• Updated Figures V-1 and V-3 to clarify intent
• Added new clauses to <SC3> to clarify “roughly vertical”
• Updated <SE3> and <SE9> to reflect the updated guidelines for “roughly vertical”
• Expanded the blue box of <G4> to clarify rule enforcement
• Updated <G5> to clarify “Drive Team Members”, rather than “Drivers”
• Added a new bullet to <GG1> to clarify that anyone who is not a Drive Team Member cannot coach or affect the Match
• Updated <GG10> and <RSC5> to clarify intent regarding a Drive Team Member resetting a Robot and Scoring Objects
• Updated bullets in <SG1c> to indicate which teams are red and blue in VEXvia
• Added a bullet to <R3> to specify that event staff are allowed to take pictures of Robots as needed
• Added a bullet to <RSC7> to clarify that Teams cannot use Robot controllers for any purpose during Autonomous Coding Skills Matches
• Revised <T5> to include Scoring Object positions, and specified that Pin rotation doesn’t matter
• Added significant Q&A boxes throughout the manual
• Minor typo / formatting fixes

• Updated Figure FO-2 to show correct Goal boundaries
• Updated the definition of Team to provide clarity
• Updated the definition of Major Violation to clarify that Minor Violations carry over into Finals Matches, unless otherwise specified
• Added CoC-related Violations as a defined term
• Added additional flowcharts under the definition of Violation to provide guidance
• Added a bullet to <G1>, stating that event attendees are not allowed to record audio or video of Teams' discussions with Head Referees or other event staff/volunteers
• Split <G4> into two rules and rewrote it, to clarify intent
• Added rule <G5>
• Updated <GG2a> to clarify that Teams that participate in zero Qualification Matches cannot be considered for judged awards
• Updated <SG5b> to clarify intent
• Revise the definition of Practice Matches to specify that most Violations from Practice Matches aren’t recorded
• Updated <T7> to clarify that all Robot Skills Challenge Fields must be consistent with each other
• Revised <T15a> to clarify intent
• Added significant Q&A boxes throughout the manual
• Minor typo / formatting fixes

• Revised <GG1> to clarify that only three Drive Team Members can attend a Match
• Revised <GG2> to clarify that the Robot must remain at the Field for the entire duration of the Match
• Revised <GG4> and added a blue box to remove penalties for reaching over the Field in ways that are safe and don’t impact the Match
• Updated <R13> to clarify that 3D printed parts are allowed for controller attachments
• Updated <RSC5aii> to clarify intent
• Added significant Q&A boxes throughout the manual
• Minor typo / formatting fixes

• Updated figure FO-2 to show the correct Floor Goal outline
• Added a new figure to <SC3> to show examples of nested Pins
• Revised and expanded <SC5> to clarify how Stacks can qualify as Placed in the Standoff Goal
• Updated <SG4> to clarify that a neutral object that leaves the Field must be given to the Loader in the Driver Station closest to where it left the Field, and added a Violation Note
• Updated <SG6> and added new bullet points to revise Loading criteria
• Updated <RSC3> and added bullet points to clarify the Field and Robot setup
• Added significant Q&A boxes throughout the manual
• Minor typo / formatting fixes

• Revised the definition of Major Violation to differentiate between intentional actions and intentional Violations
• Added a note to <SC3> to clarify the definition of “fully nested”
• Revised <SC6> to clarify cases where Stacks are Connected to Beams
• Updated <SG1d> to clarify intent
• Updated <SG4c> to clarify intent
• Revised <RSC3> to clarify how Scoring Objects can be Loaded in Robot Skills Matches
• Updated <T1e> to clarify that Head Referees must follow the rules in the game manual
• Added significant Q&A boxes throughout the manual

• Added a link to the obsoleted game manual version in the “Updates” section, to use as a reference during update grace periods
• Clarified that the most current version of the English language PDF of the manual (this document) takes precedence over any other supplemental or translated material
• Revised <SC1> to clarify intent regarding driving after the Match timer ends
• Updated <GG1a> to clarify that devices are allowed in the Driver Station, but may not be used for any reason during a Match. Using devices for translation purposes post-Match is allowed
• Expanded <GG12> to include starting the Match before the timer begins
• Clarified that vertical expansion is unlimited in <SG3>
• Updated <SG6a> to clarify intent for where Scoring Objects may be introduced
• Added <RSC4d> to clarify intent
• Other minor typo & formatting fixes

Our Intent - How We Want the Game to be Played

The Game Design Committee (GDC) carefully crafts each VEX IQ Robotics Competition game with a clear vision of how we believe it should be played. The GDC envisions Mix & Match as an execution-based challenge where Teams must collaborate effectively to maximize their scoring potential. The game pieces that are easiest for one Robot to obtain are the hardest for the other. Teams are encouraged to plan ahead, and work with their partners to develop strategies that help each other gain access to all of the game pieces on the Field. With incentives for creating specific patterns, success in Mix & Match depends on both the quality and quantity of Stacks—not one at the expense of the other. This design promotes continuous engagement, adaptability, and shared strategy. Teams will have to work together to ensure the highest possible score.

As the season progresses and Teams develop new strategies, certain aspects of gameplay may evolve in ways that were not initially anticipated. To ensure that the game remains fair, competitive, and aligned with its original intent, the GDC has identified key areas that may be subject to clarification or adjustment throughout the season. While updates are not limited to these areas, the GDC believes these are some of the most critical for maintaining the integrity of gameplay:

• Game Piece Layout: The GDC has intentionally designed the Teamwork Field layout to spread the game pieces out, and make one color of Pin for each Team harder to obtain. We reserve the right to adjust the Field layout in Major Game Manual Updates if the layout does not properly disperse game pieces around the Field.
• Match Loading: Match Loading is still a new concept for VEX IQ Robotics Competition. The GDC feels like the rules regarding Match Loading clearly explains our intent that Match Loading should be one at a time, and that each game piece is released at rest before a Robot picks it up. If Match Loading rules are being abused, we will make this process more strict and the Violations more punitive.
• Beams & Goals: The four (4) types of Goals provide varying levels of difficulty based on Field location, heights to overcome, and the challenge of filling them to capacity. If we find that the more challenging types of Goals are underutilized throughout the season, we may add new bonus opportunities (or increase existing bonuses) to incentivize using these Goals.

Any potential adjustments would be made with the goal of ensuring that the game plays as intended for the duration of the season. While we will try our best to adhere to the self-imposed limits on change per update, we may make larger/broader changes if it is deemed absolutely necessary. Any updates will be communicated through official rule updates.

This manual will have a series of “major” and “minor” updates over the course of the season. Each version is official and must be used in official VIQRC events until the release of the next version, upon which the previous version becomes void.

The latest version of the Game Manual can always be found at:
https://link.vex.com/docs/25-26/viqrc-mixandmatch-manual.

Known major release dates are as follows:

In addition to these known major updates, there may also be unscheduled updates released throughout the season if deemed critical by the GDC.

Any scheduled or unscheduled updates will always be released on a Thursday, no later than 5:00 PM CST (11:00 PM GMT). These updates will be announced via the VEX Forum, automatically pushed to the VIQRC Hub app, and shared via VEX Robotics / REC Foundation social media & email marketing channels. Once announced, the new version of the Game Manual will be immediately available at the link above.

Generally, Mix & Match Game Manual updates, scheduled or unscheduled, will include a grace period before the updated rules go into effect for competitions. See the Release Table above for specific dates. This grace period does not apply to the Version 0.1 Release, which serves as the initial rule set for the season. Any events that begin before the 7-day grace period has ended should continue using the rules from the previous Game Manual Release. This policy ensures fairness and consistency, allowing Teams to adapt their strategies and gameplay accordingly before the changes are enforced in official competitions.

During the 7-day grace period, the previous manual version will be available at https://link.vex.com/docs/25-26/docs/25-26/viqrc-mixandmatch-manual-obsolete. This link will be only be active during the grace period following each manual update, and will be disabled once it ends.

The GDC reserves the right to enforce critical updates to the Game Manual as effective immediately upon release, if we feel that the changes are critical for competitive integrity, safety, and/or other extenuating circumstances.

Multi-week league events (or similar) that cross over a grace period should use the version of the Game Manual that is in effect at the beginning of each league session. Leagues should update to new versions of the Game Manual between sessions as appropriate.

When first reviewing a new robotics game, it is natural to have questions about situations which may not be immediately clear. Navigating the Game Manual and seeking out answers to these questions is an important part of learning a new game. In many cases, the answer may just be in a different place than you first thought—or, if there is no rule explicitly prohibiting a gameplay strategy, then that usually means it is legal!

However, if a Team is still unable to find an answer to their question after closely reviewing the relevant rules, then every Team has the opportunity to ask for official rules interpretations in the VEX Robotics Question & Answer System. These questions may be posted by an Adult via the RobotEvents account that is associated with that Team.

All responses in this Q&A system should be treated as official rulings from the VEX Robotics Game Design Committee, and they represent the correct and official interpretation of the VEX Robotics Competition Rules. The Q&A system is the only source besides the Game Manual for official rulings and clarifications, and is functionally an extension of the Game Manual. Q&A rulings are effective immediately upon release.

The VEX IQ Robotics Competition Question & Answer System will open on May 27th, 2025.

Before posting on the Q&A system, be sure to review the Q&A Usage Guidelines:

1. Read and search the Game Manual before posting.
2. Read and search existing Q&As before posting.
3. Quote the applicable rule from the latest version of the Game Manual in your question.
4. Make a separate post for each question.
5. Use specific and appropriate question titles.
6. Questions will (mostly) be answered in the order they were received.
7. This system is the only source for official rules clarifications.

If there are any conflicts between the English-language PDF of the Game Manual and other supplemental or translated materials (e.g., referee training materials, the VIQRC Hub app, the game reveal video, a translated game manual, etc.), the most current version of the English-language PDF of the Game Manual takes precedence.

Similarly, it can never be assumed that definitions, rules, or other materials from previous seasons apply to the current game. Q&A responses from previous seasons are not considered official rulings for the current game. Any relevant clarifications that are needed should always be re-asked in the current season’s Q&A.

The rules and guidelines in these official documents and policies apply to Teams and events in the VEX Robotics Competitions alongside the rules in this Game Manual.

• Code of Conduct - Outlines the expectations of behavior and ethical standards for all attendees at REC Foundation-sanctioned events.
• Student-Centered Policy - Communicates the REC Foundation’s goal of maximizing learning opportunities for Students, and the mandate that Students use designs, code, and game strategies that are consistent with their abilities and knowledge. The related Important Behavior Guidelines for Team Adults provides guidelines for Adults to promote Student-centeredness when interacting with Teams.
• Commitment to Coach Excellence - Communicates the partnership and expectations between the REC Foundation and Coaches. Must be agreed to during Team registration.
• Commitment to Event Excellence - Communicates the partnership and expectations between the REC Foundation and Event Partners, with the goal of providing Teams with quality and uniform competition experiences throughout our programs.
• Guide to Judging - Provides policies and procedures for the judging process, and guidelines for Teams’ engineering notebooks.
• Organizational Policy - Provides guidelines for organization and Team numbers that are assigned during Team registration.
• Qualifying Criteria - Provides the criteria that Teams and events must meet to qualify for Event Region Championships and the VEX Robotics World Championship.
• Youth Protection Policy - Provides information, guidelines, and procedures to create safe environments for participants in our range of programs.

The VEX IQ Robotics Competition Mix & Match Field consists of the following:

• 36 Pins
  
  
  • 10 blue Pins
    
    
    • 1 Preload
    • 6 that can be introduced through the blue Load Zone
    • 3 that start in the Field
  • 10 red Pins
    
    
    • 1 Preload
    • 6 that can be introduced through the red Load Zone
    • 3 that start in the Field
  • 16 orange Pins that start on the Field
• Two (2) Beams
• One (1) Floor Goal
• Two (2) Square Goals, one red and one blue
• Two (2) <Triangle Goals, one red and one blue
• One (1) Standoff Goal
• Two (2) Load Zones, one red and one blue
• Four (4) Starting Pin Supports

Figure FO-1 Starting configuration of the Field for a VEX IQ Robotics Competition Mix & Match Teamwork Match.

Figure FO-2 Starting configuration of the Field for a VEX IQ Robotics Competition Mix & Match Teamwork Match.A VIQRC Mix & Match Field, with Field Elements highlighted. <Triangle Goals (green), Square Goals (yellow), Starting Pin Supports (blue), Floor Goal and Standoff Goal (orange), and Load Zones (pink).

