1. Duration of Play
   1. The game will consist of 16 minutes of play, divided into into two halves of eight minutes each.
   2. There will be a 2 minute break between the halves.


2. Starting the Game
   1. The game will begin with one team in possession of the ball. The other team will have possession at the beginning of the second half.
   2. Each team will place their robots on their half of the field in any configuration they choose, with the exception of the central circle. Only one robot, chosen from the team which has possession of the ball, will be allowed in that central circle.
   3. Play will commence at the discretion of the referee.


3. Scoring
   1. A team will be considered to have scored a point if at any time 50 percent or more of the ball is in the goal defended by their opponent.
   2. Each goal will be worth one point.


4. Stoppage of Play
   
   Play will be halted for the following reasons. However, all calls are at the discretion of the referee. The referee reserves the right to stop play at any time.
   
   
   1. The ball has left the field. If the ball leaves the field then the defending team gets possession of the ball on their half, while the other team must remain on their own side.
   2. A score is made, where score is defined in Rules section 3.1. After the stoppage, the team which lost the point will start with the ball in a manner identical to the start of the game.
   3. If a robot breaks down, the following procedures will be followed:
      • Play stops.
      • The broken robot is removed from the playing field.
      • To equalize team size:
        If a player is unintentionally at fault, that player's robot is also removed.
        If no one is at fault, the broken robot and its player will be replaced by a mentor robot and mentor.
      • Teams may return to normal if the broken robot is repaired.
      • The ball is returned to play as if it had left the field.
   4. Intentional damage to another robot is unacceptable. If it becomes apparent that an individual is intentionally attempting to break another robot, then that individual's robot will be removed from play and a mentor robot, controlled by a mentor, will replace it.
      The offending individual may return to play in subsequent games at the referee's discretion. If the referee refuses to return the individual to play, the mentor will continue as a substitute.


5. Winning
   1. The team with the most points at the end of the second half will be declared the winner of the game.
   2. In the event of a tie, a shoot-out will be used to determine the winner, with the shoot-out procedure as described in Rules section 6.2.


6. Special Procedures and Provisions
   1. Penalty kick procedure. One robot from the team allowed the penalty kick will be placed near the starting circle. No other robots will be allowed on the field. A stationary ball will be placed in the center of the field. At the referee's signal, the robot on the field will be allowed to strike the stationary ball in an attempt to score a goal. The robot will not be allowed contact with the ball once it leaves the central circle. Once it has become clear that the kick has or has not resulted in the scoring of a goal, the team which was allowed the penalty kick will start in possession of the ball.
   2. Shoot-out procedure. A coin will be flipped to determine which team shoots first. The kick procedure will be identical to the kick procedure described for a penalty kick, as described in Rules section 6.1. If the winner of the coin toss scores a goal, one point will be added to their score. Then, the loser of the toss shoots. If they score a goal, one point will be added to their score. If one team now leads in score, they will be declared the winner of the game. If the score remains tied, then the shoot-out procedure will be repeated until one team becomes the winner.
   3. While these rules are designed to be fair and complete, it is acknowledged that they may not provide adequate guidance for judgement in special or unusual circumstances. The referee is granted the right to use their discretion in all matters to reach a fair and reasonable course of action.

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