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Official Q&A: VEX IQ Robotics Competition 2024-2025: Rapid Relay

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2310: End of Game - Final Shot - 2 Balls Stuck - Switch Stuck


25425A
18-Nov-2024

At the end of a finals match recently, a robot capable of throwing a two balls at once launched balls before the buzzer. One ball went fully through the top goal, one ball went through the bottom goal, but not fully. If a straight edge across the face of the goal was used it would have contacted the ball that went through the bottom goal, but it did stay in this position after the match and the majority of the ball was through the goal. The top switch had been cleared earlier in the game, but the bottom switch had not. In the process of this final two ball shot, the switch was pinned between the two balls after the match at a 45 degree angle. Again, this was the final state of the match.

Per the most the game manual: <SC3> An Alliance Scores a Goal once a Ball is no longer in contact with a Robot and has fully passed through a Target (i.e., from the “outside" of the Goal Wall structure into the “inside” of the Goal Wall).

A. Ball that passes through a Target and then bounces back out into the playing Field does not count as a Scored Ball, and the Ball remains in play.

<SC4> A Switch is Cleared once it has been struck by a Ball and is no longer parallel with the front face of the Goal Wall. Robots may not Clear Switches by contacting them directly (i.e., without it being part of the process of scoring a Ball through that Target).

My expectations for this situation is:

1 - The ball that passed through top goal counts as a goal as it fully went through the goal.

2 - The switch is considered cleared as it ended the match no longer being parallel with the front face of the goal wall per SC4.

3 - The bottom goal does not count as it still had a small portion of the ball that had not fully passed the plane of the goal established by its border and a straight edge going across would have touched the ball. The ball has not fully passed through the goal per SC3.

Please detemine if this is the correct interpretation.

If this is the correct interpretation, please define passing through the goal in more detail for this static end of game occurence? If a straight edge across the more forward 2x plates that create the border of the goal count as the goal plane for this situation or is it the 2x plates that are further back? Not to be too specific, but I am sure a situation where this difference determines an outcome will inevitably occur.

However, Q&A 2081 states If a Scored Ball gets stuck inside the Goal Wall structure and does not make it to the Pickup Zone, a referee must free it by carefully reaching into the Goal Wall. If this action takes place the ball that has not fully passed through the goal is likely to fall. If the second ball that is teetering then falls, is this ball scored as well?

If neither is correct, could you please explain how an end of game situation like this should be scored. I would also expect the possibility of the balls falling during inspection of this situation. What would be the correct procedure if the balls fell after the match ended and prior to touching the balls during inspection of a close call that was not visually obvious?

Answered by committee
21-Nov-2024

My expectations for this situation is:

1 - The ball that passed through top goal counts as a goal as it fully went through the goal.

2 - The switch is considered cleared as it ended the match no longer being parallel with the front face of the goal wall per SC4.

3 - The bottom goal does not count as it still had a small portion of the ball that had not fully passed the plane of the goal established by its border and a straight edge going across would have touched the ball. The ball has not fully passed through the goal per SC3.

We agree with these interpretations.

In a case where a Head Referee must determine whether or not a Ball has fully passed through a Target, they should move a straight-edged tool or beam across the 2x beams that define the top and bottom boundaries of the Target. If a Ball falls during this assessment, it is likely that the straight edge contacted that Ball in order to move it, meaning that Ball had not passed fully through the Target and would not count as Scored.