RTRL is not and will not assume any liability for any property damage or injury occurred at the event. The robots owner / driver or party causing the damage / injury accepts full responsibility for said damage / injury. Normal wear and tear / competition damage to robot is the responsibility of the robots owner.

RTRL is open to anyone regardless to age. But we are NOT a daycare or providing supervision for minors. With that in mind any competitor under 16 years old needs to be accompanied by a supervising adult.

RTRL and most venues for the events prohibits Smoking / consuming or bringing of Alcoholic drinks at events.

Depending on where the venue for the event is food and/or drinks may be prohibited. Check with organizers before bringing or expecting food / drinks at the event.

All contestants must have a waiver on file before competing.

Repairs and modifications (use of hand tools above scissors and tape) are allowed at the event but only in the approved area. Again note item 1.1 you are responsible for all damage to the event location. Competitors making modifications outside of the approved area will be disqualified from the rest of the event!

Excessive rude (heckling, name calling, and so on) or any aggressive behavior on the parts of the contestants / audience will not be tolerated. Rude behavior will get one warning then asked to leave. Aggressive behavior will be asked to leave immediately. In the case of fights both parties will be asked to leave. If any party does not comply to the judges request in this matter it will be referred to the Rochester Police or local security. Again this is supposed to be fun and family friendly so keep it clean and cool.

The judge for a specific match cannot be a competitor in that match or a direct relative of him without prior approval of both contestants.

The judge calls for a given event is final. If your unhappy with a particular call please request clarification and rule update via the mailing list for the next competition.

Offensive weapons  (hammers, saws, drills, and so on) are NOT allowed. Use of such will result in the player being disqualified.

During check in or competition if a robot is determined to be dangerous (sharp edges, uncontrolled projectiles, and so on) / damaging to other other robots / viewers / venue it will be removed from play. If found during a match and the dangerous / damaging condition can be rectified within 5 minutes the round will be restarted and the player can return. If it cannot be fixed in the time limit the player forfeits that round. If the player can fix the issue before the players next round  the player may return for that round. 

The current approved power sources are battery power and mechanical (springs). Other power sources are discouraged and are only allowed with special written approval prior to the event. Contact the mailing list for approval from the organizer. Also note if your using Lithium ion or other high power density batteries make sure to bring along a approved extinguishing method (1 empty bucket and a bucket of sand work well for lithium fires).
In the case of dead batteries during a match scoring proceeds as normal. (ie no restarts or relief for the robot with dead batteries. Always check your batteries before starting a match.)

Electrical outlets and chargers are not guaranteed at the events. Make sure to charge your batteries / bring spares before you show up. If you need electrical outlets to compete (power your PC in PC autonomous) contact the organizers to make sure one will be available and bring extension cords / power strips.

At this time intentional flipping and or ramming with the intent to do damage (judge's call) is not allowed and will result in the flipper/ramer forfeiting the round. Unintentional flipping / damage due to bumping is NOT covered by this rule. Unintentional damage is not counted against competitors and should be expected in the course of competition. If a robot is accidentally flipped the competitor can call a technical at that point and right his robot with NO modifications at that time. If a robot is determined to be top heavy and flips excessively (judges call) it will forfeit the round.
EXCEPTION: Any damage to the venue or the venue's property is the responsibility of the competitor intentional or not. See rule 1.1

Intentional jamming is not allowed in any class. Also all RF transmitters must be FCC approved for land operation.

Robot must fit in the dimensions / weight limit listed on the play field page for the given event. The robot may expand to any size after the start of the match as long as any other rules specified here or on the play field or scoring page are not violated.

As long as no other related rules are not violated a robot may break down into sub vehicles after the start of the match.

Robots may be designed to and entered into multiple classes. Robots of more restrictive classes (larger numbers) may compete as is in less restrictive classes (smaller numbers) but do not get any sort of handicap or bonus for doing so. For example a class 3 PC autonomous robot may compete in the class 3 bracket then also compete in the class 2 bracket against RC robots while still running in full PC autonomous mode.
A robot may be reconfigured and used in different classes as well. For example a class 4 self contained autonomous robot may compete in the class 4 bracket then have a RJ45 cable plugged in and be remotely controlled (non autonomous) and compete in the class 1 bracket.

No voltage over 30V is allowed for use in RTRL competitions due to safety hazards. Individual battery voltage that add up to more than 30V are allowed as long as they are not wired in such a way that any point in the robot is 30V or greater potential than any other point in the robot.

Any high current battery packs (lithium ion, lead acid, etc) / power supplies are required to have a safety fuse in their output to prevent injury / fire in case of a short. If unsure if your design will require a fuse per this rule please contact the mailing list.

Class 1 or tethered robot are the least restrictive and can be the least costly / technical of the classes. All restrictions listed in section 3 above and in the play field or scoring pages apply to this class along with the unique rules below. A provided tether cable can be used for power and control of the robot see the class 1 tether section of the play field page.