Figure FO-3 The recommended locations for Drive Team Members and Head Referees during Teamwork Challenge Matches.

Adult - Anyone who is not a Student or another defined term (e.g., Head Referee).

Alliance - A pre-assigned grouping of two (2) Teams that are paired together during a given Teamwork Challenge Match.

Alliance Score - Points scored in a Teamwork Challenge Match that are awarded to both Teams.

Disablement - A penalty applied to a Team for a safety Violation. During Disablement, a Team is no longer allowed to operate their Robot, and the Drivers will be asked to place their Controller down. A Disablement is not the same as a Disqualification.

Disqualification - A penalty applied to a Team for a rule Violation (see <GG6> for more details). If a Team receives a Disqualification in a Match, the Head Referee will notify the Team of their Violation at the end of the Match. At the Head Referee’s discretion, repeated Violations and/or Disqualifications for a single Team may lead to its Disqualification for the entire event.

Driver - A Student Team member who stands in the Driver Station and is responsible for operating and controlling that Team’s Robot. Up to two Team members may fulfill this role in a given Match (see <GG1>), and there is no requirement that the same Students serve as Drivers in multiple Matches.

Driver Station - A region beside the Field where the Drivers must remain during their Match unless legally interacting with their Robot. The Driver Stations are represented by the red and blue lines in Figure FO-3.

Drive Team Members - The two Drivers and one Loader who participate in a given Match as representatives of their Team. No Student may fill more than one role on a Drive Team in the same Match.

• Driver 1 - Drives the Robot until the mid-Match Driver switch (see <GG11>)
• Driver 2 - Drives the Robot after the mid-Match Driver switch (see <GG11>)
• Loader - Introduces Scoring Objects into the Field for the whole Match

Field - The entire playing Field, being six (6) Field tiles wide by eight (8) Field tiles long (totaling forty-eight (48) Field tiles), including the Field Perimeter.

Field Element - The Field Perimeter, Floor, PVC pipes, and VEX IQ pieces which comprise and/or are attached to the Field.

Field Perimeter - The outer part of the Field, made up of four (4) outside corners and twenty-four (24) straight sections.

Floor - The interior flat part of the playing Field, made up of the forty-eight (48) Field tiles that are within the Field Perimeter.

Game Design Committee (GDC) - The creators of VIQRC Mix & Match, and authors of this Game Manual. The GDC is the only official source for rules clarifications and Q&A responses; see Section 1.

License Plate - A physical component on the Robot that displays the Team’s VEX IQ Robotics Competition number. Each License Plate must have a length and height of 3.5” x 1.5” (88.9mm x 38.1mm) and must not exceed a width of 0.25” (6.35mm) per <R6>.

Match - A set time period, consisting of Autonomous Periods and/or Driver Controlled Periods, during which Teams play a defined version of Mix & Match to earn points. See Sections 3 & 4.

• Autonomous Period - A time period during which Robots operate and react only to sensor inputs and/or commands pre-programmed by the Students into the Robot control system.
• Driver Controlled Period - A time period during which Drivers operate their Robot.

Robot - A machine that has passed inspection, designed by Student Team members to execute one or more tasks autonomously and/or by remote control from Drivers.

Student - Anyone born after May 1, 2010 (i.e., who will be 15 or younger at VEX Worlds 2026). 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, 2013 (i.e., who will be 12 or younger at VEX Worlds 2026). Elementary School Students may “play up” and compete as Middle School Students.
• Middle School Student - Any eligible Student that is not an Elementary School Student.

Team - Three or more Students make up a Team. To participate in an official VEX IQ Robotics Competition event, a Team must first register on RobotEvents.com and receive a VEX IQ Robotics Competition Team number. A Team's unique number identifies their organization and their Team within that organization. Each Team must build their own Robot, create their own code, and maintain their own Engineering Notebook if they choose to use one.

• 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 member is a Middle School Student, or if the Team is made up of Elementary School Students who declare themselves as “playing up” as Middle School Students by registering their Team as a Middle School Team.
• Once a Team has competed in an event as a Middle School Team, that Team may not change to an Elementary School Team for the remainder of the season. If a Team mistakenly registers as an Elementary School Team but is ineligible for that age group, their registration may be revised mid-season with RSM assistance; all prior qualifications for the season will be lost.
• Teams may be associated with schools, community/youth organizations, or a group of neighborhood Students.

In the context of this Game Manual, Teams contain three types of Student roles related to Robot build, design, and coding. See <G2> and <G5> for more information. Adults may not fulfill any of these roles.

• Builder - The Student(s) on the Team who assemble(s) the Robot. Adults are permitted to teach the Builder(s) associated concepts, but should never work on the Robot.
• Coder - The Student(s) on the Team who write(s) the computer code that is downloaded onto the Robot. Adults are permitted to teach the Coder(s) associated concepts, but should never work on the code that goes on the Robot.
• Designer - The Student(s) on the Team who design(s) the Robot to be built for competition. Adults are permitted to teach the Designer(s) associated concepts, but should never work on the design of the Robot.

Violation - The act of breaking a rule in the Game Manual.

• Minor Violation - A Violation which does not result in a Disqualification.
  
  
  • Accidental, momentary, or otherwise non-Score Affecting Violations are usually Minor Violations.
  • Minor Violations usually result in a verbal notification from the Head Referee during the Match, which should serve to inform the Team that a rule is being Violated before it escalates to a Major Violation.
• Major Violation - A Violation which results in a Disqualification.
  
  
  • Unless otherwise noted in a rule, all Score Affecting Violations are Major Violations.
  • If noted in the rule, egregious or strategic Violations or intentional actions that result in Violations may also be Major Violations.
  • Multiple Minor Violations within a Match or tournament may escalate to a Major Violation at the Head Referee’s discretion or as specified in a rule.
• Score Affecting - A Violation which improves an Alliance’s score at the end of a Match.
  
  
  • Multiple Violations within a Match can cumulatively become Score Affecting.
  • When evaluating whether a Violation was Score Affecting, Head Referees will focus primarily on any Robot actions that were directly related to the Violation.
  • Determining whether a Violation was Score Affecting can only be done once the Match is complete and the scores have been calculated. Minor Violations carry over into Finals Matches unless otherwise specified within a rule.
• CoC-related Violation - A Violation of a rule that relates to the RECF Code of Conduct and related processes. For VIQRC, the included rules are: <S2>, <G1>, <G2>, <G4>, <G5>, <R1> through <R4>, and Major Violations of <S1>.
  
  
  • Potential CoC-related Violations should be brought to the attention of the Event Partner, and resolved through the Code of Conduct Reporting Process in coordination with the Score Affecting, Head Referee, Judge Advisor, and RECF Regional Support Manager. Follow-up investigations are conducted by the RECF Rules & Conduct Committee (RCC). Penalties for confirmed CoC-related Violations can range from single-Match Disqualifications to removal from the program.

Some rules include Violation Notes in red italicized text to denote special circumstances or provide additional clarifications. If no Violation Notes are found in a given rule, then it should be assumed that the default definitions above apply.

To determine whether a Violation may have been Score Affecting, check whether the Violation directly contributed to increasing the score of the Match. If it did not increase the Alliance’s score, then the Violation was not Score Affecting, and it was very likely a Minor Violation.

See the flowcharts in figures V-1, V-2, and V-3 for more information, and this article for full details of the event CoC process.

Figure V-1: The process for determining Violations during Robot inspection.

Figure V-2:The process for determining whether or not an infraction should result in a Major Violation or Minor Violation

Figure V-3: The process for determining CoC-related Violations

Connected - A Scoring Object status. See <SC3>.

Cleared - A Starting Pin status. See <SC7>.

Goal - A place where Stacks can be Placed. There are four (4) varieties of Goal in VIQRC Mix & Match:

• Square Goal - A segment of the Floor in a corner of the long side of the Field opposite from the audience. Each Square Goal is bordered by the inside of the Field Perimeter and the inside edges of the VEX IQ pieces connected to the Floor. Each Square Goal has a color, red or blue, determined by its VEX IQ pieces and PET sheet. Each Square Goal can hold a maximum of one (1) Placed Stack.
• Floor Goal - A segment of the Floor in the center of the Field surrounding the Standoff Goal. The Floor Goal is defined by the center, white-outlined portion of the PET sheet connected to the Floor underneath the Standoff Goal, and includes that white line. The Floor Goal can hold a maximum of four (4) Placed Stacks.
• Triangle Goal - A segment of the Floor in a corner of the long side of the Field closest to the audience. Each <Triangle Goal is bordered by the inside of the Field Perimeter and the inside of the PVC pipe that spans the corner of the Field. Each <Triangle Goal has a color, red or blue, determined by its VEX IQ pieces, PVC pipe, and PET sheet. Each <Triangle Goal can hold a maximum of three (3) Placed Stacks.
• Standoff Goal - The orange plastic structure mounted to the center of the Field with IQ pins or screws.

Figure G-1: A Square Goal.

Figure G-2: A <Triangle Goal.

Figure G-3: A Floor Goal and Standoff Goal.

Load - The act of legally introducing a Pin or Beam into the Field. See <SG6>.

Load Zone - A red or blue VEX IQ beam that is attached to the Field with VEX IQ pins. The Load Zone is intended to receive Scoring Objects from a human Loader.

Figure LZ-1: A Load Zone.

Matching Goal - A scoring bonus. See <SC6>.

Placed - A Stack status. See <SC5>.

Preload - A Pin that is Loaded into a Robot prior to a Match. See <SG5>.

Scoring Object - A plastic object that can be added to a Stack. There are two types of Scoring Objects in VIQRC Mix & Match:

• Pin - An orange, blue, or red roughly cylindrical object with a diameter of approximately 3.15” (80mm), height of 4.5” (116mm), and a weight of approximately 2.5 ounces (71g).
• Beam - A gray, roughly rectangular object with a size of 9.88” (251mm) x 4.88” (124mm) x 1.97” (50mm) and a weight of approximately 6 ounces (170g).

Figure SO-1: Red, blue, and orange Pins

Figure SO-2: A Beam

Stack - A set of two or more Connected Scoring Objects.

Figure S-1: A Stack of two Pins.

Starting Pin - A Pin that begins the Match on a Starting Pin Support.

Starting Pin Support - One of four (4) red or blue structures, built out of VEX IQ parts, that is attached to the Field Perimeter. Each Starting Pin Support holds a Pin of its color at the beginning of the Match, and until the Pin is removed by a Robot.

Figure SPS-1: A Starting Pin.

Figure SPS-2: A Starting Pin Support.

<SC1> All scoring statuses are evaluated after the Match ends, once all Scoring Objects, Field Elements, and Robots on the Field come to rest. See rule <GG12> for more information and Violation details.

1. Referees should avoid contacting or moving Scoring Objects as much as possible while evaluating Scoring statuses. If an object must be moved to evaluate the status of another object, its status must be agreed upon by all Teams and the Head Referee, and noted or recorded, before it is moved.

<SC2> All scoring statuses are evaluated visually by a Head Referee, to the best of their ability within the context of a given Match/event.

1. Referees and other event staff are not allowed to review any videos or pictures from the Match. See <T3>.
2. If there is a concern regarding the score of a Match, only the Drive Team Members from that Match, not an Adult, may share their questions with the Head Referee. See <T3>.

<SC3> A Scoring Object can be Connected to another Scoring Object to form a Stack. To qualify as Connected, the resulting Stack must be roughly vertical (i.e., the Stack goes ‘up’ and not sideways) and cannot be in contact with a Robot.

1. Scoring Objects can be Connected in two ways: up from the Floor or Standoff Goal, or up from a Beam.
2. A Pin is Connected if it is fully nested (see Figure SC3-1) with another Scoring Object and neither the Pin nor the resulting Stack is touching a Robot.
3. A Beam is Connected if it is fully nested to one or more Connected Pins and/or the Standoff Goal and is not touching a Robot.
   
