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The Q&A is closed for the 2021-2022 season. Any rule changes or clarifications pertaining to the 2022 VEX Robotics World Championship will be included in the April 5 Game Manual Update. Teams attending VEX Worlds who wish to pre-submit questions for the driver's meeting should have received a contact form via email; if not, please contact your REC Foundation Team Engagement Manager for more information.

Official Q&A: VRC 2021-2022: Tipping Point

Usage Guidelines All Questions

1052: Trapping, robot over 36" with game objects


UWAT
14-Feb-2022

https://www.robotevents.com/VRC/2021-2022/QA/909

<SG2> Robot expansion is limited once the Match begins. Per <G4>, at the beginning of a Match, each Robot must be smaller than a volume of 18” (457.2 mm) long by 18” (457.2 mm) wide by 18” (457.2 mm) tall. Once the Match begins, Robots may expand, but no horizontal dimension can exceed 36” (914.4 mm) at any point during the Match. See Figure 22. Minor violations of this rule that do not affect or interfere with the Match will result in a warning. Match Affecting offenses will result in a Disqualification. Teams that receive multiple warnings may also receive a Disqualification at the Head Referee’s discretion.

<SG10> Use Scoring Objects to play the game. Scoring Objects may not be used to accomplish actions that would be otherwise illegal if they were attempted by Robot mechanisms (e.g., Interfering with an opponent’s Autonomous routine per <SG4>.) The intent of this rule is to prohibit teams from using game objects as “gloves” to loophole any rule that states “a Robot may not [do some action]”. This rule is not intended to be taken in its most extreme literal interpretation, where any interaction between a Scoring Object and a Robot needs to be scrutinized with the same intensity as if it were a Robot.

If a robot wants to play defense(trapping an opponent in this case), and the robot + mobile goal it possesses is greater than 36", is the robot obligated to drop the mobile goals it possesses such that robot+ mobile goal is under 36 inch before it attempts to trap any opponent robot? Would attempting to trap an opponent robot when its robot+ mobile goal size is greater than 36 automatically be considered an violation of SG2 and SG10? If not, under what conditions would SG2 and SG10 apply for trapping since it would be very hard to determine whether the additional length the robot has would have been match affecting (how can we determine whether the robot being trapped could have escaped if the trapping robot is few inches shorter)?

Answered by committee

In addition to Q&A 909, please also see these related Q&A's, which provide additional context / information.

https://www.robotevents.com/VRC/2021-2022/QA/1002

https://www.robotevents.com/VRC/2021-2022/QA/806

The definition of Trapping does not change whether the defensive Robot is holding Mobile Goals or not.

A Robot is Trapping if it has restricted an opposing Robot into a small, confined area of the field, approximately the size of one foam field tile or less, and has not provided an avenue for escape. Trapping can be direct (e.g. pinning an opponent to a field perimeter wall) or indirect (e.g. preventing a Robot from escaping from a corner of the field).

If an opposing Robot is being restricted to a small, confined area of the field, then it is being Trapped. It is much easier to restrict a Robot to a small confined area of the field if your Robot is greater than 36" wide.

Your specific questions are extremely context-sensitive, and we cannot provide blanket answers that will accommodate all possible situations. In general, yes, a Robot who is using a Mobile Goal (or other greater-than-36"-extension) to assist in Trapping would receive additional scrutiny and, at a minimum, a warning for an SG2 violation. The best way to avoid this scrutiny would be to drop the Mobile Goal before doing so.