Robotics Education & Competition Foundation
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2063: Rapid Relay <G4cii>: Borrowed Loaders Participating in Judging


Kenny Barnt (Event Partner)
17-Jul-2024

Note: I originally presented this question in the Rapid Relay Q&A, but was informed that it should be asked here as it relates to Judging, which is out of scope of that Q&A.

Rapid Relay Rule <G4cii> provides that if a team is unable to field a three-student drive team:

For a given event, they may substitute in a Student from another Team to be their Loader for the duration of the event. This Student may only serve as a Loader for one Team at a given event, and will effectively become a member of the new Team for that event.

Let's imagine that Team A has students A1 and A2 at an event and Team B has students B1, B2, B3, and B4 at the event. Team A requests Team B allow one of their Students to be a loader for the event and Student B4 does so.

Should student B4 still participate in Judging with Team B (since that is the team they've actively contributed to)? -- or -- Should Student B4 participate in Judging with Team A (even though they aren't normally a member of that team)? -- or -- Should Student B4 not participate in Judging at all at the event (since <G4cii> lists them as "effectively [] a member of [Team A] for that Event" and <G4> more generally implies that the remaining members of Team B should be able to go through Judging successfully without Student B4)?

Does the answer change at all based on whether or not initial interviews were conducted remotely prior to the event (when, presumably, Student B4 would have participated with Team B)?

Answered by Competition Judging Committee
31-Jul-2024

Students who are temporarily serving as a drive team member for another team at the event in accordance with game rule < G4 > were not a part of their temporary team's design process, and as such should not participate in their temporary team's in-person interview.

Students who are temporarily serving as a drive team member for another team at the event in accordance with rule < G4 > are permitted to participate in their original team's in-person interview, as they were a part of that team's build / design process.