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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Hello, everybody</span><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'> </span><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>T<span style='color:black'>he TC, after consultation with the Execs and OC, is issuing a </span>m<span style='color:black'>ajor rule change</span><span style='color:#1F497D'>s</span><span style='color:black'> proposal for community consideration. </span><span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>We kindly ask teams to provide feedback and discuss</span><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'> it</span><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'> using the ssl mailing list, <b>until November 16th</b>. The TC will try its best to summarize the feedback and answers in a document available to everybody</span><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>. </span><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Please send your comments, suggestions and feedback.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center'><b><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>MAJOR RULE CHANGES FOR 2012 PROPOSAL</span></b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><br></span><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>After having evaluated various ideas and analyzed the results of the member survey, the TC has elaborated some rule change proposals that we believe will make the game more intelligent.</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><br></span><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Is the TC understanding that the first two rule changes may be simpler to implement, while the last two have deeper impacts, which is one more (not the only !) reason to ask for community feedback.</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><br></span><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Please also consider that the number of major rule changes in a single year needs to be constrained, so the final decision likely will not include all the four proposals. Depending on the community feedback, it is possible that a change not implemented may be added as a technical challenge or to the RoadMap (3 year plan) discussion, to occur right after the rule change decision.</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><br><br></span><b><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>1) Ball’s maximum speed reduction</span></b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>The current maximum ball speed on the SSL is too high, leading to games with elevated number of throw-ins and favoring of simple shooting to the goal over passing. The TC considers that a reduction to the maximum ball speed to a number <u>around</u> 6 m/s would be beneficial and lead to a more intelligent game. A plug-in to check compliance is to be created, but regardless of it the TC trusts teams to apply the changes. If anybody in the community thinks of some test that can be performed in lab to adjust the maximum ball speed, the TC would welcome suggestions.</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><br></span><b><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>2) Defense area increase</span></b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>The current defense area, of 500mm, allows that most teams use what seem to actually be 3 goalkeepers, when defending, using two robots in front of the goalkeeper. To make this strategy less efficient and incentive teams to play smartly, the TC considers that the defense area should be expanded to 800mm. The penalty mark will be moved accordingly, to 750mm. This change is irrespective of a change in field size, and shall the field size change the defense area must be scaled based on the proposed size.</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><br></span><b><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>3) Change in number of players to 6</span></b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>The TC believes that the addition of a 6th robot on the SSL teams will increase the possibilities for passing and intelligent plays. The benefits are manifold: Teams can increase the number and variety of team plays, experiment with more agents in the field and create different behaviors for robots and. The TC believes the current field size to be enough for 12 robots and that cluttering of robots on the space will not be significant<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>The TC understands that there is additional financial costs involved, but based on the responses of the SSL Survey, when most teams agreed with this proposal, the TC understands that most teams are ready for the change and in fact may already have enough extra robots for that. We would like to receive feedback to confirm this understanding, as well as to know if there are teams which cannot afford this change because of financial restrictions</span><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>.</span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><br></span><b><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>4) Field Size Slight Increase</span></b><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>The TC is considering a proposal to increase the field size to 5.0 x 7.5m, as well as proportionally adjusting also the other field markings and goal size. Thanks to the MRL team, the feasibility of the new field size in SSL-Vision (using 2 cameras), was tested and confirmed.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>However, there’s concern on the TC about how teams who want/need to maintain fully sized fields in their laboratories will accommodate the increase and the overall feedback of the teams about the idea. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-left:.5in'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Be aware also that a permission from the RoboCup Federation may be needed to increase field sizes, as a general guideline received is to keep field sizes similar throughout all the leagues (except middle size)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Regards</span><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>,</span><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>Christopher Head, Mohammad Hoshyari and Angelo Gurzoni Jr<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:black'>The SSL TC for RoboCup Mexico 2012.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div></body></html>