Robots in this class are allowed a size exception for the tether umbilical cord and a support mechanism. A acceptable support mechanism would be a vertical rod that hooks the wire up high and is mounted to a spring on the robot. This keeps the wires from dragging on the play field when close to the overhead rail but allows the support to flex when close to the far edge (when slack is needed). Any other function other than supporting the cable is not allowed for this size exception. For example a assembly that can support the cable or flip down and sweep up balls.

Any scoring or lack there of  due to a cable dragging on the play field is valid play.

Robot operators are responsible for any damage to the provided cables including cut jackets or ripped off ends. Make sure to properly support and strain relief the cables in your design.

If a robot blows a safety fuse in the provided tether cable harness play continues as is till the end of the match. (It is NOT replaced at that time) Player is allowed to continue on the remaining fuses and scoring proceeds as normal. The player will be fined a nominal amount (to cover the cost of the fuse) and the fuse will be replaced before the next match.
EXCEPTION: If the opposing robot damages the cable and causes the fuse to blow rule 3.2 is applied to the opposing robot and that player is responsible for the fine. Fuse is replaced immediately and the match is restarted.

If both competitors agree that the cords are excessively tangled the match is stopped and the cables disconnected and untangled without disturbing the robots position. This rule can only be enacted twice per match.

Class 2 is slightly more challenging since both the power source and control system must be contained inside the robot. But the advantage is more mobility.All restrictions listed in section 3 above and in the play field or scoring pages apply to this class along with the unique rules below.

Robots in this class are allowed to have vertical antennas that exceed the size restrictions. The structure exceeding the vertical limit must strictly be an antenna or is direct supporting structure (ie wire in a tube).

Any ground licensed RF radio (including WIFI or other data radios) may be used to control your robot. Also other non FCC controlled links like IR or ultrasound are allowed.

It is the competitors responsibility to bring receivers that will not conflict with their opponent's transmitter. For this reason I highly recommend a DSSS or FHSS radio if your buying new. They automatically spread their signal and avoid each other. For older standard FM/PCM radios it is recommended to bring 2 crystals in non overlapping channels for land use. 
In the case of one robot not responding properly due to interference the operator is allowed to call a technical at that time. The operator has 5 minutes to change crystals / channels then the match is reset and restarted. If the interference is still present the match continues and scored as normal. (You get 1 chance to change channels).
If both players are experiencing interference and cannot find a clear channel to play on they are both disqualified for that round.
During RC rounds all other players not involved in the match must power down their transmitters.
Also see rule 3.6 on jamming.

Class 3 is the first of the autonomous classes. Once the match starts there is no human intervention allowed until time is called. Unlike class 4 this class allows outside power and control / processing sources to be used. All restrictions listed in section 3 above and in the play field or scoring pages apply to this class along with the unique rules below.

If there are any signs of human intervention / human remote control of the robot after the match is started the player will be disqualified.

At the start of the match the operator must signal their robot to start via a button press or any other means. Once that signal has been sent the robot it must not move for 5 seconds. Once the 5 second timer expires the robot is free to start it's program. Operators are allowed to have multiple start buttons / signals that each invoke a different algorithm that can be tailored to a given opponent and/or field of play.

A 1/2" hole will be located in the center of the goal box 1.5" up from the surface of the play field. A operator may place a goal beacon in their goal. The beacon may not protrude into the goal box but can hang out the rear of the hole and be connected to external power or data sources. In the case of a robots confusing the opponents goal with theirs is valid play unless that operation is intentional jamming see 3.6.

In this class robots may use either a tethered system or RC to connect back to their external power / processing systems. As such all the rules in section 4 (for tethered) or section 5 (for RC) apply along with the rules above.

Class 4 is the most restrictive class. Once the match starts there is no human intervention allowed until time is called. Also this class allows no outside power and control / processing sources to be used. All restrictions listed in section 3 above and in the play field or scoring pages apply to this class along with the unique rules below.

If there are any signs of human intervention / remote control of the robot after the match is started the player will be disqualified.

At the start of the match the operator must signal their robot to start via a button press or any other means. Once that signal has been sent the robot it must not move for 5 seconds. Once the 5 second timer expires the robot is free to start it's program. Operators are allowed to have multiple start buttons / signals that each invoke a different algorithm that can be tailored to a given opponent and/or field of play.

A 1/2" hole will be located in the center of the goal box 1.5" up from the surface of the play field. A operator may place a goal beacon in their goal. The beacon may not protrude into the goal box but can hang out the rear of the hole and be connected to external power  but NOT data sources. This is to be a static beacon to guide the robot to it's goal. In the case of a robots confusing the opponents goal with theirs is valid play unless that operation is intentional jamming see 3.6.

There are no size exceptions in this class. All power and processing components must fit inside the dimensions listed for the competition.