   
   1. A Beam cannot be Connected to another Beam.
   2. A Beam may be Connected to up to three (3) Pins simultaneously if all Pins are fully nested with the Beam.
   3. Each Pin that is Connected directly to a Beam is considered to be part of a separate Stack, and a Beam may count as a color in up to three (3) Stacks simultaneously.
4. A Stack that is resting on one of the following Field objects in a way that is more "up and down" than sideways should generally be considered as roughly vertical unless it is leaning on / supported by another Field Element or a Scoring Object that is not part of the Stack:
   
   
   • Floor
   • Load Zone
   • The lower portion of the base of the Standoff Goal
   • The VEX IQ pieces that are attached to the Floor around a Square Goal
5. A Stack that is leaning on / supported by a Scoring Object that is not part of the Stack or a Field Element other than those listed above should not be considered roughly vertical and should not count as Connected or a Stack.
6. Robot contact with a lower Stack in a multi-Stack structure has no impact on the higher Stacks in that structure for the purposes of clauses D & E. See <SE9> for an example.

Figure SC3-1: Examples of nested and non-nested Pins.

Note: Scoring Objects cannot count as Connected or Placed in Goals if they are not vertical. Scoring Objects that end the Match ‘knocked down’ or ‘tipped’ within the Field, or that are not Connected to other Scoring Objects, can only count toward the 2 points earned for a Robot that ends the Match in contact with 2 or more Scoring Objects.

Note 2: A pair of Scoring Objects is considered fully nested if there’s no perceptable gap between the two objects, and neither object is being pushed away from the other by an external force or surface.

<SC4> A Stack that includes more than one color (blue, red, orange, or gray) of Scoring Object receives additional points based on the number of colors in that Stack, up to three colors.

<SC5> A Stack is considered Placed in a Goal at the end of the Match if it meets all of the following criteria.

1. There are at least two (2) Connected Scoring Objects in the Stack.
2. No part of the Stack is contacting a Robot.
3. The Stack meets one of the following criteria:
   
   
   1. The Stack is entirely within the center outline that defines the Floor Goal (maximum of four (4) Stacks).
   2. The Stack is entirely within a Square Goal (maximum of one (1) Stack per Goal).
   3. The Stack is entirely within a <Triangle Goal (maximum of three (3) Stacks per Goal).
   4. The Stack is above the Standoff Goal in one of the following configurations:
      
      
      • The Stack is Connected to the Standoff Goal
      • The Stack is Connected up from a Beam that is Connected to the Standoff Goal
      • The Stack is Connected up from a Beam that is part of another Stack that is Connected to the Standoff Goal

<SC6> A Stack earns a Matching Goal bonus when one or more of the following criteria is met:

1. The Stack is Placed in a Goal with a color that matches the bottom Pin in that Stack.
2. The Stack is Connected to a Beam.

Each Stack can earn a maximum of one (1) Matching Goal bonus.

<SC7> A Starting Pin is Cleared if no part of its Starting Pin Support is within the volume of a Pin at the end of the Match.

<SC8> A Robot will receive 2 points for ending the Match in contact with Scoring Objects in the following scenarios:

1. The Robot is directly contacting two or more Scoring Objects.
2. The Robot is directly contacting a Scoring Object that is fully nested with one or more additional Scoring Objects.

<SE1> All Scoring Objects in this example are Connected, and none are Placed in a Goal. This example is scored as 6 Connected Pins, 1 Connected Beam, and three 3-color Stacks with a Matching Goal Bonus.

	Scoring Category	Points	Quantity	Subtotal
	Connected Pin	1 point	6	6
	Connected Beam	10 points	1	10
	3-color Stack	15 points	3	45
	Matching Goal Bonus	10 points	3	30
	Total Points for this example			91

<SE2> All Scoring Objects in this example are Connected, and none are Placed in a Goal. This example is scored as 6 Connected Pins, 1 Connected Beam, and three 3-color Stacks with a Matching Goal Bonus.

	Scoring Category	Points	Quantity	Subtotal
	Connected Pin	1 points	6	6
	Connected Beam	10 points	1	10
	3-color Stack	15 points	3	45
	Matching Goal Bonus	10 points	3	30
	Total Points for this example			91

<SE3> The top Stack in this example is not Connected to the Beam, and is supported by a Scoring Object that is not part of that Stack. All other Scoring Objects are Connected, and none are Placed in a Goal. This example is scored as 4 Connected Pins, 1 Connected Beam, and two 3-color Stacks with a Matching Goal Bonus.

	Scoring Category	Points	Quantity	Subtotal
	Connected Pin	1 point	4	4
	Connected Beam	10 points	1	10
	2-color Stack	5 points	0	0
	3-color Stack	15 points	2	30
	Matching Goal Bonus	10 points	2	20
	Total Points for this example			64

<SE4> The Beam in this example is not Connected, but all of the Pins are; no Stacks are Placed in a Goal. This example is scored as 4 Connected Pins and two 2-color Stacks not Placed in a Goal and not Connected to a Beam.

	Scoring Category	Points	Quantity	Subtotal
	Connected Pin	1 point	4	4
	Connected Beam	10 points	0	0
	2 -color Stack	5 points	2	10
	Total Points for this example			14

<SE5> Because none of these Pins are vertical, nothing in this example counts as Connected or as a Stack. No other points are scored. This example would not receive a score.

	Scoring Category	Points	Quantity	Subtotal
	Connected Pin	1 point	0	0
	Connected Beam	10 points	0	0
	3-color Stack	15 points	0	0
	Matching Goal Bonus	10 points	0	0
	Total Points for this example			0

<SE6> The Pins in this example are Connected, Placed in a Matching Goal, and Placed on the Standoff Goal. This example is scored as 3 Connected Pins, one 3-color Stack with a Matching Goal Bonus, and Placed on the Standoff Goal.

	Scoring Category	Points	Quantity	Subtotal
	Connected Pin	1 point	3	3
	3-color Stack	15 points	1	15
	Matching Goal Bonus	10 points	1	10
	Stack Placed on the Standoff Goal	10 points	1	10
	Total Points for this example			38

<SE7> All Scoring Objects in this example are Connected, and all three Stacks are Placed on the Standoff Goal via the Connected Beam. This example is scored as 6 Connected Pins, 1 Connected Beam, three 3-color Stacks with a Matching Goal Bonus and three Stacks Placed on the Standoff Goal.

	Scoring Category	Points	Quantity	Subtotal
	Connected Pin	1 point	6	6
	Connected Beam	10 points	1	10
	3-color Stack	15 points	3	45
	Matching Goal Bonus	10 points	3	30
	Stack Placed on the Standoff Goal	10 point	3	30
	Total Points for this example			121

<SE8> The Pins in this example are nested together, but part of the Stack is in contact with a Robot at the end of the Match. None of the Pins qualify as Connected. This example is scored as a Robot in contact with Scoring Objects at the end of the Match.

	Scoring Category	Points	Quantity	Subtotal
	Connected Pin	1 point	0	0
	3-color Stack	15 points	0	0
	Robot in contact with Scoring Objects at the end of the Match	2 points	1	2
	Total Points for this example			2

<SE9> All of the Scoring Objects in this example are nested together, but a Pin in one of the Stacks is in contact with a Robot at the end of the Match. The Pins in the one Stack that is in contact with the Robot do not qualify as Connected to each other or to the Beam; however, as described in clause F of <SC3> the other Stacks still qualify as roughly vertical. This example is scored as 4 Connected Pins, 1 Connected Beam, two 3-color Stacks with a Matching Goal Bonus, and a Robot in contact with Scoring Objects at the end of the Match.

	Scoring Category	Points	Quantity	Subtotal
	Connected Pin	1 point	4	4
	Connected Beam	10 points	1	10
	3-color Stack	15 points	2	30
	Matching Goal Bonus	10 points	2	20
	Robot in contact with Scoring Objects at the end of the Match	2 points	1	2
	Total Points for this example			66

<SE10> All of the Scoring Objects in this example are nested together, but the Beam is in contact with a Robot at the end of the Match. Because the Beam is part of all three Stacks, none of the Scoring Objects qualify as Connected. This example is scored as a Robot in contact with Scoring Objects at the end of the Match.

	Scoring Category	Points	Quantity	Subtotal
	Connected Pin	1 point	0	0
	Connected Beam	10 points	0	0
	3-color Stack	15 points	0	0
	Matching Goal Bonus	10 points	0	0
	Robot in contact with Scoring Objects at the end of the Match	2 points	1	2
	Total Points for this example			2

<S1> Stay safe, don’t damage the Field. If, at any time, the Robot operation or Team actions are deemed unsafe or have damaged any Field Elements or Scoring Objects, the offending Team may be Disabled and/or Disqualified at the Head Referee’s discretion. The Robot will require re-inspection before it may again take the Field.

Note: Teams may not step onto the Field at any time. If a Team’s Robot requires stepping onto the Field during pre-Match setup, this will be considered a Violation of <S1>, <GG3>, and/or <SG1>. The Team’s Robot may be removed from the current Match at the Head Referee’s discretion.

Violation Notes: Major Violations should be reported to and/or discussed with the Event Partner during the event, and should be reported to the REC Foundation Rules and Conduct Committee following the event.

<S2> Students must be accompanied by an Adult. No Student may attend a VEX IQ Robotics Competition event without a responsible Adult supervising them. The Adult must obey all rules and be careful to not violate Student-centered policies, but must be present for the full duration of the event in the case of an emergency. Violations of this rule may result in removal from the event.

Violation Notes: <S2> Violations should be reported to the Event Partner during the event, and should be reported to the REC Foundation Rules and Conduct Committee following the event.

<S3> Each Student Team member must have a completed participant release form on file for the event and season. A Student Team member cannot participate in an event without a completed release form on file.

<G1> Treat everyone with respect. All Teams are expected to conduct themselves in a respectful and professional manner while competing in VEX IQ Robotics Competition events. If a Team or any of its members (Students or any Adults associated with the Team) are disrespectful or uncivil to event staff, volunteers, or fellow competitors, they may be Disqualified from a current or upcoming Match. Team conduct pertaining to <G1> may also impact a Team’s eligibility for judged awards. Repeated or extreme Violations of <G1> could result in a Team being Disqualified from an entire event, depending on the severity of the situation.

This rule exists alongside the REC Foundation Code of Conduct. Violation of the Code of Conduct can be considered a Major Violation of <G1> and can result in Disqualification from a current Match, an upcoming Match, an entire event, or (in extreme cases) an entire competition season. The Code of Conduct can be found here.

• Event attendees are not allowed to record audio or video of Teams’ discussions with Head Referees or other event staff/volunteers.

More information regarding the event Code of Conduct process can be found at the RECF Library.

We all can contribute to creating a fun and inclusive event experience for all event attendees. Some examples include:

Violation Notes: Any Violation of <G1> may be considered a Major Violation and should be addressed on a case-by-case basis. Teams at risk of a <G1> Major Violation due to multiple disrespectful or uncivil behaviors will usually receive a “final warning”, although the Head Referee is not required to provide one. All <G1> Major Violations/Disqualifications should be reported to and/or discussed with the Event Partner during the event, and should be reported to the REC Foundation Rules and Conduct Committee following the event.

<G2> VIQRC is a student-centered program. Adults should not make decisions about the Robot’s build, design, or gameplay, and should not provide an unfair advantage by providing ‘help’ that is beyond the Students’ independent abilities. Students must be prepared to demonstrate an active understanding of their Robot’s design, construction, and programming to judges or event staff. Students should build, design, and code the Robot with minimal Adult involvement.

This rule operates in tandem with the REC Foundation Student Centered Policy, which is available in the REC Library for Teams to reference throughout the season.

Violation Notes: Potential Violations of this rule will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. By definition, all Violations of this rule become Score Affecting as soon as a Robot which was built or programmed by an Adult scores points in a Match. All reported and/or suspected <G2> Violations should be reported to the Event Partner during the event, and should be reported to the REC Foundation Rules and Conduct Committee following the event.

<G3> Use common sense. When reading and applying the various rules in this document, please remember that common sense always applies in the VEX IQ Robotics Competition.

<G4> All work must represent the skill level of the Students on the Team. The Team’s design, Robot, coding, strategy, and ongoing work must represent the skill level of the Students currently on the Team.

