3.0 The Rules of the Game
Bot Hockey is a game modeled on ice and street hockey. The goal of the game is to score more points than the other team by pushing or shooting a standard street hockey puck into a goal area. In order to encourage a fast and exciting game and to accommodate the nature of the “players” the rules of ice and street hockey are highly modified and simplified.
3.1. Game Length. Game play takes place in two five minutes halves. At least 5 minutes will be allowed between halves to allow repair, recharging, or replacement of robots.
3.2. Game Flow. Bot Hockey is designed to be fast moving and to feature continuous action with very few breaks in play during the half.
3.2.1. Play starts with all robots from each team on their own half of the field. The umpire tosses the puck approximately on the centerline and play begins.
3.2.2. Robots may move anywhere within the playing field at any time. There are no offsides or icing penalties in Bot Hockey.
3.2.3. Checking and blocking of opposing robots is allowed at any time. There is no penalty for damage to an opposing robot when checking or blocking. Intentional damage of a disabled or partially disabled robot may is frowned upon and may incur an Unsportsmanlike Conduct Penalty.
3.2.4. Robots move the puck into the goal area on the opposing team’s half of the field to score. Scoring may take place by pushing or shooting the puck into the goal.
3.2.5. The puck must be completely over the goal line and inside the goal area for to score a goal. Goals may be scored with the puck on the playing surface or in the air above as long as the puck does not leave the playing area.
3.2.6. Pucks shot or flipped outside the playing area cause a penalty goal to be scored against the team that flipped or caused the puck to travel outside the playing area. Pucks that travel outside due to collision or by deflecting off an opposing robot or the field do not count as a penalty goal infraction.
3.2.7. Whenever a goal is scored or the puck leaves the playing surface a puck is immediately placed back in play at the centerline of the field by the umpire. Umpires should be provided with at least 2 pucks in order to place one in play immediately while the other is retrieved from the goal or fetched back to the playing area. There is no time allowed after a goal or penalty for regrouping or repositioning the robots.
