  The constraint distribution in non-holonomic mechanics has a double role. On
one hand, it is a kinematic constraint, that is, it is a restriction on the
motion itself. On the other hand, it is also a restriction on the allowed
variations when using D'Alembert's Principle to derive the equations of motion.
We will show that many systems of physical interest where D'Alembert's
Principle does not apply can be conveniently modeled within the general idea of
the Principle of Virtual Work by the introduction of both kinematic constraints
and variational constraints as being independent entities. This includes, for
example, elastic rolling bodies and pneumatic tires. Also, D'Alembert's
Principle and Chetaev's Principle fall into this scheme. We emphasize the
geometric point of view, avoiding the use of local coordinates, which is the
appropriate setting for dealing with questions of global nature, like
reduction.