• Teams must avoid academic dishonesty and should not copy a Robot or mechanism that has been provided for them. This includes, but is not limited to, the use of instructions, pictures & videos, notebooks, CAD designs, and/or any other documentation useful to the design process provided by anyone that is not a Student on the Team (including Students on another Team).
• Teams may be inspired by designs by other Teams, and use an idea from someone else to spark innovation, but are expected to document and demonstrate this in their engineering notebook alongside evidence of iteration. Teams are required to present this evidence if asked to do so by a Robot inspector, Head Referee, Event Partner, or Judge.
• Using elements of another design as a starting point is acceptable if the Team is capable of demonstrating evidence of iteration, innovation, and/or modification that makes the design uniquely their own. Documentation should clearly demonstrate the idea that was used for inspiration, and how it was changed for the final implementation on the Team’s Robot. It should be clear that this final implementation is not an exact copy of ANY other original design.
• Failure to demonstrate evidence of iteration, innovation, and/or modification will result in a Violation.
• Teams may use Robot plans and code (e.g., the annual Hero Bot, VEXcode configurations, etc.) provided by VEX Robotics or the RECF, but are encouraged to use these Robots, mechanisms, and code only as a starting point that Students modify, improve, or replace as their skills increase. Plans provided by VEX Robotics or the RECF are the only legal plans available for use in competition.
• This rule still applies to Teams within the same school, organization, or club. Robots and/or code sets that are identical or substantially similar to one another across Teams within the same school/organization/club will be considered in Violation of this rule, regardless of whether they compete in the same or different events.

For more information, including acceptable and unacceptable examples of mechanical design, construction, coding, and strategy solutions, please refer to the Student Centered Policy in the RECF Library.

The VEX Robotics Competition and the Robotics Education & Competition Foundation (RECF) recognize that many third-party individuals and organizations produce and distribute Robot designs, instructions, and/or other materials that are not under our direct control. We cannot legally regulate or restrict the activities of these external entities. However, when Teams use these resources in ways that violate the spirit and letter of the VEX Robotics Game Manual—particularly Rules <G2> and <G4>—they undermine the core mission of the program: to provide Students with hands-on opportunities to learn, design, and innovate.

While it is never our intent to punish Students, we can legally regulate and restrict the activities of the Teams in our competitions, and we must preserve the fairness, educational value, and integrity of the competition. Therefore, Teams found to be in Violation of these rules will be held accountable to the strictest interpretations of <G2> and <G4>.

It is the responsibility of each Team to be able to explain and defend the design, construction, and programming of their Robot if questioned by referees, inspectors, Event Partners, or judges. Teams should be prepared to describe their design process, justify design decisions, and demonstrate a full understanding of how their Robot and code function.

If a Team is unable, for any reason, to provide reasonable evidence (when requested by event staff) that their Robot and code are the result of their own work, it is appropriate to assume that the Team is in Violation of <G2> and/or <G4>.

Event organizers cannot reasonably know the origins of every design or independently verify whether a Robot was created from scratch, purchased online, or copied from pictures of another Team’s design. When questions of authenticity arise, the only direct and fair approach is to require Students to explain and defend their work. This is not unlike academic honesty concerns in schools, and intellectual property concerns in business. By requiring Students to defend their designs, we ensure that they are developing not only technical skills, but effective communication skills and accountability, as well.

Consequences may include disqualification from matches, removal from events, and/or escalation of the investigation to VEX Robotics and the RECF for further disciplinary action, which may include sanctions up to and including removal from the program.

Event staff should bear in mind <G3>, and use common sense when enforcing this rule. It is not the intent to actively hunt for Violations of this rule, compare every Robot at an event to all other known Robot designs, or closely question every team at an event about their Robot's code. This rule is a set of tools for use if potential Violations are noted by or reported to event staff, and it is expected that most Teams will never be required to defend their Robot design or code.

Teams or individuals who deliberately weaponize, manipulate, or falsely report <G4> Violations for competitive gain or to harass another Team may be subject to a separate RECF Code of Conduct investigation. Misuse of this rule is considered a serious Violation.




Significant Q&As:

• 2677 - Teams may only use custom parts that were designed and created by the Students on that Team
• Q&A 2930 - Additional info on how much change to a mechanism is “enough”



Violation Notes:

• Teams believed to be in Violation of this rule should be reported to the Judge Advisor, Head Referee, or Event Partner for further investigation in coordination with the RSM. Based on the investigation the Team may be removed from further Matches, have their Robot Skills Challenge scores removed, and/or be removed from consideration from judged awards.
• Violations of this rule will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, in tandem with the RECF Student Centered Policy as noted in <G2>, and the REC Foundation Code of Conduct as noted in <G1>. All reported and/or suspected <G4> Violations should be reported to the Event Partner during the event, and should be reported to the RECF Rules and Conduct Committee following the event.



<G5> Each Student can only belong to one Team. Each Team must include Drive Team Members, Coder(s), Designer(s), and Builder(s). Many also include notebooker(s). No Student may fulfill any of these roles for more than one VEX IQ Robotics Competition Team in a given competition season. Students may have more than one role on the Team, e.g., the Designer may also be the Builder, the Coder, and a Drive Team Member.

• Team members may only move from one Team to another for non-strategic reasons outside of the Team's control.
• Examples of permissible moves may include, but are not limited to, changing schools, conflicts within a Team, or combining/splitting Teams.
• Examples of strategic moves in Violation of this rule may include, but are not limited to, one Coder “switching” Teams in order to program multiple Robots, one Student designing multiple teams’ Robots, or one Student writing the Engineering Notebook for multiple Teams.
• If a Student leaves a Team to join another Team, <G4> still applies to the Students remaining on the previous Team. For example, if a Coder leaves a Team, then that Team’s Robots must still represent the skill level of the Team without that Coder. One way to accomplish this would be to ensure that the Coder teaches or trains a “replacement” Coder in their absence.
• Points ii and iii are intended to represent real-world situations that are found in industry engineering. If a vital member of a professional engineering team were to suddenly leave, the remaining members of the team should still be capable of working on / maintaining their project.
• When a Team qualifies for a Championship event (e.g., States, Nationals, Worlds, etc.) the Students on the Team attending the Championship event are expected to be the same Students on the Team that was awarded the spot. Students can be added as support to the Team, but may not be added as Drivers or Coders for the Team.
• An exception is allowed if only one (1) member of the Team is able to attend the event. The Team can make a single substitution of a Drive Team Member or Coder for the Championship event with another Student, even if that Student has competed on a different Team. This Student will now be a member of this new Team and may not substitute back to the original Team during the season.

Note: Teams cannot “borrow” Students from other Teams to serve as Drive Team Members, Coders, Designers and Builders or notebookers. However, Teams can add permanent members throughout the season under the guidelines of this rule.

Violation Notes: Teams believed to be in Violation of this rule should be reported to the Judge Advisor, Head Referee, or Event Partner for further investigation in coordination with the RSM.

Event Partners should bear in mind <G3>, and use common sense when enforcing this rule. It is not the intent to punish a Team who may change Team members over the course of a season due to illness, changing schools, conflicts within a Team, etc.

Event Partners and referees are not expected to keep a roster of any Student who has ever been a Drive Team Member for one day. This rule is intended to block any instance of loaning or sharing Team members for the sole purpose of gaining a competitive advantage.

---

<GG1> Drivers drive your Robot, and stay in the Driver Station. During a Match, Robots may only be operated by that Team’s Drivers and/or software running on the Robot’s control system. Each Team may send up to three (3) Drive Team Members to their Driver Station for a Match: two (2) Drivers and one (1) Loader. Those Drive Team Members must remain in their Driver Station, except when legally interacting with their Robot per <GG10>.

1. Drive Team Members are prohibited from any of the following actions during a Match:
   
   
   1. Using any sort of communication device in the Driver Station. Non-headphone devices with communication features turned off (e.g. a phone in airplane mode or a walkie talkie turned off) are allowed. If communication features are needed for translation apps during post-Match discussions, it should not be considered a Violation.
   2. Standing or sitting on any sort of object during a Match, regardless of whether the Field is on the Floor or elevated, except as required by an official accommodation request that has been approved by the REC Foundation.
   3. Using additional materials to simplify the game challenge during a Match.
   4. To ensure that Drive Team Members are aware of verbal calls during a Match (as an application of rules <T1>, <G1>, <S1>, and <G3>), powered headphones, earbuds, and/or passive earpieces connected to electronic devices cannot be worn/used in the Driver Station except as required by an official accommodation request that has been approved by the REC Foundation.

Point iii is intended to refer to non-Robot-related items that directly influence gameplay, such as using a ramp to assist with the Load Zone. Provided no other rules are violated, and the items do not pose any safety or Field damage risks, the following examples are not considered Violations of <GG1>:

• Materials used before or after a Match, such as a pre-Match alignment aid
• Strategic aids, such as a whiteboard or clipboard
• Earplugs, gloves, or other personal accessories


2. Individuals who are not Drive Team Members for a Match cannot provide directions, commands, or advice to the Drive Team Members during that Match. They're welcome to provide cheerful, positive encouragement, but should not affect Match play or strategy.

Note: Drive Team Members are the only Team members that are allowed to be in the Driver Station during a Match. Adults (other than event staff) are not permitted to be in the Driver Station during a Match.

Violation Notes: Major Violations of this rule are not required to be Score Affecting, and could invoke Violations of other rules, such as <G1>, <G2>, <G5>, or <GG11>.

<GG2> A Team’s Robot should attend every Match. The Team’s Robot must report to the Field for the Team’s assigned Match, even if the Robot is not functional. If the Robot is not at the Field for the entire duration of the Match, that Team is considered a “no show” and will receive zero (0) points. The other Team in the Alliance will still play and receive points for the Match.

1. Teams are expected to participate in all scheduled Qualification Matches and, if they’re ranked high enough to be included in a Finals Alliance, Finals Matches. Failure to attend scheduled Matches may be considered a Violation of <G1> and the Code of Conduct. Teams that participate in zero Qualification Matches cannot be considered for Judged Awards.

<GG3> Robots on the field must be ready to play. When a Team puts their Robot on the Field, it must be prepared to play (i.e., batteries charged, sized within the starting size constraint, etc.).

1. Robots must be placed on the Field promptly. Repeated failure to do so could result in a Violation of <G1> and/or removal of the Robot from the current Match at the Head Referee’s discretion.
2. If a Robot is not placed on the Field prior to the start of a Match, it cannot be placed on the Field during that Match.

<GG4> Hands out of the Field. During a Match, Drive Team Members are prohibited from making intentional contact with any Field Element, Robot, or Scoring Object that has been introduced to the Field, except for the allowances in <GG10>, <RSC5>, and/or <SG6>.

1. Drive Team Members are not permitted to reach into the 3-dimensional volume of the Field Perimeter at any time during the Match, apart from the actions described above. Rule <S1>; applies.
2. Transitive contact, such as contact with the Field Perimeter that causes the Field Perimeter to contact Field Elements or objects inside of the Field, could be considered a Violation of this rule.

Note: Any concerns regarding Field Element or Scoring Object starting positions should be raised with the Head Referee prior to the Match. Team members may never adjust Scoring Objects or Field Elements themselves.

<GG5> Match Replays are allowed, but rare. Match replays (i.e., playing a Match over again from its start) are at the discretion of the Event Partner and Head Referee, and will only be issued in the most extreme circumstances. Some examples that may warrant a Match replay are as follows (note that this is not an exhaustive list):

1. Score Affecting “Field fault” issues.
   
   
   1. Scoring Objects not being reset before the Match starts.
   2. Field Elements detaching or moving beyond normal tolerances, not a result of Robot interactions.
2. Score Affecting game rule issues.
   
   
   1. A Field is reset before the score is determined.
   2. A Match is run before its scheduled time without a Team.

<GG6> Disqualifications. A Team that is issued a Disqualification in a Qualification Match receives zero (0) points for the Match. The other Team on their Alliance will still receive points for the Match.

1. In Finals Matches, Disqualifications apply to the whole Alliance, not just one Team. An Alliance that receives a Disqualification in a Finals Match will receive zero (0) points.
2. A Team that receives a Disqualification in a Robot Skills Match will receive a score of zero (0).

<GG7> Timeouts. There are no timeouts in VIQRC tournaments.

<GG8> Keep your Robot together. Robots may not intentionally detach parts or leave mechanisms on the Field during any Match.

1. Parts that become unintentionally detached from the Robot are no longer considered to be part of the Robot and can be either left on the Field or collected by a Drive Team Member during a Robot reset using <GG10>.

<GG9> Don’t damage the Field. Robot interactions which damage the Field or any Field Elements are prohibited. For the purpose of this rule, “damage” is defined as anything which requires repair in order to begin the next Match, such as causing part of a Goal to detach from the Field.

