Touching the opposing alliance tower during the end game - Red Card?

[2011FRC0469]

In this match, excellent defense was being played on 469 and when 469 tried to go for the tower, the defending team got between 469 and the tower and 469 pushed them into the base of the tower. 469 then backed off slightly, the defending team didn't move, and then 469 pushed them again... You can see the video (although there are some refs in the way, you still can get the point)...

Should this be a red card for the red team for contact with the tower in the end game (regardless of pinning)? If not, is it a viable defense to just "get pinned" between a team wanting to deploy and their tower?

I understand that there are many rules involved such as:

<G32> and <G33> include a <G61> exception. There is no exception to <G61> in <G23>. So I think the referee in Detroit was right to begin a pin count when your robot pushed an opponent into your tower -- <G61> prevents you from causing an opponent to violate <G23>, so their resulting contact with your tower satisfies the definition of PINNING in <G50>: "An ALLIANCE may not pin an opponent ROBOT that is in contact with a field border or TOWER ..."

However, allowing robots to "get pinned" against the tower and which in turn blocks mini-bot deployment (or at a minimum forces the pinning robot to back away 6ft and 3 seconds) during the end game without a red card, there is a big opening for defending the towers this way.

A clear calling on this would be appreciated.

Thanks.

[GDC]

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