Game Manual Part 2

**1.5.1 Pre-Match**

Field personnel will place approximately half of the fifty-two (52) Silver and half of the eighty-six (86) Gold Minerals into each of the Craters. The Silver and Gold will be randomly mixed.

Drive Teams receive an Alliance-colored Robot-identification flag from field personnel. This flag must be securely mounted on the Robot as defined in the Robot rules.

Minerals are not Pre-Loaded onto the Robot. Drive Teams may Pre-Load one Team Marker. The Drive Team must select one of the following starting locations for their Robot:

1. Latched to the Lander - Robot is Completely Supported by their Alliance-specific side of the Lander with the following constraints:

a. The Robot must be Completely Supported by the Lander Support Bracket. Incidental contact with the Lander walls or the legs is allowed.

b. The lowest point on a Robot and Team Marker can be no closer than four (4) inches (102 mm) from the Playing Field Floor.

c. When Completely Supported by the Lander, Robots must be within the 18 inch x 18 inch x 18 inch (45.7 cm x 45.7 cm x 45.7 cm) starting volume constraint.

2. Deployed from the Lander - Robots that start the Match Deployed are not eligible to earn the Landing achievement points. Deployed Robots are placed on the Playing Field Floor in any orientation with the following constraints:

a. The Robot must be In the Landing Zone within the vertical projection of the Lander Support Bracket. For example, a portion of the Robot must be directly beneath the Lander Support Bracket.

b. The Robot must start Outside the opposing Alliance’s Landing Zone.

After the Robots are either Latched or Deployed, and Autonomous programs have been initialized, Referees

will give a setup complete signal to the Drive Team, signifying the following:

Drive Teams may no longer touch their Robots until the conclusion of the Match, and

2. Drive Teams may not touch their Driver Stations or controllers until the Autonomous Period has ended, except to start their Autonomous program with a single touch to the Driver Station Android device screen.

3. Prior to the start of the Match, Referees will place Samples in the Sample Field. Referees will randomly arrange two Silver and one Gold into a grouping. This grouping will be repeated in front of each Robot starting location.

**1.5.2 Autonomous Period**

The Match starts with a thirty-second Autonomous Period where Robots are operated via pre-programmed instructions only. Teams are not allowed to control Robot behavior with the Driver Station or any other actions during the Autonomous Period. The Driver Station is placed in a hands-off location during the Autonomous Period so that it is evident that there is no human control of Robots. The only exception is to allow Drive Teams to start their Robot with a single start command issued on the Driver Station Android device using the built-in thirty-second timer. The Autonomous Period begins following a start countdown (for example, 3-2-1-go) by field personnel, signaling Drive Teams with Robots that plan to run an Autonomous Op Mode to issue a Robot start command with their Driver Station. Failure to adhere to this procedure may subject the Team and/or Alliance to a Penalty as specified in the game rules in Section 1.6.2.

The Autonomous Score is based on completing tasks during the Period. Points are awarded for the following achievements:

1. Landing – Robots lower themselves from the Lander onto the Playing Field Floor. Each Robot that is in contact with the Playing Field Floor and not in contact with the Lander Support Bracket will earn 30 points for their Alliance.

2. Claiming – Each Robot that successfully places their Team Marker In their Alliance's Depot will earn 15 points for their Alliance. The Team Marker may only be delivered by placing it into the Depot. Launching, shooting, throwing, etc. of a Team Marker is not allowed. If an Alliance Completely Claims their corresponding Depot, then descoring of Minerals by the Opposing Alliance will not be allowed from that Depot during the Driver-Controlled Period. Completely Claimed Depots are permanent for the Match.

3. Parking – Each Robot In a Crater at the End of the Autonomous Period will earn 10 points for their Alliance.

4. Sampling – Each Sample Field that has its Gold Mineral Out of the corresponding taped Area and the two (2) Silver Minerals remaining In their corresponding taped Areas will earn 25 points for the corresponding Alliance.

Minerals placed in the Depot or Cargo Hold during the Autonomous Period are Scored as described in section 1.5.3.