Violation Notes:

• In most cases, accidental Field damage should only be considered a Minor Violation
• Egregious, intentional, or repeated accidental/Minor Violations may escalate to a Major Violation at the Head Referee’s discretion

<GG10> Handling the Robot mid-match is allowed under certain circumstances. If a Robot goes completely outside the playing Field, gets stuck, tips over, or otherwise requires assistance, the Drive Team Members may retrieve & reset their Robot. To do so, the Team must do the following:

1. Signal the Referee by placing their VEX IQ Controller on the ground. The Head Referee may ask the Driver to demonstrate the problem using the Robot Controller before approving the Robot reset (e.g., confirming that the Robot is broken, undriveable, or stuck on an obstacle) if the issue with the Robot isn't obvious.
2. Any Scoring Objects being controlled by the Robot while being handled must be removed from the Field, and can be returned by a Loader in accordance with <SG4>. No other Scoring Objects should be moved or adjusted.
   
   
   1. In the context of this rule, “controlled” implies that the Robot was manipulating the Scoring Object, and not simply touching it. For example, if the Scoring Object would move with the Robot either vertically or while turning, then the Robot is “controlling” that Scoring Object.
3. The Robot must be placed back into a legal position that meets the criteria listed in clauses a,b, c, & d of <SG1>. If any Scoring Objects are preventing the Robot from being legally placed, they should be removed from the Field and reintroduced by a Loader in accordance with <SG4>. The Robot does not get a new Preload Pin during this reset.
4. Swapping one set of parts for another, or adding new pieces to a Robot mid-Match during a <GG10> or <RSC5> interaction is considered a Violation of the intent and spirit of this rule. Repairing a Robot, or reattaching parts of the Robot that fall off during a Match, is allowed.
5. As described in rule <S1>, Students cannot step into the Field at any time during a Match. If the Drive Team Members cannot reach the Robot due to the Robot being in the center of the Field, they may ask the Head Referee to pick up the Robot and hand it to the Drive Team Members for placement according to the conditions above.
   

Violation Notes: This rule is intended to allow Teams to fix damaged Robots or help get their Robots “out of trouble.” Strategically exploiting this rule may be considered a Minor Violation or Major Violation at the Head Referee’s discretion.

<GG11> A Team’s two Drivers switch Controllers midway through the Match. In a given Match, up to two (2) Drivers may be in the Driver Station per Team. The two Drivers must switch their controller between thirty-five seconds (0:35 on the Match timer) and twenty-five seconds (0:25 on the Match timer) remaining in the Match.

1. No Driver shall operate a Robot for more than thirty-five (35) seconds.
2. The second Driver may not touch their Team’s controls until the controller is passed to them.
3. Once the controller is passed, the first Driver may no longer touch their Team’s controls.
4. A Driver cannot also be a Loader in the same Match.
5. If a Drive Team for a Match only has two members, one must serve as the Driver until the mid-Match Driver switch. The second Drive Team Member may serve as either the 2nd Driver (after the mid-Match Driver switch) or the Loader for the full Match, but cannot fill both roles. If the 2nd Driver position is unfilled, the Robot’s operation (even prewritten commands) must cease after the first thirty-five (35) seconds of the Match.
6. If only one Drive Team Member is present, the Robot’s operation (even prewritten commands) must cease after the first thirty-five (35) seconds of the Match and the Team will not have a Loader during that Match.
   

Violation Notes: At a minimum, any Violation of this rule is considered a Minor Violation. Whether it escalates to a Major Violation or not is dependent upon the Head Referee’s judgment regarding:

• Prior Violations
• Any Score Affecting actions that were a direct result of the Violation, such as the first Driver scoring additional points after 35 seconds of driving or a Driver also serving as a Loader in the same Match.

<GG12> Don’t Start Before the Timer, and Stop Moving at the end of the Match. Driver inputs and Robot may not begin before the Match timer starts, and must cease at the end of the Match, when the timer reaches 0:00.

1. A pre-programmed routine which causes Robot motion to start before the Match or continue after the end of the Match would violate this rule.
2. Any scoring which takes place after the Match due to Robots continuing to move will not count toward the score and is a Violation of this rule.

Violation Notes:

• Because scoring that happens after the Match is not counted, all Violations of <GG12> should be recorded as Minor Violations.
• If a Team receives three Minor Violations within the same event, all future <GG12> Violations at that event will be considered Major Violations and Disqualifications.
• This count does not reset for any reason within an event (e.g., Qualification vs Finals Matches, one of the Team’s “dropped score” Matches, etc.), but does not include Violations that occur in Robot Skills Matches

<GG13> Ending a Match early. If an Alliance wants to end a Qualification Match or a Finals Match early, both Teams must signal the referee by ceasing all Robot motion and placing their controllers on the ground. The referee will then signal to the Teams that the Match is over and will begin to tally the score. If the Match is a tiebreaker Finals Match for first place, then the Match Stop Time will also be recorded (see <T14b>).

<SG1> Starting a Match. At the beginning of a Match, the Robot must be placed such that it meets all of the following criteria:

1. Fit within an 11” wide x 20” long x 15” high (279mm x 508mm x 381mm) volume, as checked during inspection per <R5>.
2. Not contacting any Goals other than the one specified in clause c, other Robots, or Scoring Objects other than a maximum of one (1) Preload. See rule <SG5>.
3. Contacting the structure of one of the two Triangle Goals.
   
   
   1. For Teamwork Challenge Matches, the Team listed as Team 1 (printed Match list), listed as Red Team (RobotEvents.com), or listed first (VEXvia) must place their Robot in contact with the red Triangle Goal.
   2. For Teamwork Challenge Matches, the Team listed as Team 2 (printed Match list), listed as Blue Team (RobotEvents.com), or listed second (VEXvia) must place their Robot in contact with the blue Triangle Goal.
4. Only be contacting the Floor and the structure of the Goal.
5. Completely stationary (i.e., no motors or other mechanisms in motion) until the Match timer starts. Pre-charging a pneumatic system (i.e., having the Pneumatic Pump running prior to the Match) is the only permitted exception to this rule.
6. The starting configuration of the Robot at the beginning of a Match must be the same as a Robot configuration that was checked during Robot inspection.
   

Violation Notes: The Match will not begin with any conditions in this rule unmet. If a Robot cannot meet these conditions in a timely manner, the Robot will be removed from the Field and rules <R3d> and <GG2> will apply until the situation is corrected. In most cases, they will not receive a Disqualification, but they will not be permitted to play in the Match.

Figure SG1-1: Robots in a legal pre-Match starting position.

<SG2> Horizontal expansion is limited. Robots cannot expand horizontally beyond the 11” x 20” starting size limit at any time in the Match.

<SG3> Vertical expansion is unlimited. Once the Match begins, Robots may expand vertically beyond the 15” starting size limit with no limits.

<SG4> Keep Scoring Objects in the Field. Scoring Objects that leave the Field during a Match may be reintroduced by a Loader in accordance with <SG6> with the following restrictions:

1. A blue Pin that leaves the Field may only be reintroduced by the blue Loader at the blue Load Zone; a red Pin that leaves the Field may only be reintroduced by the red Loader at the red Load Zone.
2. An orange Pin or Beam that leaves the Field must be given to the Loader in the Driver Station closest to where it left the Field, and can only be reintroduced by that Loader.
3. “Leaving the Field” means that a Scoring Object is outside of the Field Perimeter, no longer in contact with the Floor or Field Elements, and not supported by Robots or Scoring Objects that are still inside the Field.
4. If a Scoring Object is removed from a Robot during a <GG10> interaction, it is considered “out of the Field” as soon as it is no longer in contact with any Robots.
5. If a Scoring Object is on its way out of the Field (as determined by the Head Referee), but is deflected back into the Field by a Drive Team Member, field monitor, ceiling/wall, or other external factor, <SG4> would still apply. This Scoring Object should be considered “out of the Field,” removed by a Head Referee, and given to a Loader.
6. If a set of Connected Scoring Objects leaves the Field, they must be separated and reintroduced one at a time by the appropriate Loader(s).

Violation Note: Violations that are deemed by the Head Referee to be intentional or strategic should immediately escalate to a Major Violation.

<SG5> Each Robot gets one Pin as a Preload. For Teamwork Challenge Matches, the Team listed as Team 1 (printed Match list) or Red Team (RobotEvents.com) will use a red Pin. Team 2 / Blue Team will use a blue Pin. Prior to the start of each Match, each Preload must be placed such that it meets all of the following criteria:

1. Contacting exactly one Robot.
2. Not contacting any Field Elements (excluding the Floor), Goals, or other Scoring Objects.
   

If a Robot is not present for a Teamwork Match, its Preload should be placed in the matching Load Zone.

<SG6> Using the Load Zone. Scoring Objects may be Loaded through the Load Zone during the Match, must meet all of the following criteria:

1. Red and blue Pins may only be Loaded into the Load Zone that matches the color of that Pin. Beams and/or orange Pins that leave the Field during a Match may be reintroduced at either Load Zone as described in rule <SG4>.
2. The Scoring Object must be placed in contact with the VEX IQ beam attached to the Floor.
3. The Loader may only put a Scoring Object into a Load Zone if no other Scoring Objects are in contact with that Load Zone.
4. A Robot may not contact a Scoring Object in the Load Zone if that Scoring Object is being contacted by a human.
5. Once a Scoring Object is Placed into a Load Zone and released, it may no longer be contacted by a Loader.
6. If a Scoring Object is introduced improperly (e.g., while another Scoring Object is in contact with the Load Zone), it must be retrieved by the Loader and reintroduced.
7. A Loaded Pin or Beam must be placed in a stationary position, and must remain in contact with the VEX IQ beam after it is released by the Loader until it is contacted by a Robot or another Scoring Object that is being manipulated by a Robot.
8. Pins that begin the Match outside the Field cannot break the plane of the Field Perimeter until the Match begins.

Note: Although it is not required, Robots are highly recommended to remain some distance away from the Scoring Object until the Loader’s hand has clearly been removed. This will make clauses d & e abundantly clear to Head Referees.

Violation Notes:

• Teams are responsible for their own actions. Violations that involve a Loader and Robot from opposite Teams will be given to both Teams.
• It is expected that most Violations of this rule will be accidental. In accidental cases that end up being Score Affecting (i.e., an illegally-Loaded Scoring Object is Connected to another Scoring Object), the first occurrence during a Qualification Match may be treated as a Minor Violation and a “final notice” that any future Violation will result in Disqualification for the Match.
• Any Score Affecting Violation during a Finals Match (accidental and intentional) must be treated as a Major Violation.
• Repeated, intentional, or egregious Violations may escalate to a Major Violation at the Head Referee’s discretion. One example of an egregious Violation would be placing a Scoring Object directly onto a Robot without ever contacting the Load Zone.

<R1> One Robot per Team. Each Team can only bring one (1) Robot to a given event. Though it is expected that Teams will make changes to their Robots at the event, a Team is limited to only one (1) Robot, and a given Robot may only be used by one (1) Team. The VEX IQ system is intended to be a mobile robotics design platform. As such, a VEX IQ Robotics Competition Robot, for the purposes of the VEX IQ Robotics Competition, has the following subsystems:

• Subsystem 1: Mobile robotic base including wheels, tracks, or any other mechanism that allows the Robot to navigate the majority of the flat playing Field surface. For a stationary Robot, the robotic base without wheels would be considered Subsystem 1.
• Subsystem 2: Power and control system that includes a VEX IQ legal battery, a VEX IQ control system, and associated Smart Motors for the mobile robotic base. Also includes the VEX IQ pneumatic air pump and solenoids if used on the Robot.
• Subsystem 3: Additional mechanisms (and associated Smart Motors) that allow manipulation of Scoring Objects or navigation/manipulation of Field Elements.

Given the above definitions, a minimum Robot for use in any VEX IQ Robotics Competition event (including Skills Challenges) must consist of subsystems 1 and 2 above. Thus, if you are swapping out an entire subsystem 1 or 2, you have now created a second Robot and are no longer legal.

1. Teams may not compete with one Robot while a second is being modified or assembled at a competition.
2. Teams may not have an assembled second Robot on hand at a competition that is used to repair or swap parts with the first Robot.
3. Teams may not switch back and forth between multiple Robots during a competition. This includes using different Robots for Robot Skills Matches, Qualification Matches, and/or Finals Matches.
4. Multiple Teams may not use the same Robot. Once a Robot has competed under a given Team number at an event, it is “their” Robot; no other Teams may EVER compete with it.

<R2> Robots must represent the Team’s skill level. The Robot must be designed, built, and programmed by members of the Team. Adults are permitted to mentor and teach design, building, and programming skills to the Students on the Team, but may not design, build, or program that Team’s Robot. See rules <G2>, <G4>, and <G5>.

