Rules
The rules come from the official Japanese rules and are based on fair
play, and good will. The robot must be active, no cinder block, or vacuum
devices. The robot must initially fit into a 20 cm x 20 cm square, but
can expand beyond this limit after it has been activated. The robot must
have a 5 second delay when activated before any motion occurs, to allow
the operator time to move away. The robot must not be designed to damage
the ring, or the other robots. Battery power only. The robots must be
totally autonomous (brains on board) meaning, no remote control or human
intervention of any kind, and no tethered, IR, or RF connection to a host
computer.
Robot Specifications
Lego Sumo / 1 Kg Limited Class
- 20cm x 20cm size limit, no height limit.
- 1 Kg or 35.2 oz (2.2lbs) weight limit.
- Will use a 77cm (30") ring.
- Parts are limited to any official or compatible Lego piece, rubber
bands, removable tape, and cardboard.
- Requires that a Lego processor be used.
- Models of robots must be stand-alone.
- Stand-alone robot must start moving, without operator's manual operation,
5 seconds after the operator pushes the start button when Gyoji announces
the start of the match.
- Give a Shikona (Name) to your robot.
Ring Specifications
- Black circular ring with white boundary
- Diameter with boundary: 77 cm (30")
- Width of boundary: 5 cm (2")
- Height of ring above floor: about 5 cm (2")
- Material: painted plywood
Section 1. Definition of the Sumo Match
Article 1. (Definition) The match shall be fought by the two teams (one
team consisting of one robot with one or more players, one of whom is
a leader), according to these Rules for Sumo matches (hereafter called
"these Rules"), with each team's robot made by each team competing
to get the effective points (hereafter called Yuhkoh), within the perimeter
of the defined Sumo Ring. The judges will decide which team wins.
Section 2. Requirements for Ring Area
Article 2. (Definition of Ring Area) The Ring Area means the Sumo Ring
and the space outside the Ring. Anywhere outside this Ring Area is called
Outer Area.
Article 3. (Sumo Ring)
1. The Ring shall be in circular shape with its height being 5cm and
its diameter 77cm (including the outside of the line that divides the
inside of the Ring from its outside). The Ring shall be of black painted
plywood.
2. Shikiri lines (where robots stand at the beginning of the match) are
the two parallel lines with 20cm distance between the lines, drawn in
the center of the Ring.
3. The Ring shall be marked by a white circular line of 5cm thickness.
The Ring is within the outside of this circular line.
Article 4. (Space) There should be the space of more than 100cm wide
outside the outer side of the Ring. This space can be of any color except
white, and can be of any materials or shape, as long as the basic concept
of these rules are observed.
Section 3. Requirements for Robots
Article 5. (Specifications)
- A robot must be in such a size that it can be put in a box of 20cm
wide and 20cm deep. A robot can be of any height. A robot must not be
in such a design that its body will be physically separated into pieces
when a match starts. The robot with such a design shall lose the match.
The design to stretch a robot's body or its parts shall be allowed.
Screws or nuts (each within one cubic centimeter) falling off from a
robot's body shall not cause the loss of match.
- The weight of a robot must be under 1 kg (2.2 lbs) including the attachments
and parts.
- Stand-alone models must be so designed that a robot starts operating
five seconds after a start switch (or any switch that invokes the operation
of a robot) is pressed.
- Lego brand robot processors must be used.
Article 6. (Don'ts in manufacturing a robot)
- Do not disturb your opponent's electronics by sending it a message.
- Do not use parts that could break or damage the Ring.
- Do not put into a robot's body devices that can store liquid, powder,
or air and throw it to the opponent.
- Do not use any inflaming devices.
- Do not use devices that throw things at your opponent.
- Do not stick a robot down onto the Ring using suction devices or glue.
Section 4. How to Conduct Sumo Matches
Article 7. (How to Conduct Sumo Matches)
- One match shall consist of 3 games.
- The team who received two "Yuhkoh" points first, within
the time limit, shall win the match. When the time limit is reached,
and one of the teams has received only one Yuhkoh point, the team with
one Yuhkoh point shall win.
- When the match is not won by either team within the time limit, the
extended match shall be fought during which the team who receives the
first Yuhkoh point shall win. However, the winner/loser of the match
may be decided by judges or by means of lots, or there can be a rematch.
- One Yuhkoh point shall be given to the winner when the judges' decision
was called for or lots were employed.
Section 5. Starting, Stopping, Resuming, Ending a Match
Article 8. (Starting) With the chief judge's instructions, the two teams
bow in the Outer Ring and go into the Ring Area, place a robot on or behind
the Shikiri line or the imaginary extended Shikiri line. (A robot or a
part of a robot may not be placed beyond the Shikiri line toward the opponent.).
A match starts with the following rules:
- Be ready to press a start switch. Press the switch when the chief
judge announces the start of the match. After 5 seconds, the robot starts
operating, before which players must clear out of the Ring Area.
Article 9. (Stopping, Resuming) The match stops and resumes when a judge
announces so.
