Loops
The goal
The goal of this game is to score the most points possible by reducing the playing pieces on your side of the field and by enlarging the amount of playing pieces on the other side.
The rules
During a game, there are two teams on the playing field: the blue and yellow team. Each team starts on their color's side and may not change sides during the game. Additionally, in each team there will be two robots that will change from game to game.
Teams
Playing pieces
Each robots on the field needs to be preloaded with two playing pieces. Also, twenty-four playing pieces will be placed on each side of the field which will be divided into two dispensers.
Playing field
The playing field for this year's competition is a large rectangle that is divided into two (the yellow and blue side). Each side is also divided into various different zones which are all assigned a number of points. You can make points when the playing pieces are thrown and rest on that zone. There is :
- 2 zones of 5 pts
- 2 zones of 10 pts
- 2 zones of 20 pts
- 1 zone of 30 pts
- 1 zone of 40 pts
- 1 zone of 100 pts
- 2 zones of x2 multipliers
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If a playing piece has landed on the line between two different zones, it will be worth the highest number of points. Also, playing pieces that are stacked over one another will be assigned the same highest number of the playing piece(s) that are touching the field's floor.
On deck
- Every school's spotter, driver and robot that will play in the next game must be in the On deck circle before the buzzer buzzes which shows that the previous game just ended. If they are not in the circle, they will get a penalty.
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- A game will start even if a school's spotter, driver or robot are not ready.
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- Every robot has to have the school's name, number and the robot's name (which is optional). These must be clearly visible to everyone.
Starting play
The drivers and spotters must be seated on the chairs designated by the CRC. When the game has begun, the spotters and drivers cannot interfere with any objects whatsoever. They cannot interfere with the robots or playing pieces.
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Robots need to be placed in the designated area before the buzzer buzzes. If a school is late, they will not be allowed to participate in the game.
In play
Time is called by the head referee. Additionally, all robots are not allowed to move in the x2 zone, even if the wheel accidentally fell in it. If this happens, they must take the robot off the field.
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Each time a referee must interfere with a robot, it will cost that robot's team 20% of their points. Actions like withdrawing from the x2 zone, putting a robot on the field if it tips over on the field, if a robot is stuck on a playing piece or if a team forgets to turn on their kill switch count as interferences. Because team members cannot enter the field during a a game, they cannot take too much time to ask for help to a referee. If they do, the referee will prompt them.
To decrease the number of playing pieces on your side and increase them on the other, robots of the same team can throw the playing pieces under the opening in the wall.
Robots on one side of the field cannot violate the other robots, the other side of the playing field or the wall separating both sides. If a playing piece is thrown while a robot violated one of these, the playing piece will be put in the other team's dispenser. They will then have more playing pieces. Additionally, Robots cannot damage any robots, playing pieces or the playing field in any way. During the game, you may only use 12 spools and the last robot that came into contact with one that left the field (even if it is unintentionally) is said to be responsible for it. Each playing piece that goes out of the field will be given to the opposite team and put in that team's vertical dispenser. The number of playing pieces a team can use will be shown on a screen on each side of the field.
Robots cannot put spools on the contour of the field or on the wall. Every playing piece can be moved on the opposite field except if the spool landed completely in the 100 points zone. But, if the playing piece is on the line of this zone, it can be moved.
A playing piece is considered on the robot when it is no longer on the ground and only on the robot. Every robot is only allowed to have 2 playing pieces or less at a time during a game. Each time a robot has more, a 100 point penalty will be given to them.
Referees on the playing field are allowed to judge everything during a game. They will:
- stop robots from violating the wall and the other playing field.
- stop them from touching a spool in the 100 points zone.
- make sure the screens are updated.
End of play
Every game last 5 minutes. When the game is over, all robots must stop moving. If something is still moving, it will be assigned the number of points of the place where it stopped moving.
The game can also finish before the 5 minutes if a team is able to clear their side of the field (excluding the x2 zone), their robots has to no longer have playing pieces on them and a minimum of 12 playing pieces are removed from the dispensers during 30 seconds or more. The referee will announce the beginning of the 30 sec. countdown when the last spool is cleared. The countdown will be shown on a screen, but the countdown will be canceled if a spool enters the cleared side of the playing field.
The end of the game will be shown with a buzzer and people may enter the field only if the referre says so.
Scoring
The end of the game will be shown with a buzzer and people may enter the field only if the referee says so.
Sharing robot: To share points with its teammates, your robot has to contribute to the score by taking a playing piece or by putting a spool on the opposite side of the playing field. When this happens, the robot will be labelled as a "sharing robot" and can now score the team's points.
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Inactive robot: If a robot does not get fully out of the starting zone or even if it just does not show up, it will be labelled as an "inactive robot". Given this, the robot teamed with this inactive robot will have its final points multiplied by 1.5 because of the disadvantage.
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Broken robot: If a robot gets fully out of the starting zone and then stops, it will not be labelled as an "inactive robot" and its teammate will not have the bonus. But, if the broken robot couldn't meet the "sharing robot" requirements, it will not share the final points with its teammate and its teammate will not have its final point multiplied by 1.5.
The final score of each team will be said at the end of every game and also the estimated final score of the game will be shown on a screen.
If a spool is on the line separating two zones and it is no longer moving, you will be given the highest number of points, as said before.
Spools that are over one another will be assigned the same amount of points as the one on the bottom that has contact with the floor.
If a playing piece is on the line separating both team's side of the field, it will count as if it's on both sides. This spool will be given the amount of points of the zone it landed in and the points will be added to both teams.
The points given on one side of the rectangular field will be awarded to the team on the other side.
No point are given to the spools located in the dispensers, on the robot or in the x2 zone.
Removing spools from the vertical dispensers:
For every spool a team takes out of the dispensers, the team will have 50 points added to its final score.
The amount of playing pieces left to take out of the dispensers will be shown on screens on each side of the field.
A spool is said to be removed from the dispenser when it is not in contact with it any longer.
If a team removes a spool from their dispensers and then leaves it on the ground and it then lands in a point zone, it will be added to the opposing team's points.
If a team takes out, for example, 14 spools instead of 12, the screen will show "-2". If at the end of the game the screen still shows this, then the two highest scores of spools will be taken away. Also, the points the playing pieces made will be canceled. This takes away the points from taking the spool out of the dispensers and from the points zone it was in. Remember that if the final score is a negative, it can still go back to zero.
The x2 zone and the game multiplier:
At the end of each game, the team that has the most spools in the x2 zone on the other side of the field, will be given the game multiplier. This game multiplier will double the team's total score.
If a playing piece is in a x2 zone on one side of the field, it cannot be removed by the robot on that side of the field.
Robots cannot place (intentionally or unintentionally) a spool in the x2 zone on their side of the field. If a playing piece lands in an x2 zone on the robot's side, it will be considered as "out of the field". After this was labelled to the spool, it will be removed by the referee from the zone and it will increase the number of playing pieces the opposite team may remove from the dispensers by one.
If a spool is placed in the x2 zone on the other side of the field, it will increase the chances of that team to have the game multiplier. But, no points are given for the spools and that team will not be allowed to remove more playing pieces.