Final Version May 25, 2009

Note:
The "Playing Rule" ( see 1.2) is adapted to the old regulation as stated in
April, 2009.   

1   Hockey Challenge Cup

The goal of the game is to play hockey. Each robot has the same fixed device to hit a puck.

The dimensions of the robots are bounded by a cylinder with radius 0.4 m and height 0.3 m.

The pucks are circular disks of red color with diameter 10 cm.

The competition arena consists of a field of 4.5 m x 4.5 m. The field is bounded by boards having a height of 0.5 m which makes sure that cameras of the robots are not interfered by objects outside of the arena. The field is divided by 5 lines. There is a black line dividing the field into two halves.The left and right boundary of the field is marked by a black line.

• The kick-off point for a game is in the center of this line. This center point is marked by a black circular disk with diameter of 15 cm.
  
  
• Near the end of each half there is a black line parallel to the center line. This line is called the goal line. The distance to the end is 25 cm.
  
  
• All black lines have a width of 38 mm.
  
  
• There is a goal touching the goal line in the center. The goal area is marked green or blue at the side walls. The width of the goal is 80 cm. The goal is terminated at the sides by small profiles so that no pucks being behind the goal line can be pushed in the goal area.
  
  
• In front of the goals there are half circles of radius = 50 cm. These circle lines consist of metallic stripes which can be detected by inductive sensors. It is called the front line of the goal. The metallic line will be additionally inside bounded ba a black line. The width of this special black line only 20 mm.
  
  
• There are two additional "blue" lines dividing the field in three equal parts - one attacking area and two defensive areas. These lines are in fact metallic stripes
  (silver color) which can be detected by inductive sensors.
  
  
• The width if the metallic stripes will be 50 mm.
  
  
• There are 4 bully-off points in the attacking area and 4 bully-off points in the two defensive areas. The bully points will be marked by black circular disks of 10 cm diameter.

1.1   Rules

The rules follow the regulations of the IHF (International Ice-Hockey Federation) but are simplified. The regulations are divided into following sections:

• Game rules
• Players and equipment
• Teams
• Playfield
• Penalties
• Additional rules

Each match is controlled by a referee who has full authority to enforce the rules of the game in connection with the match to which he has been appointed. A referee may have assistant referees. At least one hour before the match will be started it will be decided which goal is assigned to a team.

The regular playing time of a match is divided into three thirds à 10 minutes. After each third there is a break of 5 minutes. The playing time will be stopped at the end of a third or because of an irregularity pointed out by the referee. The playing time will be continued if the referee again starts the game. Thus the actual time of a game may last for more than 40 minutes.

A goal will be only scored if following is fulfilled:

• The puck has completely crossed the goal line and is inside the goal area.
• The last player who has touched the puck must be in the defensive area of the corresponding goal. This enforces the players to work in a team which we mainly want to demonstrate.
• The puck was not touched by one player of the attacking team being behind or touching the front line of the goal.

A game will be started resp. restarted

• at the beginning of each third
• after a goal
• or after a penalty shooting, see 1.3

Start at the kick-off point :

• The WLAN communication will be connected or reconnected.
• Teams have to move their robots via joystick or by some application in front of their assigned defensive line. Only one player of the starting team is allowed to move near the kick-off point ( distance about 15 cm)
• If all robots are in position the referee places the puck on the kick-off point.
• If the referee gives the start signal the teams have to start their application by just one mouse click on the controller PC's.
• At the first start of the game the starting team will be the team which got the right to start at the kick-off point by lottery.
• After each third of the game the right to start at the kick-off point will be changed. No change of the direction to play!
• After scoring a goal, the non successful team receives the right to start at the kick-off point.
• After a penalty shooting the team receives the right to start at the kick-off point which received the penalty.

Restart of the game at one of the bully-off points:

      The start at the bully-off points follows the same procedure as above except following:

• The referee places the puck on one of the bully-off points.
• One player of each team is allowed to move nearby the bully-off point.

 Offside rule:

• An attacking player is in the defensive area of the opponent team before the puck has completely crossed the blue defensive line, then the player is offside.
  Note: The attacking player is in the defensive area of the opponent if he is between goal and defensive line and no part of the robot is touching the defensive line.
• The referee will stop the game and will restart the game with at the next bully-off point outside the defensive area.

Goalkeeper:

• There is no goalkeeper.
• All players have the same task to hit goals or to avoid goals of the opponent team.
• However it is only allowed to have only one team member in her own defensive area. Otherwise the referee will stop the game and give a penalty shooting, see 1.3, for the opponent team.
  Note: A robot is in its defensive area if the system is between own goal area and the defensive line and no part of the robot is touching the line.

