Powerplay Game and Basic Rules
POWERPLAY was the FTC (FIRST Tech Challenge) game for the 2022-2023 season. It was themed around energy and sustainability, with teams competing to power their innovations forward.
Official POWERPLAY introduction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsitvZ0JaDc.
"Welcome to the first tech challenge 2022-2023 season game POWERPLAY presented by Raytheon Technologies. A team consists of up to two driver operators, a human player, a coach, and a robot. Each match is played with four randomly selected teams two per alliance but each alliance is only allowed one human player. Your opponent for one match may be your partner for another. Robots must be built from materials specified in the game manual and fit within an 18 inch sizing tool but may expand after the match begins. The game element is a four inch diameter by five inch tall plastic cone. There are 60 cones, 30 red and 30 blue. Teams may also use their custom designed beacons in gameplay. The game is played on a 12 foot square playing field with a foam tile floor and one foot high walls. Various sized junctions are placed across the field including nine ground junctions. In addition, there are eight low, four medium, and four high junctions. These junctions are mounted on flexible springs and might not be perfectly vertical. Taped off substations are centered on both sides. In each corner are taped off terminals. In the front and back of the field are taped stripes to help robots find cone stacks.
There are four signals placed on the field. Four unique navigation images are positioned on the field wall. Outside of the field are the red and blue alliance stations. Before each match cones are stacked in the substation storage areas and inside the playing fields. Custom beacons are also placed in the substation storage areas. Teams place their robots on the field touching the wall between the substations and terminals. Each team may preload one cone into their robot.
The three-sided signal is then randomized. Each image references a specific parking target during match play. If a team designs their own signal sleeve it can be used to gain additional points. The field and players are now ready.
The match begins with a 30-second autonomous period. During this period there are a number of ways for teams to score using only pre-programmed instructions and sensor inputs. Each cone secured on a junction earns points: two points for the ground junction, three points for the low junction, four points for the medium junction, and five points for the high junction. A robot parked in their alliance substation or terminal earns two points. If a robot sensor correctly reads the randomized signal, it can park in the corresponding signal zone to earn 10 points, however parking in the proper signal zone shown by a custom signal sleeve will earn 20 points.
Following the autonomous period is the two-minute driver controlled period. During this period human players may introduce new cones into the substations. Each cone that is placed in its matching color terminal earns one point. Securing cones in junctions earns the same points as during the autonomous period: two points for the ground junction, three points for the low, four points for medium, and five points for the high junction.
The last 30 seconds of the driver controlled period is the end game. Robots may continue scoring cones but there are also ways to earn bonus points. Alliances earn points for owning a junction. This can be accomplished in two ways. An alliance owns the junction if their colored cone is scored on top. This earns an additional 3 points. The junction can also be owned by capping it with a beacon. This earns 10 additional points and prevents the opposing alliance from recapturing that junction. An alliance earns 20 points by completing a circuit. This is done by owning a continuous path of junctions from one terminal to the other. If a robot is parked in either of their alliance terminals it earns two points. All cones scored during the autonomous period count again if they remain in place at the end of the match.
There are many ways to score in PowerPlay but there are also rules that if not followed will deduct points from your alliance. For example, robots may not score opposing alliance cones or beacons. A robot may not block or interfere with an opposing alliance attempting to score. A robot must be completely outside of a substation in order to score a cone or a beacon. Robots may control or possess only one cone and one beacon at a time. Scoring elements may not be launched and robots may not deliberately remove game elements from the playing field."
This has been a brief summary of this season's game PowerPlay presented by Raytheon Technologies. For complete rules please read both game manuals and check the Q and A forum and always remember the most important rule in FIRST Tech Challenge: Gracious Professionalism.