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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: VIQC 2021-2022: Pitching In

Usage Guidelines All Questions

1005: Clearing Corral (The Return)

Nickolas McColl
13-Jan-2022

Going through the manual in detail, I want to make sure I am understanding the intent of a cleared Corral correctly.

Cleared states: "A Starting Corral status. A Starting Corral is considered Cleared at the end of a Match if no Balls are contacting the Floor inside of the Starting Corral. Referees can check any Balls in question by sliding a piece of paper between the Ball and the Floor."

And Starting Corral states: "One of two areas of the Floor on either end of the Field, each of which are bound by the Field perimeter and the outside of the solid black line closest to the 6’ edge of the Field. The Starting Corral is defined as this portion of the Floor, not the three-dimensional volume above it."

Then in these two situations the Corral would be cleared assuming all other balls are clear of the Starting Corral. 1.) The ball is contacting the field just outside the Starting Corral, since the ball is a sphere only a small portion is touching the field at any giving time. It is very possible to have a portion of the ball overhanging into the Starting Corral 3-D space. As long as the ball isn't touching the Starting Corral floor(2-D) we would count it as cleared.

2.) A robot or part of a robot has prevented the ball(s) from touching the floor inside the Starting Corral.

Thank you for your assistance in this manner,

Nickolas

Answered by committee

Thank you for quoting the relevant rules and definitions in your questions.

Then in these two situations the Corral would be cleared assuming all other balls are clear of the Starting Corral.

1.) The ball is contacting the field just outside the Starting Corral, since the ball is a sphere only a small portion is touching the field at any giving time. It is very possible to have a portion of the ball overhanging into the Starting Corral 3-D space. As long as the ball isn't touching the Starting Corral floor(2-D) we would count it as cleared.

This is correct. If a Head Referee is unsure whether the Ball is contacting the Corral or not, they can use a "paper test" (i.e. slide a piece of paper along the Floor) to check where the Ball makes contact with the Floor.

2.) A robot or part of a robot has prevented the ball(s) from touching the floor inside the Starting Corral.

This is correct.

Along with these two questions, we would also note the "blue box" explanation from the definition of Scored:

Teams may encounter other Ball / Goal states than the examples depicted in the figures above. In these edge cases, Teams will be given the “benefit of the doubt”, and the Ball should generally be considered Scored. Head Referees will not be expected or required to define a perfectly rigid imaginary vertical projection or check imperceptibly small measurements.