<R3> Robots must pass inspection. The Team’s Robot must pass inspection before being allowed to participate in any Matches. Noncompliance with any Robot design or construction rule will result in removal from Matches or Disqualification of the Robot at an event until the Robot is brought back into compliance, as described in the following subclauses.

1. Significant changes to a Robot, such as a partial or full swap of Subsystem 3, must be re-inspected before the Robot may compete again.
2. All possible functional Robot configurations must be inspected before being used in competition.
3. Teams may be asked to submit to spot inspections by Head Referees. Refusal to submit will result in Disqualification.
4. If a Robot is determined to not be legal before a Match begins and cannot be brought into compliance before the scheduled Match start time, the Robot will be removed from the Field. The Robot may remain at the Field so that the Team does not get assessed a “no-show” (per <GG2>).
5. Robots which have not passed inspection (i.e., that are in Violation of one or more Robot rules) will not be permitted to play in any Matches until they have done so. <GG3> will apply to any Matches that occur until the Robot has passed inspection.
6. If a Robot has passed inspection, but is later found to be in Violation of a Robot rule during or immediately following a Match, then they will be Disqualified from that Match and <R3d>/<GG3> will apply until the Violation is remedied and the Team is re-inspected. This is the only Match that will be affected; any prior Matches that have already been completed will not be revisited. <R3d> will apply until the Violation is remedied and the Team is re-inspected.
7. All inspection rules are to be enforced at the discretion of the Head Referee within a given event. Robot legality at one event does not automatically imply legality at future events. Robots which rely on “edge-case” interpretations of subjective rules, such as whether a decoration is “non-functional” or not, should expect additional scrutiny during inspection.
8. Event staff and volunteers are allowed to photograph Robots during inspection and/or at other times as needed.

<R4> There is a difference between accidentally and willfully violating a Robot rule. Any Violation of Robot rules, accidental or intentional, will result in a Team being unable to play until they pass inspection (per <R3d>).

However, Teams who intentionally and/or knowingly circumvent or violate rules to gain an advantage over their fellow competitors are in Violation of the spirit and ethos of the competition. Any Violation of this sort should be considered a Violation of <G1> and/or the REC Foundation Code of Conduct.

A Team that circumvents a Robot rule for a competitive advantage should receive an immediate Disqualification for the current Match and be reported to the Event Partner for discussion with the REC Foundation Regional Support Manager. As a result of that discussion, the Team may be Disqualified from the event. The Violation should also be reported to the REC Foundation Rules and Conduct Committee following the event.

<R5> Robots must fit within an 11” x 20” x 15” (279.4mm x 508mm x 381.0mm) volume.

1. Teams using more than one possible Robot configuration at the beginning of Matches must tell the inspector(s) and have the Robot inspected in all configurations. Rule <R3c> will apply if a Robot is placed in an uninspected configuration (i.e., will not be permitted to play until re-inspected, but will not be considered a “no-show”).
2. A Team may NOT have its Robot inspected in one configuration and then place it in an uninspected configuration at the start of a Match.

Figure R5-1: The approximate size that a Robot should start the Match in.

<R6> Officially registered Team numbers must be displayed on Robot License Plates. To participate in an official VEX IQ Robotics Competition Event, a Team must first register on RobotEvents.com and receive a VEX IQ Robotics Competition Team number.

This Team number must be legibly displayed on exactly two (2) VEX IQ Robotics Competition License Plates on opposing sides of the Robot. Teams may use the official VEX IQ Robotics Competition License Plate (VEX Part Number 228-7401) or a plain paper version of matching size, such as this template in the REC Library.

1. License Plates are considered functional components, and must meet the requirements of all Robot rules.
2. License Plates must be clearly visible at all times. For example, License Plates must not be in a position that would be easily obstructed by a Robot mechanism during standard Match play.
3. Additional License Plates cannot be used on the Robot for any purpose.

Figure R6-1: A VEX IQ Robotics Competition License Plate with a VEX IQ Robotics Competition Team Number written upon it.

<R7> Let it go after the Match is over. Robots must be designed to permit easy removal of Scoring Objects from their Robot without requiring that the Robot have power or remote control after the Match is over.

<R8> Robots have one Brain. Robots are limited to one (1) VEX IQ Robot Brain. Any other microcontrollers or processing devices are not allowed, even as non-functional decorations.

This includes microcontrollers that are part of other VEX product lines, such as VEX Cortex, VEX EXP, VEXpro, VEX CTE, VEX RCR, VEX V5, VEX GO, or VEX Robotics by HEXBUG*. This also includes devices that are unrelated to VEX, such as Raspberry Pi or Arduino devices.

1. If using a first generation VEX IQ Brain, Robots must use one (1) VEX IQ 900 MHz radio, VEX IQ 2.4 GHz radio, or VEX IQ Smart Radio in conjunction with their VEX IQ Robot Brain. The VEX IQ Brain and VEX IQ Controller may not be physically connected during a Match, and may only communicate through the radio.
2. Additional Robot Brains cannot be used on the Robot (even Robot Brains that are not connected).

<R9> Keep the power button accessible. The on/off button on the VEX IQ Robot Brain must be accessible without moving or lifting the Robot. All screens and/or lights must also be easily visible by competition personnel to assist in diagnosing Robot problems.

<R10> Firmware. Teams must use VEXos version 2.2.1 or newer on Gen1 Brains, or VEXos version 1.0.8 or newer on Gen2 Brains. The latest firmware can be found at https://link.vex.com/firmware. Custom firmware modifications are not permitted.

1. The minimum version requirement is subject to change over the course of the season.
2. When the minimum version is updated, Teams have a two week (14 calendar day) grace period from the time the minimum version is changed to update their firmware to the latest minimum version.
3. VEX Robotics reserves the right to deem any firmware update critical, and remove the allowable grace period.

<R11> Motors. Robots may use up to six (6) VEX IQ Smart Motors.

1. Additional motors cannot be used on the Robot (even motors that aren’t connected).

<R12> Batteries. The only allowable sources of electrical power for a VEX IQ Robotics Competition Robot are one (1) VEX IQ Robot Battery (first or second generation) or six (6) AA batteries via the Robot AA Battery Holder (228-3493).

1. Additional batteries cannot be used on the Robot (even batteries that aren’t connected).
2. Teams are permitted to have an external power source (such as a rechargeable battery pack) plugged into their VEX IQ Controller during a Match, provided that this power source is connected safely and does not violate any other rules (such as <GG1>).

Note: Although it is legal, the Robot AA Battery Holder (228-3493) is not recommended for use in the VEX IQ Robotics Competition.

<R13> One Controller per Robot. No more than one (1) VEX IQ Controller may control a single Robot.

1. No physical or electrical modification of the Controller is allowed under any circumstances.
   
   
   1. Attachments which assist the Drivers in holding or manipulating buttons/joysticks on the IQ Controller (including 3D-printed controller attachments) are permitted, provided that they do not involve direct physical or electrical modification of the Controller itself.
2. No other methods of controlling the Robot (light, sound, etc.) are permissible.
   
   
   1. Using sensor feedback to augment Driver control (such as motor encoders or the Vision Sensor) is permitted.
   2. See <RSC5>, <RSC6>, and <RSC7> for more information about operating the Robot during Autonomous Coding Skills Matches.

<R14> Robots are built from the VEX IQ product line. Robots may be built ONLY from official Robot components from the VEX IQ product line, unless otherwise specifically noted within these rules.

1. Official VEX IQ products are ONLY available from VEX Robotics. To determine whether or not a product is “official” and legal for competition use, consult the following sources:
   
   
   1. VEX IQ Robotics Competition Legal Parts Appendix
   2. VEX IQ Robotics Competition Illegal Parts Appendix
   3. www.vexiq.com
2. If an inspector or Head Referee questions whether something is an official VEX IQ component, the Team will be required to provide documentation that proves the component’s source. Such documentation may include receipts, part numbers, or other printed documentation.
3. Only VEX IQ components specifically designed for use in Robot construction are allowed. Using additional components outside their typical purpose is against the intent of the rule (i.e., please don’t try using VEX IQ apparel, Team or event support materials, packaging, Field Elements, or other non-Robot products on a VEX IQ Robotics Competition Robot).
4. Official Robotics components from the VEX IQ product line that have been discontinued are still legal for Robot use. However, Teams must be aware of <R14b>.
5. Additional VEX IQ products that are released during the season are legal for use, unless otherwise noted on their product pages.
6. VEX IQ Smart Cables may only be used for connecting legal electronic devices to the VEX IQ Robot Brain.
   

Note: A comprehensive list of legal VEX IQ parts can be found in the VEX IQ Robotics Competition Legal Parts Appendix, at https://www.vexrobotics.com/iq/competition/viqrc-current-game. This Appendix is updated as needed if/when new VEX IQ parts are released, and may not coincide with scheduled Game Manual updates.

<R15> Prohibited items. The following types of mechanisms and components are NOT allowed:

1. Those that could potentially damage Field Elements or Scoring Objects.
2. Those that could potentially damage or entangle other Robots.
3. Grease, oil, graphite, and/or any other lubricant or plastic additive.
4. Tape and/or any other material that adheres to or changes a legal part, other than non-functional decorations as permitted by <R17>.
5. Products from the VEX 123, VEX V5, VEX CTE, VEX EXP, Cortex, or VEXpro product lines, unless specifically allowed by a clause of <R16>.
6. Electrical components from the VEX Robotics by HEXBUG* product line.
7. Electrical components from the VEX GO product line.
8. 3D printed parts for any purpose, including non-functional decorations.
9. Additional illegal parts are listed in the VEX IQ Robotics Competition Illegal Parts Appendix, at https://link.vex.com/ docs/viqrc/illegal-parts. This Appendix is updated as needed, and may not coincide with scheduled Game Manual updates.

<R16> Legal Non-VEX IQ components. Robots are allowed to use the following additional “non-VEX IQ” components:

1. Rubber bands that are identical in length and thickness to those included in the VEX IQ product line (#32, #64, #117B, & #170).
2. ⅛” metal shafts from the VEX V5 product line.
3. Other products from the VEX V5 product line that are also cross-listed as part of the VEX IQ product line are legal. A “cross-listed” product is one which can be found in both the VEX IQ and VEX V5 sections of the VEX Robotics website.
4. Mechanical/structural components from the VEX Robotics by HEXBUG* product line are legal for Robot construction.
5. Mechanical/structural components from the VEX GO product line are legal for Robot construction.
6. Aerosol-based cooling/freeze spray may be used to assist in cooling motors. Teams using freeze spray or similar products in ways that may reasonably be deemed unsafe could be subject to <S1> Violations.
7. Cleaners, disinfectants, and/or sanitizers may be used to assist in cleaning Robots, parts, components, etc. VEX Robotics recommends these procedures for cleaning/disinfecting/sanitizing Robot parts.

<R17> Decorations are allowed. Teams may add non-functional decorations, provided that they do not affect Robot performance in any significant way or affect the outcome of the Match. These decorations must be in the spirit of the competition. Inspectors and Head Referees will have final say in what is considered “non-functional.” Unless otherwise specified below, non-functional decorations are governed by all standard Robot rules.

1. Decorations must be in the spirit of an educational competition.
2. To be considered “non-functional,” any decorations must be backed by legal materials that provide the same functionality. For example, a giant decal cannot be used to prevent Scoring Objects from falling out of the Robot unless it is backed by VEX IQ material. A simple way to check this is to determine if removing the decoration would impact the performance of the Robot in any way.

* The HEXBUG brand is a registered trademark belonging to Spin Master Corp

3. The use of non-toxic paint is considered a legal non-functional decoration. However, any paint being used as an adhesive or to impact how tightly parts fit together would be classified as functional.

<R18> Pneumatics. Robots using parts from the VEX IQ Pneumatics Kit (228-8795) must satisfy all of the following criteria:

1. No more than two (2) Air Tanks, including any that aren’t connected.
2. No more than (1) Air Pump, including any that aren’t connected.
3. No additional parts that are not included in the VEX IQ Pneumatics Kit (e.g., unofficial tubing or fittings).
   

There is no limit on the number of Pneumatic Cylinders or Pneumatic Solenoids that may be used, provided that no other rules are violated. There are no restrictions on running the Air Pump prior to (or during) Matches.

