This Season's Challenge

This season’s First Tech Challenge game is Bowled Over. Two alliances – one “red” and one “blue” – composed of two teams each compete in matches consisting of a 30 second autonomous period followed by a two-minute driver controlled period. The object of the game is to score more points than your opponent’s alliance by placing racquetballs into crates and then stacking the crates. Teams will be challenged to complete tasks during autonomous and driver controlled periods and will score special racquetballs and six pound bowling balls for additional points.

The Details:

There are a total of 100 racquetballs available to both teams as scoring objects in the game. The field also holds 12 stackable Ball Crates that teams can fill with racquetballs and stack for additional points, and two bowling balls that can be scored during the autonomous or end game period for additional points. The field includes two home zones comprised of a platform and a ramp, and two protected zones where a team may stack their crates without fear of having them toppled by their opponents.

End Game:

The final thirty seconds of the Driver Controlled Period is called the End Game. Each Alliance is challenged to push their Bowling Ball onto their Home Zone or to elevate stacks of Ball Crates to score additional points based on the height of the Ball Crates.

Autonomous Period Scoring:

Upright Ball Crate = 5 points each
Parking a Robot in Back Parking Zone = 5 points
Parking a Bowling Ball in Back Parking Zone = 20 points
Parking a Robot In Front Parking Zone = 10 points
Parking a Bowling Ball in Front Parking Zone = 10 points

Match Scoring:

Regular or Magnet Ball in Low Goal = 1 point each
Regular or Magnet Ball in Ball Crate = 2 points each
Magnet Ball in Off Field Goal = 25 points each

Crates Stacked are awarded based on the highest point of each crate in the stack (for a crate to count it must contain at least one ball). It is 10 points above 10.5”, then 10 more points for each 6” above.