Description of the contest

The idea of this event is for robots to compete head-to-head in a basketball-style event in an attempt to shoot or herd LEGO balls into a scoring basket.

 

Overall competition board setup

Robot basketball will be played on a 4’ by 8’ standard FLL (FIRST LEGO League) board. There will be two 32 stud by 32 stud scoring areas in opposite corners and two 32 stud by 32 stud starting areas in the other two corners. There will also one center tip-off pylon with a single large yellow LEGO ball placed atop it. The surface will be completely white, aside from a center line divider (half-court line), and the two scoring zones, which will consist of a single green LEGO baseplate with a two stud by three brick wall around the edge. Prior to the start of each match, 20 LEGO balls (red, blue, or gray) will be randomly placed across the entire board. In addition, robot operators will be given a single red or blue ball to be placed with their robot.

 

Overall Robot Building Rules 

All robots must fit within a 32 stud by 32 stud (10 by 10 inch) square (aka green LEGO basplate) at the start of the competition. Robots MAY expand beyond this size once they leave the starting area, however, anytime the robot operator returns the robot to the starting area by hand, they must reset the robot to fit within the 32 by 32 stud area. All robots are to be constructed of 100% LEGO brand parts (see sensors exception below). No glue, melting or modification of LEGO brand parts is allowed. Robots are to be completely autonomous however the robot operator may handle the robot when it is in the starting area. The controller (NXT, RCX, Spybot, Cybermaster etc) may not rely on an external computer for computational assistance via infrared or wireless communication.

 

Sensors exception: Commercially available 3rd party sensors such as sensors from HiTechnic and Mindsensors WILL be allowed. Home-brewed sensors or sensors derived using prototyping board will NOT be allowed.

Scoring the competition

Red & Blue balls pushed or shot into your scoring zone will be worth one point each. To count, the ball must come to rest within the scoring zone. If a ball that has come to rest within the scoring zone is subsequently pushed out as other balls are scored, the ball will still count, and will be returned to the scoring zone by the judge. The single yellow ball that starts on the tip off pylon is worth zero points on its own when pushed into the scoring zone. However, it will double the score of all other balls in the scoring zone.

 

Running the competition

The competition will either be a round-robin style competition, or a single-elimination style event, or a combination of both. The organization of the competition will be determined immediately prior to the event and depend on the time available and number of robots entered.

Each competition round will last 60 seconds. The two competing robots will begin in their respective starting areas. The round will begin with a countdown from the judge. Robots can be started as soon as the round begins and there is no mandatory start delay.

 

Competing 

During the 60 second round, robot operators may retrieve their robot by hand at any time. However, they will be subject to a penalty equal to half of any balls their robot has captured or secured, but NOT scored in the scoring zone. If the robot has an odd number of balls, the number taken as a result of the penalty will be rounded UP. For instance, if a robot is pushing 5 balls toward the scoring area, but gets disabled and has to be picked up and returned by hand to the starting area, 3 of the balls will be taken from the robot and returned to the playing field. The other two will remain with the robot as it is returned to base.

 

Defense

It is a perfectly acceptable strategy to play defense in an attempt to prevent your opponent from scoring. This can be accomplished by trying to block their access to their scoring zone with your robot. However, you MAY NOT place additional objects on the playing field in a defensive effort. Any such objects will be immediately removed by the judge. Goaltending is also not permitted. Hitting or pushing balls out of your opponents scoring zone is prohibited.