Scoring

* Maximum of four per Match. See clause C of <SC6>. 

<SC1> All Scoring statuses are evaluated after the Match ends, once all Balls, Field Elements, and Robots on the Field come to rest. 

This rule’s intent is for Driver inputs and Robot motion to cease at the end of the Match, when the Match timer reaches 0:00. A pre-programmed routine which causes Robot motion to continue after the end of the Match would violate the spirit of this rule. Any Scoring which takes place after the Match due to Robots continuing to move will not count toward the score and is a Violation of this rule.

Violation Notes 

• Because scoring that happens after the Match is not counted, all Violations of <SC1> should be recorded as Minor Violations. 
• If a Team receives three Minor Violations within the same event, all future <SC1> Violations at that event will be considered Major Violations and Disqualifications. 
• This count does not reset for any reason within an event (e.g., Qualification vs Finals Matches, one of the Team’s “dropped score” Matches, etc.).

<SC2> All Scoring statuses are evaluated visually by a Head Referee, to the best of their ability within the context of a given Match/event.

1. Referees and other event staff are not allowed to review any videos or pictures from the Match. See <T3>. 
2. If there is a concern regarding the score of a Match, only the Drive Team Members from that Match, not an Adult, may share their questions with the Head Referee. See <T3>. 

<SC3> An Alliance Scores a Goal once a Ball is no longer in contact with a Robot and has fully passed through a Target (i.e., from the “outside of the Goal Wall structure into the “inside” of the Goal Wall). 

<SC4> A Switch is Cleared once it has been struck by a Ball and is no longer parallel with the front face of the Goal Wall. Robots may not Clear Switches by contacting them directly (i.e., without it being part of the process of scoring a Ball through that Target).

Violation Notes:

• All Violations of this rule are inherently Score Affecting, and therefore Major Violations. 
• Violations of this rule should be rare, as Robots should never be designed to contact Switches directly. 

<SC5> An Alliance receives credit for a Pass once both Robots independently contact a Ball before it is Scored or leaves the Field. 

1. For the purposes of this rule, “independent contact” refers to a moment where only one Robot is contacting the Ball. If both Robots are contacting the Ball, this is not considered a Pass. 
2. Each time a Ball is Loaded, it is treated like a new Ball. Any previous Robot contact and/or Pass tracking is “reset.” 
3. A Ball can count for a maximum of one Pass each time it is Loaded through the Loading Station.
4. Balls that are Rapid Loaded directly into a Starting Zone are not eligible for Passes.
5. Each Preload Ball in a Teamwork Match can count for a maximum of one Pass.

Note: If a referee sees a Pass occur and they are uncertain if it should be counted, Teams should receive the “benefit of the doubt” and the Pass should be recorded. This Note is primarily intended to apply to clauses “C” and “D” of this rule, e.g., if a referee is uncertain whether or not the Ball had been Rapid Loaded. 

<SC6> At the end of a Match, an Alliance cannot receive points for more Passes than Goals*. 

1. The point value per Pass is determined at the end of the Match, based on how many Switches have been Cleared. See the table at the beginning of this section for details. 
2. All Passes should be recorded during the Match, regardless of how many Goals have been scored at the time the Pass occurs. See <SE6>. 
3. *If no Switches have been Cleared at the end of the Match, the maximum number of points that can be received for Passes is four (4). The only way this can occur is if Balls are repeatedly Passed and then sent out of the Field without being Scored. 

<SC7> Rapid Relay is designed to be scored in “real-time” as the Match is being played. Passes and Goals should be recorded at the time they occur.

The preferred method to track real-time scoring is to use tablets or mobile devices running the TM Mobile app. If TM Mobile is unavailable, a portable scoreboard may be used by counting Passes on one side and Goals on the other.

Each Match is required to have a Head Referee and at least one Scorekeeper Referee. Exact scoring processes may vary depending on a given event’s resources, and should be communicated to all Teams before Matches begin (e.g., during an event meeting). One recommended starting point is as follows:

1. The Scorekeeper Referee stands near the Goal Wall, and tracks Scored Balls.
2. The Head Referee stands mid-field, and tracks Passes. 
3. Referees and Drivers confirm actions with each other as they occur through means determined before the Match, such as verbally or with hand signals. For example, Drivers call out “Pass!” and the Head Referee responds with “Pass - Check!” to confirm that it has been recorded, or a Drive Team Member gives a thumbs-up and receives a confirming thumbs-up from the referee.