VRC Replay Criteria

From the Game Manual: Replays are allowed but rare. Replays are at the discretion of the Event Partner and Head Referee and will only be issued in the most extreme circumstances.

Overview

This document covers instances that can be considered extreme circumstances and helps the Head Referee determine when to issue a replay. This document should not be used as an absolute list of what is and is not allowed, but to frame the spirit of the rule which should be followed. Replays should never be used to give a team an advantage, or an extra chance when another Alliance has won unexpectedly. Replays are only done when the match was deemed not fair due to circumstances not controlled by those teams in play.

Field Fault Issues

Replays should be given when the field hinders the performance of one or both Alliances. However, if the Field Fault occurs at the end of the match, when it is determined to not be match affecting, a replay should not be given. Common examples of Field Faults are listed below.

• Game elements not in the correct positions at the start of the match, such as elements not being reset from scored positions from a previous match. In such cases the match should be stopped and replayed either immediately or scheduled when time permits.
• Tape lines lifting and limiting the motion of one or more Robots.
• Field elements detaching or moving beyond normal tolerances as specified by the Game Manual and the Field Appendix. Sometimes moving beyond these tolerances is specified in the Game Manual as a Warning or Disqualification and would not warrant a replay.
• Autonomous or Driver period ending early.
• Towers disconnecting and disabling robots.
  • Note: This is not to be confused with a robot that trips its own PTC and has to reboot to reconnect the robot to remote, or teams with controllers that have bent pins that affect only their alliance tower.
• Lighting calibration of sensors is the team’s responsibility, and any errors that occur would not constitute a match replay.

V5 Robot Brain Lockup

A V5 robot brain lockup that is outside of the team's control and results in a complete shutdown of the Robot may result in a replay if the following criteria are met.

• The screen on the V5 brain is completely white, including the status bar at the top of the screen
• The brain is unresponsive to any input from Controllers and sensors
• The brain is unresponsive to the "power" button on the Brain; the only way to reboot the brain is to remove the battery
• All connected devices do not have solid red lights at their Smart Port connections, and are blinking or unlit

Game Rule Issues

Replays should be given in cases where the Head Referee discovered that a mistake in a ruling or scoring was made that could have affected the outcome of the match. Scoring issues, where all four teams agree upon the change in score, should be handled without the need of a replay. Examples of Game Rule Issues that warrant a replay are listed below.

• Referee disables a robot for a misinterpretation of a rule violation.
• Referee starts the Driver portion of the match without checking for an Autonomous winner.
• Referee does not fill out the score sheet correctly, and there is no agreement upon how many elements were scored before the field was reset. A replay would be warranted only if it is deemed that the error could be match affecting. If the disagreement on whether 2 more points should be awarded, but the difference in the score is 10 points, there would be no need for a replay. This particular scenario is best avoided by Referees always confirming scores with teams before calling for a field reset.