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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

880: SG3: Clarification of interfering with gameplay

6210A
7-Oct-2021

Background:

SG3 says: Violations of this rule which do not interfere with gameplay, such as ... will result in the opposing Alliance receiving credit for one additional Elevated Robot …

The Issue:

It is clear when a SG3 violation has occurred because of the obvious contact or transitive contact of the opponent’s platform. However, the difference between a Disqualification vs. 30-point credit could be the difference between a win and a loss. There could be occasions when a team might strategically decide to incur the 30-point penalty because that action would deny the opposing alliance a chance to score 40 or more points by stopping the scoring of an elevated mobile goal or by hindering the scoring of 4+ rings on the high branch of the tall Neutral Mobile Goal.

Question:

If there is contact, or transitive contact, of the Red Platform, by a Blue Robot, who is not forced into it (no G14), in the final 30 seconds, and that contact interrupts or delays a Red Robot’s attempt to score more points, should that be a Disqualification of the Blue Robot?

Thank You.

Answered by committee

If there is contact, or transitive contact, of the Red Platform, by a Blue Robot, who is not forced into it (no G14), in the final 30 seconds, and that contact interrupts or delays a Red Robot’s attempt to score more points, should that be a Disqualification of the Blue Robot?

The full text of the relevant portion of SG3 reads as follows:

Violations of this rule which do interfere with gameplay, such as preventing a Platform from becoming Balanced, will result in a Disqualification, regardless of whether the interference was Match Affecting or not.

Yes, interrupting or delaying a Robot's ability to score points would be considered one way to interfere with gameplay. Therefore, yes, this should escalate to a Disqualification.