<R19> Modifications of parts. Parts may NOT be modified unless specifically listed as an exception in this rule. Examples of illegal modifications include, but are not limited to, bending, cutting, sanding, gluing, lubricating, taping, and melting. The following exceptions are the only legal modifications of parts:

1. Cutting metal VEX IQ or VEX V5 shafts to custom lengths.
2. Bending parts which are intended to be flexible, such as string, rubber bands, or thin plastic sheets.
3. Cutting VEX IQ pneumatic tubing to custom lengths.
4. Tying knots to shorten or connect string or rubber bands.

All definitions from previous sections of the manual apply to the Robot Skills Challenge, unless otherwise specified.

Driving Skills Match - A Driving Skills Match consists of a sixty-second (one minute) Driver Controlled Period. There is no Autonomous Period. Teams can elect to end a Driving Skills Match early as described in rule <RSC8> if they wish to record a Skills Stop Time.

Autonomous Coding Skills Match - An Autonomous Coding Skills Match consists of a sixty-second (one minute) Autonomous Period. There is no Driver Controlled Period. Teams can elect to end an Autonomous Coding Skills Match early if they wish to record a Skills Stop Time.

Robot Skills Match - A Driving Skills Match or Autonomous Coding Skills Match.

Skills Stop Time - The time remaining in a Robot Skills Match when a Team ends the Match early.

1. If a Team does not end the Match early, they receive a default Skills Stop Time of 0.
2. The moment when the Match ends early is defined as the moment when the Robot and Scoring Objects have come to a rest and the Driver has provided the agreed upon visual and audio signal to the Referee. See <RSC8> for more details.
3. If a Tournament Manager display is being used for field timing, then the Skills Stop Time is the time shown on the display when the Match is ended early (i.e., in 1-second increments).
4. If a manual timer is being used that counts down to 0 with greater accuracy than 1-second increments, then the time shown on the timer should be rounded up to the nearest second. For example, if the Robot is Disabled and the timer shows 25.2 seconds, then the Skills Stop Time should be recorded as 26.

<RSC1> Standard rules apply in most cases. All rules from previous sections apply to the Robot Skills Matches, unless otherwise specified in this section.

Violation Notes:

• Violations of <GG>, <SG>, and <RSC> rules that occur during a Robot Skills Match should only affect the outcome of that Match and should not be considered when determining whether a Violation has been repeated during the event.

<RSC2> Scoring Robot Skills Matches. For each Robot Skills Match, Teams are awarded a score based on the standard scoring rules.

<RSC3> Robot and Field setup for Skills Matches. The Robot and Field are set up the same as a Teamwork Challenge Match, with the following modifications:

1. The layout of Scoring Objects for a Mix & Match Robot Skills Match differs from the layout for Teamwork Challenge Matches, as shown in Figure RSC3-1.
   
   
   • Pins and Beams start in different locations on the Field.
   • The Robot receives one red Pin as a Preload.
   • Six Pins (two red, two blue, and two orange) begin the Match in the Red Driver Station for Loading.
2. The blue Load Zone is not used in Robot Skills Matches. Scoring Objects of any color may be introduced into the red Load Zone only. This includes any Scoring Object that is reintroduced after leaving the Field during the Match.
3. The Robot must be placed in contact with the structure of the red Triangle Goal at the beginning of the Match and after the Robot is reset under rule <GG10> or <RSC5>.

Figure RSC3-1: The Field Configuration for a VIQRC Mix and Match Robot Skills Match.

<RSC4> Loader and Driver differences. All criteria listed in <SG6> apply as written (e.g., a Loader cannot put a Scoring Object into a Load Zone if there’s already a Scoring Object there). Loading is modified as follows:

1. In both Driving Skills Matches and Autonomous Coding Skills Matches, any Driver who is not currently Driving the Robot may also serve as a Loader (i.e., a Team may have one, two, or three Loaders at any given time).
2. The blue Load Zone is not used in Robot Skills Matches, and Scoring Objects may only be introduced into the red Load Zone. This includes any Scoring Object that is reintroduced after leaving the Field during the Match.
3. Any Scoring Object that leaves the Field during a Robot Skills Match should be given to the Team’s human Loader for reintroduction at the red Load Zone, regardless of that object’s color.
4. Drive Team Members must remain in the red Driver Station during Driving Skills Matches, except when legally interacting with their Robot per rule <GG10>.

<RSC5> Handling Robots during an Autonomous Coding Skills Match. A Team may handle their Robot as many times as desired during an Autonomous Coding Skills Match.

1. Upon handling the Robot, it must be immediately brought back to a legal starting position.
   
   
   1. Drive Team Members may reset or adjust the Robot as desired from this position, including pressing buttons on the Robot Brain or activating sensors.
   2. Any Scoring Objects being controlled by the Robot while being handled must be removed from the Field, and can be reintroduced by a Loader in accordance with <SG6> and <RSC4>. In the context of this rule, “controlled” implies that the Robot was manipulating the Scoring Object, and not simply touching it. For example, if the Scoring Object would move with the Robot either vertically or while turning, then the Robot is “controlling” that Scoring Object. No other Scoring Objects should be moved or adjusted.
   3. As described in rule <S1>, Students cannot step into the Field at any time during a Match. If the Drive Team Members cannot reach the Robot due to the Robot being in the center of the Field, they may ask the Head Referee to pick up the Robot and hand it to the Drive Team Members for placement according to the conditions above. The Robot does not get a new Preload Pin during this reset.
2. During an Autonomous Coding Skills Match, Drivers may move freely around the Field, and are not restricted to the Driver Station when not handling their Robot.
   
   
   1. The rest of <GG1>, which states that Drive Team Members are not allowed to use any communication devices during their Match, still applies.
   2. An intent of this exception is to permit Drivers who wish to “stage” Robot handling during an Autonomous Coding Skills Match to do so without excessive running back and forth to the Driver Station.

<RSC6> Starting an Autonomous Coding Skills Match. Drivers must start a Robot’s Autonomous Coding Skills Match routine by pressing a button on the Robot Brain or manually activating a sensor. Because there is no VEX IQ Controller hand-off, only one (1) Driver is required for an Autonomous Coding Skills Match (though Teams may still have two (2) if desired).

1. Pre-Match sensor calibration is considered part of the standard pre-Match setup time (i.e., the time when the Team would typically be turning on the Robot, moving any mechanisms to their desired legal start position, etc.).
2. Pressing a button on the VEX IQ Controller to begin the routine is not permitted. To avoid any confusion, Teams are advised not to bring controllers to Autonomous Coding Skills Matches.

<RSC7> Autonomous means “no humans.” During an Autonomous Coding Skills Match, Drive Team Members are not permitted to activate any controls on their VEX IQ Controller, and cannot manually trigger sensors (including the Vision Sensor) in any way, even without touching them.

1. Teams cannot use VEX IQ Controllers for any purpose in Autonomous Coding Skills Matches, and are advised not to bring controllers to the Field. If there is a controller at the Field during an Autonomous Coding Skills Match, it should be placed on the Floor outside the Field and remain untouched until after the Match.

<RSC8> Skills Stop Time. If a Team wishes to end their Robot Skills Match early, they may elect to record a Skills Stop Time. This is used as a tiebreaker for Robot Skills Challenge rankings. A Skills Stop Time does not affect a Team’s score for a given Robot Skills Match. Drivers and field staff must agree prior to the Match on the signal that will be used to end the Match early.

1. As noted in the definition of Skills Stop Time, the moment when the Match ends early is defined as the moment when the Robot and Scoring Objects have come to a rest and the Driver provides the agreed upon visual and audio signal to the Scorekeeper Referee.
2. Teams who intend to attempt a Skills Stop Time must “opt-in” by verbally confirming with the Scorekeeper Referee prior to the Robot Skills Match. If no notification is given prior to the start of the Match, then the Team forfeits their option to record a Skills Stop Time for that Match.
3. This conversation should include informing the Scorekeeper Referee which Driver will signal the stop. The Match may only be ended early by a Driver for that Match.
4. The agreed-upon signal to stop the Match must be both verbal and visual, such as Drivers crossing their arms in an “X” or placing their VEX IQ Controller on the ground.
5. It is recommended that the Driver also provides a verbal notice that they are approaching their Skills Stop Time, such as counting out “3-2-1-stop.”
6. If a Team runs multiple Robot Skills Matches in a row, they must reconfirm their Skills Stop Time choice with the Scorekeeper Referee prior to each Match.
7. Any questions regarding a Skills Stop Time should be reviewed and settled immediately following the Match. <T1> and <T3> apply to Robot Skills Matches.

Event Partner - The volunteer VEX IQ Robotics Competition tournament coordinator who serves as an overall manager for the volunteers, venue, event materials, and all other event considerations. Event Partners serve as the official liaison between the REC Foundation, the event volunteers, and event attendees.

Finals Match - A Teamwork Challenge Match used to determine the Teamwork Challenge champions.

Head Referee - A certified impartial volunteer responsible for enforcing the rules in this manual as written. Head Referees are the only people who may discuss ruling interpretations or scoring questions with Teams at an event. Large events (e.g., Signature Events, World Championships, etc.) might include multiple Head Referees at the Event Partner’s discretion.

Match Stop Time - The time remaining (i.e., displayed on the timer or audience display) in a tiebreaker Finals Match (which only occurs for 1st place) when an Alliance ends the Match early by placing their controllers on the ground. The Match Stop Time is rounded down to the nearest even number. For example, if controllers are set down when the displayed time is 13 seconds, the Match Stop Time is recorded as 12 seconds. If an Alliance does not finish the Match early, they receive a default Match Stop Time of 0 seconds.

Practice Match - A non-scored Match used to provide time for Teams to get acquainted with the official playing Field. Head Referees should not record or track standard gameplay Violations that occur during Practice Matches. Violations that are egregious, unsportsmanlike and/or unsafe may be recorded and tracked at the discretion of the Head Referee.

Qualification Match - A Teamwork Challenge Match used to determine the event rankings.

Robot Skills Challenge - A portion of the VEX IQ Robotics Competition. The Robot Skills Challenge consists of Driving Skills Matches and Autonomous Coding Skills Matches as described in the General Definitions.

Scorekeeper Referee - An impartial volunteer responsible for tallying scores at the end of a Match. Scorekeeper Referees do not make ruling interpretations, and should redirect any Team questions regarding rules or scores to the Head Referee.

Teamwork Challenge - A portion of the VEX IQ Robotics Competition. The Teamwork Challenge consists of Teamwork Challenge Matches and Finals Matches, and may include Practice Matches.

<T1> Head Referees have ultimate and final authority on all gameplay and robot ruling decisions during the competition.

1. Scorekeeper Referees score the Match, and may serve as observers or advisers for the Head Referees, but may not determine any Violations directly.
2. When issuing a Disqualification or Violation to a Team, the Head Referee should attempt to notify the Team as the Violation occurs, and after the Match must provide the rule number of the specific rule that has been Violated and record the Violation in the Match Anomaly Log.
3. CoC-related Violations require additional escalation beyond the Head Referee’s initial ruling, including (but not limited to) investigation by RECF representatives.
4. Event Partners may not overrule a Head Referee’s gameplay or Robot decisions.
5. Every Qualification Match and Finals Match must be watched by a certified Head Referee. Head Referees may only watch one Match at a time; if multiple Matches are happening simultaneously on separate Fields, each Field must have its own Head Referee. Head Referees must follow the rules in this game manual and the Q&A, and must make rulings consistent with the intent of the game manual and Q&A.
6. At a minimum, every Robot Skills Match must be watched by a trained Scorekeeper Referee, who may only watch one Match at a time. If multiple Robot Skills Matches are happening simultaneously on separate Fields, each Field must have its own Scorekeeper Referee. A certified Head Referee must be available at the event to explain a rule, Disqualification, Violation, or other penalty to Teams in Robot Skills Matches as needed in support of the Scorekeeper Referees at skills Fields.

<T2> Head Referees must be qualified. VEX IQ Head Referees must have all of the following qualifications:

1. Be at least 16 years of age.
2. Be approved by the Event Partner.
3. Be an REC Foundation Certified VIQRC Head Referee for the current season. Visit the REC Library for more details.
4. Cannot be the Event Partner or a Judge Advisor for the event.

Note: Scorekeeper Referees must be at least 15 years of age, and must be approved by the Event Partner.

<T3> The Drive Team Members are permitted to immediately appeal the Head Referee’s ruling. If Drive Team Members wish to dispute a score or ruling, they must stay in the Driver Station until the Head Referee talks with them. The Head Referee may choose to meet with the Drive Team Members at another location and/or at a later time so that the Head Referee has time to reference materials or resources to help with the decision. Once the Head Referee announces that their decision has been made final, the issue is over and no more appeals may be made (see rule <T1>).

