[robocup-nao] A Few Question about the Rules

[Rick Middleton]

Dear Elad,

Let me give response below each of your questions for my understanding 
of the situation:

Elad Alon wrote:
> Hello,
> 
> I've got a few questions about the rules:
> 
> 1. Should the robots have stickers with their numbers on them? Where do 
> we obtain these stickers?

Yes they should have stickers. Please obtain these yourselves. (e.g. 
white adhesive paper, with clear black number - preferably printed, but 
neatly handwritten is OK)

> 
> 2. What are those jersies the rules-file keeps mentioning? The stickers?

In human soccer, the jersies refer to the shirts worn by the players 
with both numbers and team colours. In the SPL, there are two different 
things that perform this function:
* the stickers with numbers
* the plastic colour components (red or blue) for the Naos.

> 
> 3. If, during a penalty kick, the goalie obtains posession of the ball, 
> what may it do with it? Can it keep it for more than 5 seconds, in that 
> case? Can it send it out of bounds? Anything similar it can do to 
> prevent the opponent robot from using the remaining 60 seconds to score 
> a goal?

The goal keeper cannot hold the ball for more than 5 seconds without 
being penalised - that is, removed to the half way line. If the ball 
goes out of bounds (for any reason) the penalty kick is over, and no 
goal is scored.

> 
> 4. Regarding the manual issuing of penalties via the chest button - is 
> it mandatory to support that, or is it something we only need to 
> implement if we don't have proper connection to the game controller?

It is mandatory. If there is interference with wireless, the referees 
must be able to place the robot in a penalised state.
> 
> 5. Regarding the manual configuration of the robots (their team color, 
> etc.) - is it mandatory, or is it just a way to work with the robot if 
> networking doesn't work? I mean, could we SSH to (non-yet-in-play) 
> robots and set their robot-number and team-color, then let them enter 
> the game, or must we support the setting of these properties via the 
> button and bumpers?

I don't think we can permit SSH connection (except at the beginning of 
each half, when it would be permitted in any case). If we allow teams to 
SSH to their robots during the game, there is no way to prevent changes 
to parameters and code.

> 
> 6. What rules govern manual placement? Pick-ups? Do we get a limited 
> amount of these? Are we penalized for them in any way?

Manual placement applies only to kick-offs, see Section 3.5, and is 
performed by the referees. Request for pickup is covered in 3.11. There 
is no limit on the number of these. The only penalty applied is:
- manual placement gives a disadvantageous position for kick off 
compared to autonomous placement
- for request for pickup, the standard removal penalty applies (for 
example, if you are able to reboot in under 30seconds, you must still 
wait that long before a field player can re-enter).

> 
> 7. The (old) game controller deals with a team number. Are we given that 
> number before the competition begins, and use it as our team number 
> throughout RoboCup? Or at least long enough before a match begins that 
> we can SSH to the robots and configure them?

The first option: Team number is fixed on-site, before the competition 
games begin.

> 
> 8. After issuing a request for pickup, and being granted it, may we SSH 
> to the picked up robot and interact with it, or is only manual 
> interaction permissible? The rules mention that wireless devices are 
> prohibited in the vicinity of the field during the match. What then can 
> we do with a robot other than press its button? May we only connect to 
> it via ethernet? Perhaps not even that?

See Section 3.11: Since there is no way to prevent teams changing 
programs, configuration etc. under SSH, I don't see how we can allow 
that. If that is required, you need a break in the play, and a time out 
(or use the half time break).

> 
> 9. Am I correct in understand that defensive players may start moving 
> towards the ball as soon as the game state is changed to "play", and 
> that they need not wait until an attacking player actually touches the 
> ball for the first time?

Yes, all players may start movement once in 'play'.

> 
> 10. The rules state that the ball may not be kicked into the goal 
> directly from the kick-off position; it must first leave the center 
> circle, and only from there may it be kicked and a goal scored. Some of 
> the videos we have watched, however, appear to contradict this rule; a 
> ball is gently shoved, remaining in the center circle, and then it is 
> kicked directly into the goal. Is this a new rule? Or have we 
> misinterpreted the rules?

The rules have been changed recently on this point.
> 
> 11. I believe I know the answer to this, but I want to be 100% sure. As 
> long as they don't leave the carpeted area, may the robots leave the 
> area of play? That is to say, may they step on and over the sidelines? 
> (For example, when positioning

Yes. The intention of the rule is to stop robots who are lost walking 
off the field, no longer participating, or possibly getting damaged. It 
is not the intention to penalise robots that wish to position themselves 
for a kick, or who chased the ball slightly too far.

> 
> Thanks,
> Elad Alon

Best wishes

Rick Middleton