How do you win in Battlebots?
As with any competition, there are certain rules and win conditions. Image credit: JCRB Photo
Matches
Combat robot matches are typically 2-3 minutes, during which the two robots try to disable their opponent and score as many points as possible.
Win Conditions
The primary win condition in Combat is Knock-Outs. If a robot can't show "controlled movement" the referee will begin a 10 second countdown. If the robot is unable to show controlled movement in this time it is declared the loser by K.O.. If it's opponent attacks during this time the countdown resets and starts at 10 seconds again.
A match can also stop if one of the opponents tap-out, or a robot enters an "out of the arena" zone. A driver can tap-out by either pressing a button, slapping the glass, or alerting the referee. This instantly stops the fight, and the tapped-out robot loses the match. Out of the arena zones are areas of an arena that have a pit, out zone, death zone, etc. that will cause a loss if the robot enters that zone. In our area of the US, out zones aren't common outside of sportsman/non-destructive events.
For a full description, see the SPARC Match Rules pdf
Judge's Decision
If both robots are still functional at the end of the match, the fight stops and goes to a judge's decision. The point breakdown changes, but for SPARC, the point breakdown is as follows:
Damage - 6 pts
Control - 6 pts
Aggression - 5 pts
Usually 3 judges, but sometimes one judge will score a match based on these points, with aggression being the tie breaker. Judges will score points using the following criteria
Damage
Damage is scored based on the relative amount of non-cosmetic damage dealt to each robot. This damage can be self-inflicted and includes systems not working as they are intended at the end of the match.
Control
Control is scored based on how well and how long each robot controls the fight. This includes pushing an opposing robot, lifting an opposing robot, pinning, or using the arena against the opponent, and doesn't directly involve damage.
Aggression
Aggression is scored based on how much time each robot spends attacking or engaging the other. This includes attempting to attack an opponent, whether or not the attack is successful.
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