Article 10. (Ending) The match ends when the chief judge announces so.
The two teams bring the robots out of the Ring Area, and bow.
Section 6. Time of Match
Article 11 (Time of Match) One Match will be fought for 3 minutes, starting
and ending by the chief judge's announcements. For stand-alone robots,
the clock shall start ticking 5 seconds after the start switch is pressed.
Article 12. An extended match shall be for 3 minutes.
Article 13. The following are not included in the time of the Match:
- The time elapsed after the chief judge announces Yuhkoh and before
the match resumes. 30 seconds shall be the standard before the match
resumes.
- The time elapsed after a judge announces to stop the match and before
the match resumes.
Section 7. Yuhkoh
Article 14. (Yuhkoh) One Yuhkoh point shall be given when:
- You have legally forced the body of your opponent's robot to touch
the space outside the Ring.
- A Yuhkoh point is also given in the following cases:
- Your opponent's robot has touched the space outside the Ring,
on its own reasons.
- Either of the above takes place at the same time that the End
of the Match is announced.
- When a robot has fallen on the Ring or in similar conditions,
Yuhkoh will not be counted and the match continues.
- When judges' decision is called for to decide the winner, the
following points will be taken into considerations:
- Technical merits in movement and operation of a robot
- Penalty points during the match
- Attitude of the players during the match
- The match shall be stopped and a rematch shall start when:
- Both robots are in clinch and stop movements for 30 seconds,
or move in the same orbit for 30 seconds.
-
- Both robots move or stop for 30 seconds without touching
each other.
- If one robot stops it's movement for 30 seconds, he shall
be considered not having the will to fight, and the opponent
shall receive a Yuhkoh.
- Both robots, at the same instance, touch the space outside
the Ring.
Section 8. Violations
Article 15. (Violations) If the players perform the deeds as described
in Articles 6, 16, and 17, the players shall be declared as violating
the rules.
Article 16. The player utters insulting words to the opponent or to the
judges or puts voice devices in a robot or writes insulting words on the
body of a robot, for the same effect.
Article 17. A player:
- Enters into the Ring during the match, except when the player does
so to bring the robot out of the Ring upon the chief judge's announcement
of Yuhkoh or stopping the match. To enter into the Ring means:
A. A part of the player's body is in the Ring, or
B. A player puts any mechanical kits into the Ring to support his/her
body.
- Performs the following deeds:
A. Demand to stop the match without appropriate reasons.
B. Take more than 30 seconds before resuming the match.
C. Start operating the robot before the chief judge announces the start
of the match (for radio-controlled robots).
D. Start operating the robot within 5 seconds after the chief judge
announces the start of the match (for stand-alone robots).
E. Do or say that which should disgrace the fairness of the match.
Section 9. Penalties
Article 18. (Penalties) Those who violate the rules with the deeds described
in Articles 6 and 16 shall lose the match. The judge shall give two Yuhkoh
points to the opponent and order the violator to clear out. The violator
is not honored with any rights.
Article 19. Each occasion of the violations described in Article 17 shall
be accumulated. Two of these violations shall give one Yuhkoh to the opponent.
Article 20. The violations described in Article 17 shall be accumulated
throughout one match.
Section 10. Injuries and Accidents during the Match
Article 21. (Request to stop the Match) A player can request to stop
the game when he/she is injured or his/her robot had an accident and the
game cannot continue.
Article 22. (Unable to continue the Match) When the game cannot continue
due to player's injury or robot's accident, the player who is the cause
of such injury or accident loses the match. When it is not clear which
team is such a cause, the player who cannot continue the game, or who
requests to stop the game, shall be declared as the loser.
Article 23. (Time required to handle injury/accident) Whether the game
should continue in case of injury or accident shall be decided by the
judges and the Committee members. The decision process shall take no longer
than five minutes.
Article 24. (Yuhkoh given to the player who cannot continue) The winner
decided based on Article 22 shall gain two Yuhkoh points. The loser who
already gained one Yuhkoh point is recorded as such. When the situation
under Article 22 takes place during an extended match, the winner shall
gain one Yuhkoh point.
Section 11. Declaring Objections
Article 25. (Declaring Objections) No objections shall be declared against
the judges' decisions.
Article 26. The lead player can declare objections to the Committee,
before the match is over, if there are any doubts in exercising these
rules.
Section 12. Requirements for Identifications for Robots
Article 27. (Identifications for Robots) Identifications for robots shall
be of red color for the East players, blue for the West. Two seals for
identification (2cm in diameter) must be adhered to a body of a robot.
These seals will be provided by the officials at the beginning of each
match.
Section 13. Miscellaneous
Article 28. (Flexibility of Rules) As long as the concept and fundamentals
of the rules are observed, the rules shall be so flexible that they will
be able to encompass the changes in the number of players and of the contents
of matches.
Article 29. (Change in Rules) Any changes to or obsolescence of these
rules shall be decided by the General Committee Meeting based on the Sumo
Match Committee Rules.
Rev. December 3, 2002, based on official translation of May 26, 1993
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