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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

896: Pushing Disabled Opponent Underneath Their Platform

Jess Zarchi
25-Oct-2021

Hello,

SG3

Platforms are “safe” during the endgame. During the last thirty (30) seconds, Robots may not contact the opposing Alliance’s Platform.

a. For the purposes of this rule, contact is considered “transitive” through other Robots and Scoring Objects. For example, contacting an opposing Robot who is contacting their own Platform would be considered a violation of this rule.

b. For the purposes of this rule, <G13> supersedes rule <G14>. Any Robot which is contacting its own Platform during the last thirty (30) seconds, provided that no other rules are being violated, will automatically receive the “benefit of the doubt”. Therefore, any contact with this Robot will be considered a violation, regardless of intent.

c. Per <SG10>, using a Scoring Object to contact the opposing Alliance’s Platform during the last thirty (30) seconds would be considered a violation of this rule. Placing a Scoring Object underneath the opposing Alliance’s Platform, such that it inhibits the opposing Alliance’s ability to utilize the Platform during the last thirty (30) seconds, would also be considered a violation of this rule.

Robot 1&2 - Red
Robot 3&4 - Blue
Robot 1 becomes disabled due to a battery unplugging and cannot move. Robot 3 or 4 pushes robot 1 so they are underneath the platform while the platform is unbalanced, and makes no attempt to move them. Robot 2 platforms, and meets all definitions of Elevated except for the Platform contacting Robot 1.

Is this a violation of SG3 A regardless of intention?

Thank you for your time!

SG3   SG10  
Answered by committee

Robot 1 becomes disabled due to a battery unplugging and cannot move. Robot 3 or 4 pushes robot 1 so they are underneath the platform while the platform is unbalanced, and makes no attempt to move them. Robot 2 platforms, and meets all definitions of Elevated except for the Platform contacting Robot 1.

Is this a violation of SG3 A regardless of intention?

This hypothetical scenario is missing several key points of context that make it difficult to provide a concrete answer. For the sake of simplicity, we are going to assume the following points. If this does not align with your intended question, please feel free to rephrase and re-submit.

  • The Platform in question is the red one
  • Red Robot 1 contacted the red Platform while it was being pushed by the blue Robot
  • The interaction happened during the last 30 seconds

With this context, the interaction would be considered a violation of SG3-a on the blue Robot, for transitive contact with the red Platform.

The Platform would not be considered Balanced, due to it being in contact with a Robot who is contacting the field tile. Therefore, Robot 2 would not be considered Elevated.

Violations of this rule which do not interfere with gameplay, such as bumping into the Platform and then driving away, will result in the opposing Alliance receiving credit for one additional Elevated Robot at the end of the Match. (Alliances may still only receive points for a maximum of two Elevated Robots).

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.

This would be considered a violation of SG3 that interfered with gameplay, as the violation prevented the Platform from meeting the definition of Balanced. Therefore, the blue Robot would receive a Disqualification.