from your opponent’s machine, but not by damaging the opponent’s machine. 
   7. Goal-tending (blocking directly above the opponent’s goal) is not permitted.  One point will be awarded to the opponent for goal tending for the first occurrence of the game.  The second occurrence will result in disqualification.
   8. The referees may stop play and reset the machines at their discretion.
   9. No deliberate destruction of the court or balls is allowed.  Deliberate destruction will result in disqualification.
6. Disputes and Protests.
   1. Competitors may protest the scoring and rulings of the judges.  Such protests must be made in a timely fashion, but no later than 30 seconds after the end of a game.
   2. Judges will rule immediately, before proceeding to the next game, using videotape replays if necessary.
   3. Any protest deemed to be blatantly frivolous will result in the disqualification of the protesting machine.
7. Penalties.
   1. Rules regarding shop safety will be distributed to all machines.  Violations of the rules will result in a warning for the first violation, 10 seconds for the second violation, 20 seconds for the third, and disqualification for the fourth.  The time penalties are additive to those received from the prototype demonstration and seeding trial.
   2. These time penalties are forgiven for games in the final four.
8. Machine Limitations
   1. Machines must be completely constructed by the student participants.  Specialized machining help can be obtained from the MEMS department, if necessary.  Parts are to be ordered by the teams, using the procedure outlined on the catalog ordering sheet.  A budget of $350 per machine will be strictly enforced.   $100 of this budget may be used to purchase a kit.  Decorative items such as stickers and paint are permitted and encouraged.  Machines should have names.
   2. The control system components are provided (5 channels with three-way switches).  All machines must use these control systems. Only AA batteries are permitted with a maximum of sixteen.    Once the game begins students are not permitted to touch the machines or control the machine in any other way except by the system provided, unless advised by the officials.
   3. Size - the machine must fit into a volume of dimension (plan form: 18 in. by 14 in., height 12 in.) without external forces acting on it.  The machine is permitted to have deployable appendages that cause the machine to exceed these dimensions when in the deployed position.   The appendages may extend beyond the boundary of the court. The machine must start in the starting box and be in a configuration which fits in the 18 in. x 14 in. x 12 in. dimensions. 
   4. No spiked wheels are permitted.
   5. No welding is allowed in the construction of the machines.  No tape !!!  [Exception: electrical tape can be used for electric connections, if needed.]
   6. A modest use of lubricants on your machine is allowed.   No spraying or oil slicks.
   7. Non-destructive projectiles are permitted.