BASHBALL!
UPCOMING EVENTS
South Carolina State Fair, October 10-21, 2007. BotBash and Mechwars Robot
Combat will be presenting five shows a day in the MARCA at the fair. The balance
of the time is available for BashBall teams to come test their mettle. For further
information, contact info@botbash.com
The Botbash team is working on an event schedule for 2008, and will be
making announcements as the dates are finalized.
jets, and “death blossom” pneumatic
rams that pop up from the floor.
need to change the game. BashBall is a
new game combining elements of
robot fighting, an exciting and dynamic
playing field, and strategic team play in
a fast-paced, fun ball game. Robots can
and will be damaged or disabled on the
playing field, but the game is not about
damage, it’s about scoring points.
Earlier, experimental versions of
BashBall were played at Botbash events
in 2002, 2003, and 2004. The current
version draws on lessons learned at
those events. Video of the 2004 version
of the game is available on You Tube at
www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJCAZ
Cx_iKw. Additional videos can be
found at the Botbash Channel at
www.youtube.com/botbash.
BashBall 2007
The Arena
BashBall is played in the Mobile
Automated Robot Combat Arena
(MARCA). First introduced in 2002, the
MARCA was designed to support new
forms of extreme robotic sports and be
highly mobile. The MARCA provides a
completely self-contained mobile
arena; mounted on a trailer, the 30’ by
16’ playing surface has hydraulically
operated “wings” that fold up for
travel. The outer arena screens hang
from a track for use and fit between
the folded floor sections for travel.
The arena consists of a 16’ x 30’
flat playing surface with a goal opening
at each end. The arena is surrounded by
rails, above which are angled sections
of metal mesh which allow the ball to
roll back onto the playing surface.
The arena is equipped with several
obstacles: a gap in the rail through
which robots can be ejected, pneumatically operated pits, a pendulum “
sweeper” wielding a spinning metal bar, flame
The Game
The object of the game is to
accumulate the highest possible score
during regulation play. In the case of a
tie, a “sudden death” overtime period
will be played with the first team to
score winning the match.
The game is played in four
quarters of five minutes each; with a
10 minute break between quarters and
a five-minute Sudden Death overtime,
if necessary.
The game begins with each team’s
robots positioned behind the starting
line at their respective ends of the
arena. Play is started with the ball in
the ceiling-mounted center-court Tee.
The ball is released onto the arena floor
when a robot hits a release bar projecting from the bottom of the Tee.
The ball remains in play until a
goal is scored, the ball leaves the
arena, or the ball ends up in an
unplayable position.
Following a goal, the MARCA
automatically shoots the ball back into
the arena. The ball cannons are aimed
so that the ball will usually land back in
MARCA 2007 Floor Plan.
36 SERVO 09.2007