Bumper Backing plate question

[FRC2232]

Can we put holes in the 3/4" plywood backing plate for the bumpers to remove weight if we don't jeopardize the strength and integrity of the bumper? We are not trying to get around the bumper rule but instead we want to reduce the weight of the entire robot.

[FRC383]

Our robot design has traditionally favored a dead-axle approach, meaning the axle is screwed to the robot frame, with the screw's head extending past the chassis (the aluminum plate is not thick enough to accommodate a countersunk head). This year our wheels got bigger and the chassis came closer to the ground, such that the screws that hold the axles lie right in the bumper zone.
Are we allowed to drill a small blind hole in the bumper plywood to accomodate the screw's head? The depth and diameter of the hole would be as small as possible (approximately 4mm deep and 8mm diameter), exclusively serving that purpose.

This minor modification would not alter the bumper structural integrity at all and might be considered a mounting hole, allowing the bumper to remain flush with the robot frame and thus forming a more "rigid, robust connection to the robot structure".

[GDC]

Lightening pockets, non-mounting holes, "swiss-cheesing," or other modifications to the bumper design provided in Rule <R08> are not permitted. These holes would affect the structural integrity of the bumpers, which could defeat their entire purpose.