Is it legal to hand catch the drone rather than allow it to land before resetting for another run during an autonomous match? My understanding is hand catching is only legal as an “emergency” action.
Because it is extremely difficult for a referee to consistently determine intent (i.e., whether a hand catch was “intentional” versus an “emergency” action), hand catching the drone for the purpose of resetting for another autonomous run is allowed. From an officiating standpoint, there is no reliable or objective way to distinguish an emergency catch from a deliberate reset catch in real time. As a result, catching the drone to perform a reset is legal, provided no other safety or game rule is violated.