1. Referees are not permitted to review any photo or video Match recordings when determining a score or ruling.
2. Head Referees are the only individuals permitted to explain a rule, Disqualification, or Violation to the Teams in a Teamwork Challenge Match. Teams should never consult other field personnel, including Scorekeeper Referees, regarding a ruling clarification.

Communication and conflict resolution skills are an important life skill for Students to practice and learn. In VEX IQ Robotics Competitions, we expect Students to practice proper conflict resolution using the proper chain of command. Violations of this rule may be considered a Violation of <G1> and/or the Code of Conduct.

<T4> The Event Partner has ultimate authority regarding all non-gameplay decisions during an event. The Game Manual is intended to provide a set of rules for successfully playing VIQRC Mix & Match; it is not intended to be an exhaustive compilation of guidelines for running a VEX IQ Robotics Competition event. Rules such as, but not limited to, the following examples are at the discretion of the Event Partner and should be treated with the same respect as the Game Manual:

• Venue access
• Pit spaces
• Health and safety
• Team registration and/or competition eligibility
• Team conduct away from competition Fields

<T5> Be prepared for minor field variance. Field Element tolerances and Scoring Object positions may vary from nominal by up to ±0.5” [12.7mm], unless otherwise specified. The rotation of Pins is not specified. If a Pin is within tolerance, either on the Field or on a Starting Pin Support, it should not be adjusted before the Match. Teams are encouraged to design their Robots accordingly. Please make sure to check Appendix A for more specific nominal dimensions and tolerances.

<T6> Fields and Field Elements may be repaired at the Event Partner’s discretion. All competition Fields and other Field Elements at an event must be set up in accordance with the specifications in Appendix A and/or other applicable support materials. Minor aesthetic customizations or repairs are permitted, provided that they do not impact gameplay (see <T4>).

Examples of permissible modifications include, but are not limited to:

1. Replacing a damaged or missing VEX IQ component with an identical part of any color.
2. Elevating the playing Field off of the Floor (common heights are 10” to 24” [254mm to 609.6mm]).
3. Using off-the-shelf PVC to replace a damaged or missing pipe.

<T7> Fields at an event must be consistent with each other. There are many types of permissible aesthetic and/or logistical modifications that may be made to competition Fields at the Event Partner’s discretion. If an event has multiple Teamwork Challenge Fields, they must all incorporate the same permissible/applicable modifications. If an event has multiple Robot Skills Challenge Fields, they must all incorporate the same permissible/applicable modifications. For example, if one Teamwork Challenge Field is elevated, then all Teamwork Challenge Fields must be elevated to the same height.

Examples of these modifications may include, but are not limited to:

• Elevating the playing Field off of the Floor (common heights are 12” to 24” [30.5cm to 61cm])
• Field display monitors
• Field Perimeter decorations (e.g., LED lights, sponsor banners attached to risers)
  

Note: If an event has dedicated Fields for Robot Skills Matches, there is no requirement for them to have the same consistent modifications as the Teamwork Challenge Fields. See <T16> for more details.

<T8> Qualification Matches will occur according to the official match schedule. This schedule will indicate Alliance partners, Qualification Match times, and, if the event has multiple Fields, which Field each Qualification Match will be played on.

1. Practice Matches may be included in the Match schedule at some events, but are not required. If Practice Matches are run, every effort will be made to equalize practice time for all Teams.
2. A Qualification Match can only start before its scheduled time if all Teams, Robots, and assigned volunteers are at the Field and ready to play.
3. Any multi-division event must be approved by the REC Foundation RSM prior to the event, and divisions must be assigned in sequential order by Team number.

Note: The official Match schedule is subject to changes at the Event Partner’s discretion.

<T9> Each Team will be scheduled Qualification Matches as follows.

1. When in a tournament, the tournament must have a minimum of six (6) Qualification Matches per Team at local qualifying events and eight (8) for a Championship event.
2. When in a league, there must be at least three (3) league ranking sessions, with at least one (1) week between sessions. Each session must have a minimum of two (2) Qualification Matches per Team. The suggested number of Qualification Matches per Team for a standard league ranking session is four (4). Event Partners may choose to have Qualification Matches as part of their league finals session.

<T10> Teams are ranked by their average Qualification Match scores.

1. When in a tournament, every Team will be ranked based on the same number of Qualification Matches.
   
   
   1. For tournaments that have more than one (1) division, Teams will be ranked among all Teams in their specific division. Each division will have its own set of Finals Matches. The winners of each division will then have an overall event Finals. Any multi-division event must be approved by the REC Foundation Regional Support Manager prior to the event, and divisions must be assigned in sequential order by Team number.
2. When in a league, every Team will be ranked based on the number of Matches played. Teams that participate in less than 60% of the total Matches available will be ranked below Teams that participate in at least 60% of the total Matches available (e.g., if the league offers 3 ranking sessions with 4 Qualification Matches per Team, Teams that participate in 8 or more Matches will be ranked higher than Teams who participate in 7 or fewer Matches). Being a no-show to a Match that a Team is scheduled in still constitutes participation for these calculations.
3. A certain number of a Team’s lowest Qualification Match scores will be excluded from the rankings based on the quantity of Qualification Matches each Team plays. Excluded scores do not affect participation for leagues. “No show” Matches, as described in <GG2>, are not considered lowest scores for the purposes of calculating a Team’s Qualification Match ranking and will never be excluded from the calculation.
   
   

   Number of Qualification Matches per Team	Number of excluded Match scores
   4-7	1
   8-11	2
   12-15	3
   16+	4

4. In some cases, a Team will be asked to play an additional Qualification Match. The extra Match will be identified on the Match schedule with an asterisk and will not impact the Team’s ranking (or participation for leagues). Teams are reminded that <G1> is always in effect and Teams are expected to behave as if the additional Qualification Match counted.

<T11> Qualification Match tiebreakers. Team rankings are determined throughout Qualification Matches by:

1. Removing the Team’s lowest score and comparing the new average score.
2. Removing the Team’s next lowest score and comparing the new average score (on through all scores).
3. If the Teams are still tied, the Teams will be sorted by random electronic draw.

<T12> How Alliances are formed for Teamwork Matches. During each Teamwork Challenge Match, two (2) Teams form an Alliance that will play on the Field.

1. Qualification Match Alliances are randomly assigned by the tournament software.
2. Finals Match Alliances are assigned as follows based on Teams’ rankings after all Qualification Matches have concluded (see <T10>):
   
   
   1. The first- and second-ranked Teams form an Alliance.
   2. The third- and fourth-ranked Teams form an Alliance.
   3. And so on, until all Teams participating in Finals Matches have formed an Alliance.

<T13> Teams playing in Finals Matches. The number of Finals Matches, and therefore the number of Teams who will participate in Finals Matches, is determined by the Event Partner. Events that qualify teams directly to the VEX Robotics World Championship must have a minimum of five (5) Finals Matches if there are ten (10) or more Teams in attendance.

<T14> Finals Match Schedule. Finals Matches are played sequentially, starting with the lowest-ranked Alliance. Each Alliance will participate in one (1) Finals Match. The Alliance with the highest Finals Match score is the Teamwork Challenge champion.

1. Alliances are ranked by their Finals Match score. The highest-scoring Alliance is in first place, the second-highest-scoring Alliance is in second place, etc.
2. Ties for first place will result in a series of tiebreaker Finals Matches, starting with the lower-seeded Alliance. The Alliance with the highest tiebreaker Finals Match score will be declared the Teamwork Challenge champion.
   
   
   1. If the tiebreaker Finals Match scores are tied, the Alliance with the higher Match Stop Time will be declared the winner.
   2. If the Match Stop Time is also tied, a second series of tiebreaker Finals Matches will be played. If this second series of tiebreaker Finals Match is also tied, then the higher-seeded Alliance will be declared the winner.
   3. If there is a tie for a place other than first, the higher-seeded Alliance will receive the higher rank.

<T15> Skills Match Schedule. Teams play Robot Skills Matches on a first-come, first-served basis. Each Team will get the opportunity to play exactly three (3) Driving Skills Matches and three (3) Autonomous Coding Skills Matches.

Teams should review the event agenda and their Match schedule to determine when the best possible time is to complete their Robot Skills Matches. If the Robot Skills Challenge area closes before a Team has completed all six (6) Robot Skills Matches, but it is determined that there was adequate time given, then the Team will automatically forfeit those unused Matches.

Details regarding logistics of Skills-Only Events can be found in the REC Foundation Qualifying Criteria document.

1. Robot Skills Matches are only available to Teams who participate in Qualification Matches, unless the event is an approved Skills-Only Event. Teams who participate in Qualification Matches during a specific League Ranking Session are the only Teams who can participate in Robot Skills Matches at that session.
2. Skills scores recorded by ineligible Teams will be deleted from Tournament Manager before the event is finalized on RobotEvents.com.

<T16> There is no requirement that Skills Challenge fields have the same consistent modifications as the Teamwork fields. For example, there is no requirement that Robot Skills Challenge Fields are elevated to the same height as Teamwork Challenge Match Fields.

In order to use non-conforming Teamwork Challenge Fields for Robot Skills Challenge Matches (e.g. during lunch), the following steps should be taken:

• Teams must be informed that the Teamwork Challenge Fields may have some differences from the Robot Skills Challenge Fields (e.g., they might be elevated).
• Teams must be given an opportunity to select which type of Field they want to use, i.e. they cannot be required to use a Teamwork Challenge Field for any Robot Skills Challenge Match.
  
  

<T17> Skills Rankings at events. Teams will be ranked at an event based on the following scores and tiebreakers:

1. Sum of highest Autonomous Coding Skills Match score and highest Driving Skills Match Score.
2. Highest Autonomous Coding Skills Match score.
3. Second-highest Autonomous Coding Skills Match score.
4. Second-highest Driving Skills Match score.
5. Highest sum of Skills Stop Times from a Team’s highest Autonomous Coding Skills Match and highest Driving Skills Match (i.e., the Matches in point 1).
6. Highest Skills Stop Time from a Team’s highest Autonomous Coding Skills Match (i.e., the Match in point 2).
7. Third-highest Autonomous Coding Skills Match score
8. Third-highest Driving Skills Match score.
9. If the tie cannot be broken after all above criteria (i.e., both Teams have the exact same scores and Skills Stop Times for each Autonomous Coding Skills Match and Driving Skills Match), then the following ordered criteria will be used to determine which Team had the “best” Autonomous Coding Skills Match:
   
   
   1. Points for Stacks in the Standoff Goal
   2. Points from Matching Goal Bonus
   3. Points for 2-color and 3-color Stacks
10. If the tie still cannot be broken, the same process in the step above will be applied to the Teams’ highest Driving Skills Matches.
11. If the tie still isn’t broken, the Event Partner may choose to allow Teams to have one more deciding Match, or both Teams may be declared the winner.

<T18> Skills Rankings globally. Teams are ranked based on their Robot Skills scores from Tournaments and Leagues that upload results to RobotEvents.com, according to the following tiebreakers.

1. Highest Robot Skills score (combined Autonomous Coding Skills Match and Driving Skills Match Score from a single event).
2. Highest Autonomous Coding Skills Match score (from any event).
3. Highest sum of Skills Stop Times from the Robot Skills Matches used for point 1.
4. Highest Skills Stop Time from the Autonomous Coding Skills Match used for point 2.
5. Highest Driving Skills Match score (from any event).
6. Highest Skills Stop Time from the Driving Skills Match score used in point 5.
7. Earliest posting of the highest Autonomous Coding Skills Match score.
   
   
   1. The first Team to post a score ranks ahead of other Teams that post the same score at a later time, all else being equal.
8. Earliest posting of the highest Driving Skills Match score.
   
   
   1. The first Team to post a score ranks ahead of other Teams that post the same score at a later time, all else being equal.

<T19> Robot Skills at League Events. At league events in which Teams may submit Robot Skills Challenge scores across multiple sessions, the Robot Skills scores (combined highest Autonomous Coding Skills Match and Driving Skills Match scores) used for rankings will be calculated from Matches within the same session.

For example, consider the following scores for a hypothetical Team across two league event sessions:

This Team would have a Robot Skills score of 72 for this event’s rankings, and their scores from Session 2 would be used for the event and global tiebreakers listed in <T17> and <T18>.