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GG1 Drivers drive your Robot, and stay in the Driver Station.
During a Match, Robots may only be operated by that Team’s Drivers and/or software running on the Robot’s control system.
Each Team may send up to three (3) Drive Team Members to their Driver Station for a Match: two (2) Drivers, and one (1) Loader.
Those Drive Team Members must remain in their Driver Station, except when legally interacting with their Robot per <GG10> .
a. Drive Team Members are prohibited from any of the following actions during a Match: i. Using any sort of communication device in the Driver Station. Non-headphone devices with communi cation features turned off (e.g., a phone in airplane mode, a walkie talkie turned off, smart glasses with communication features disabled) are allowed.
iv. To ensure that Drive Team Members are aware of verbal calls during a Match (as an application of rules and ), powered headphones, earbuds, passive earpieces connected to electron ic devices, or other personal accessories/devices that transmit audio
cannot be worn/used in the Driver Station except as required by an officially approved accommodation request.
Team 1 or First column is Red Team
Team 2 or Second column is Blue Team
b. In Teamwork Matches, one Team in an Alliance is assigned to the red Driver Station and the other Team is assigned to the blue Driver Station, as follows:
i. The Team listed as Team 1 on a printed Match list, listed as red Team on events.vex.com, or listed first in VEXvia will use the red Driver Station and participate as the red Team in that Match.
ii. The Team listed as Team 2 on a printed Match list, listed as blue Team on events.vex.com, or listed second in VEXvia will use the blue Driver Station and participate as the blue Team in that Match.
c. Individuals who are not Drive Team Members for a Match cannot provide
directions, commands, or advice to the Drive Team Members during that Match. They’re welcome to provide cheerful, positive encourage ment, but should not affect Match play or strategy
Violation Notes: 1. Major Violations of this rule are not
required to be Score Affecting, and could invoke Violations
of other rules, such as <G1> ,<G2> , or <G4>.
GG2 A Team’s Robot should attend every Match
The Team’s Robot must be in the Driver Station or on the Field for the Team’s assigned Match, even if the Robot is not functional. If the Robot is not at the Field for the entire duration of the Match, that Team will be considered a “no show” and will receive zero (0) points. The other Team in the Alliance will still play and receive points for the Match
a. Teams are expected to participate in all scheduled Qualification Matches and, if they're ranked high enough to be included in a finals Alliance, Finals Matches. Failure to attend scheduled Matches may be considered a Violation of ‹G1». Teams that participate in zero Qualification Matches cannot be considered for judged awards
GG3 Robots on the field must be ready to play.
When a Team puts their Robot on the Field, it must be prepared to play
a. Robots must be placed on the Field promptly. Repeated failure to
do so could result in a Violation of and/or removal of the Robot from
the current Match at the Head Referee’s discretionb. If a Robot is delaying the scheduled start of a Match, it may be
removed from the Field at the discretion of the Head Referee and
Event Partner. The Robot may remain at the Field so that the Team
does not get assessed a “no-show” (per )c. If a Robot is not placed on the Field prior to the start of a Match, it
cannot be placed on the Field during that Match.
GG6 Disqualifications.
A Team that is issued a Disqualification in a Qualification Match receives
zero points for the Match. The other Team on their Alliance will still receive
points for the Match.
a. In Finals Matches, Disqualifications apply to the whole Alliance, not just
one Team. An Alliance that receives a Disqualification in a Finals Match
will receive zero points.
b. A Team that receives a Disqualification in a Robot Skills Match will
receive a score of zero.
Classifying the Violation
Most violations are routine, and most are handled with nothing more than a verbal warning. The levels below move from least to most serious:
Verbal warning (informal) — Not a penalty, but a clear heads-up during the match that a rule is being broken, giving the team a chance to correct before anything escalates. In VEX IQ matches, this is your most-used tool, and how you deliver it matters as much as when.
Minor Violation — A violation that does not result in a Disqualification. Accidental, momentary, or otherwise non-Score Affecting violations are usually Minor, and usually come with a verbal warning during the match.
Major Violation — A violation that results in a Disqualification. Unless a rule says otherwise, every Score Affecting violation is a Major Violation (you will learn to determine Score Affecting in the next lesson). Egregious, strategic, or intentional violations can also be Major when a rule notes it, and repeated Minor Violations can escalate to a Major at your discretion or as a specific rule directs.
Disqualification — The result of a Major Violation. How a Disqualification plays out depends on whether it happens in a Qualification, Finals, or Robot Skills Match.
GG9 Don’t damage the Field.
Robot interactions which damage the Field or any Field Elements are prohibit ed. For the
purpose of this rule, “damage” is defined as anything which requires repair in order to begin
the next Match, such as causing part of a Goal to detach from the Field.
Violation Notes:
1. In most cases, accidental Field damage should only be considered a Minor Violation.
2. Egregious, intentional, or repeated accidental/Minor Violations may escalate to a Major Violation at
the Head Referee’s discretion.
GG10 Handling the Robot mid-Match is allowed under certain circumstances.
If a Robot goes completely outside the playing Field, gets stuck, tips over, or
otherwise requires assistance, the Drive Team Members may retrieve & reset
their Robot with the Head Referee’s permission. To do so, the Team must do the
following:a. Signal the Referee by placing their VEX IQ Controller on the ground.
b. Any Scoring Objects being controlled by the Robot while being handled must
be removed from the Field.c. The Robot must be placed back into a starting position that meets the criteria
listed in clauses a,b, c, & d of <SG!>
Violation Notes:
1. This rule is intended to allow Teams to fix damaged Robots or help get their Robots “out of trouble.”
Strategically exploiting this rule may be considered a Minor Violation or Major Violation at the Head
Referee’s discretion.
GG11 A Team’s two Drivers switch Controllers midway through the Match.
In a given Match, up to two (2) Drivers may be in the Driver Station per Team. The two Drivers must switch their
controller between thirty-five seconds (0:35 on the Match timer) and twenty-five seconds (0:25 on the Match
timer) remaining in the Match.
a. No Driver shall operate a Robot for more than thirty-five (35) seconds.
d. Drivers may also serve as Loaders under certain conditions during a Match:
i. For drive teams consisting of two or three members, any Drive Team
Member who is not actively oper ating the Robot may serve as a Loader.
ii. For drive teams consisting of only one member, the Driver may
simultaneously operate the Robot and serve as the Loader for the first thirty-
five (35) seconds of the Match, at which point the Robot’s opera tion (even
prewritten commands) must cease for the remainder of the Match
Violation Notes: 1. At a minimum, any Violation of this rule is considered a Minor Violation. Whether it escalates to a Major Violation or not is dependent upon the Head Referee’s judgment regarding prior Violations and any Score Affecting actions that were a direct result of the Violation, such as the first Driver scoring additional points after 35 seconds of driving.
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