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Official Q&A: VIQC 2019-2020: Squared Away

Usage Guidelines All Questions

285: Definitions of "Student"/"Team" and Age Cutoffs for Elementary/Middle School Teams

Grant Cox
22-May-2019

The Game Manual released in April 2019 states the following:

Student - Anyone born after May 1, 2005 (i.e. who will be 14 or younger at VEX Worlds 2020). Eligibility may also be granted based on a disability that has delayed education by at least one year. Students are the individuals who design, build, repair, and program the Robot with minimal adult assistance.

• Elementary School Student - Any Student born after May 1, 2008 (i.e. who will be 11 or younger at VEX Worlds 2020).

• Middle School Student - Any eligible Student that is not an Elementary School Student.

Team - Two or more Students make up a Team. A Team is classified as an Elementary School Team if all members are Elementary School Students. A Team is classified as a Middle School Team if any members are Middle School Students. Teams may be associated with schools, community/youth organizations, or a group of neighborhood Students.

This rigid age-based definition causes some confusion and/or hardship depending on the country or school district. Will any exceptions be made for Teams with situations that do not intuitively match this definition?

Other  
Answered by Game Design Committee

The definitions of Student and Team will be updated in the June 14th Game Manual update to state the following:

Student - Anyone born after May 1, 2005 (i.e. who will be 14 or younger at VEX Worlds 2020). Eligibility may also be granted based on a disability that has delayed education by at least one year. Students are the individuals who design, build, repair, and program the Robot with minimal adult assistance.

• Elementary School Student - Any Student born after May 1, 2007 (i.e. who will be 12 or younger at VEX Worlds 2020). Elementary School Students may “play up” and compete as a Middle School Student.

• Middle School Student - Any eligible Student that is not an Elementary School Student.

Team - Two or more Students make up a Team. A Team is classified as an Elementary School Team if all members are Elementary School Students. A Team is classified as a Middle School Team if any members are Middle School Students, or made up of Elementary School Students who declare themselves "playing up" as Middle School Students by registering their team as a Middle School Team. Once declared and playing as a Middle School Team, that team may not change back to an Elementary School Team for the remainder of the season. Teams may be associated with schools, community/youth organizations, or a group of neighborhood Students.