Are any limitations going to be placed on the potential configuration of the rocks?

There have been some questions about the placement of the rocks. There are a number of statistically unlikely yet possible arrangements of the rocks that would be potentially more challenging than others for specific excavation hardware configurations. For instance, all of the rocks could be placed near the ramp entrance.

After reviewing potential changes to the rules to limit some of these scenarios, the decision has been made not to make any changes. While it can be assumed that a lunar site selected for ISRU operations would be reasonably free of obstacles, this competition is intended to act as a simulation that encompasses scenarios that would also be found outside of the site immediate to a hypothetical collection point. The possibility of challenging yet statistically unlikely arrangements of the rocks was a consideration when the rules were initially developed and serve to emphasize the need for mobile excavation hardware. What may be a strategic disadvantage to one team may be a strategic advantage to another.