Other Irregularities:

• If the boundary of a goal is displaced then the game will be interrupted and will be restarted at a bully-off point next to the goal. The referee can give a penalty shooting against the team, see 1.3, the robot being obviously responsible for this attack.
• If the puck cannot be moved for a certain time, the referee will interrupt the game and restart it at the next bully-off point.
• If after a stop sign, see 1.2, of the referee one of the robots is still moving then there will be a penalty shooting against its team.
• If one player pushes a player of the opponent team to force him in a non regular position then the referee will stop the game. The team of the player gets a penalty of 30 seconds
  and the referee will restart the game at the bully-off point next to the goal of this team.

Time Penalties:

• If a team has received x seconds of time panalties. Then the referee will stop the game at x seconds before end of the third.
• The team must take out one of the player.
• The referee will restart the game at one of the bully-off points next to the goal of this team.

1.2      Teams and Players

A match is played by two teams, each consisting of not more than 3 players. A match may not start if either team has no players.

• Robots of the same team will be marked by a colored shirt above the controller housing. The shirts have three equal stripes of color either green - white - green or blue - white - blue depending on the color of their goal.
  
• Each player is a mobile robot system of type Robotino^® with the same device to hold and to hit the puck. The challenge is to learn how to catch the puck, to hold the puck, to pass or to hit the puck and keeping the knowledge of the orientation. Teaching the robot to handle efficiently a combination of these different skills makes the game really exciting and challenging for programming.
  
• Playing Rule:
  Each player is only allowed to move, push or hit the puck with the body of the robot or
  by using the pushing device.
  
• The robots are remote controlled via WLAN by programs running on a PC. If the game is running no participant is allowed to do any changes of the PC program. The referee is the only authority deciding to start, to stop or to interrupt the game. The referee will create a stop or interruption by disconnecting the WLAN communication between PC and the mobile robot systems.
  
  
• If the game will be started or restarted, then the participants have the possibility to start their program(s) by one (!!) click on a PC key button.
  
  
• If one player is not working during the match then the referee will interrupt the match. The player must leave the arena. The match will be restarted at the bully-off point next to the puck. The player can only be set back in the match at the earliest after two minutes. This can only happen if the referee will interrupt the game and restart it at the bully-off point next to the puck.

1.3      Penalty Shooting

A penalty shooting will be done as follows:

• First, it will be decided which team will do the penalty shooting. This team is called the attacking team.
• One player of the attacking team will be selected to perform the penalty shot.
• One player of the defensive team will be selected as goalkeeper.
• The player of the attacking team starts moving with the puck at the kick-off point if the referee releases the penalty shot. The player has only one chance to hit the puck in the goal.
• The goalkeeper can try to stop the attacking player but no wheel of the robot is allowed to cross the front line of the goal.

A Penalty Shootout will be done as follows:

• Each team must select one player to be the goalkeeper.
• Each team gets the right for three penalty shootings. After each penalty shooting the role of the attacking team will be changed.
• By lottery it will be decided which team will first start with the penalty shooting.
• The penalty shooting will be always done on the goal being assigned to the opponent team.
• If the number of scored goals is still equal then this penalty shooting will be continued until one team scores and the other not.

1.4  Programming

Programming can be done in C, C++, C#, Java or using Robotino View. Each team is responsible for the compiler of corresponding programming language.

2.  Demonstration Competition

In order to justify our proposed concept we will organize a demonstration competition called "Festo Hockey Challenge Cup" during the Robocup 2009 in Graz. There will be selected 6 teams from universities worldwide. The selected team will be provided three Robotinos including the standard hockey equipment. The hockey plates have no sharp edges such that in case of collisions the bumpers will be not damaged and the possibility that the robots get stuck together will be minimized.

In order to make sure that all teams have equal start conditions the robots will be remote controlled via WLAN. During a competition game it is not allowed to interact with the robot system except the referee requires it. Each team will be assigned an own external access point. The PC's are connected via Ethernet cable to the access point.

2.1 Competition Schedule

First Round:          All teams play against each other => 21 matches

Evaluation:          

• The winner of each match obtains 3 points,
• the loser team obtains 0 points,
• both teams obtain 1 point if the score of the match is even.
• The ranking is given by the number of points.
• In case of two or more teams have equal number of points the number of goals will determine the ranking. If still there is no clear ranking then there will be a "penalty shootout" between the teams, see 1.3.
  
  

Semi Finals:         

                The first four teams attain the Semi Finals. The first team plays against the
                fourth team and the second one plays against the third one. The winner teams
                will be determined by the rule "Best of Three", i.e. the team which wins at
                first two games between the opponent teams is the winner and will reach the
                Final. Each match must have a winning team. Otherwise there will be a
                penalty shootout.

Finals:                   

                The Final will be played by the winner of the Semi Finals. The match for the
                third place will be done between the loser teams of the Semi Finals.