Introduction
The Event Meeting allows the Emcee, Event Partner, and/or Head Referee to share important information about the event and the venue. Everyone—including teams, coaches, referees, judges, and parents—should attend the Event Meeting.
General Event Information
- Welcome and Introduction of key volunteers, including the Event Partner and Head Referee
- Share location of restrooms, concessions, and venue-specific rules and safety information
- Event emergency and evacuation plan
- Adult team leaders are responsible for student safety and conduct at all times
- Keep the pit area clean and organized for safety and easy repacking after the event
- Teams are responsible for their equipment and materials
- Practice fields – Teams should reset fields after use, share fields so all teams can practice, and limit time
- Skills Challenges – Location(s) of Skills field(s); also, reminder of number of skills runs allowed and start/stop times
- For Physical, in-Person Engineering Notebooks – Submit labeled Engineering Notebooks to the check-in table before Match play
- Agenda for the day – Start/stop times, breaks, special activities and their locations
- Judges will recognize student-centered work – Judges will consider compliance with the REC Foundation Student-Centered policy for judged awards
- Alliance Selection – After all Qualifying Matches are complete, the Alliance Selection process will consist of one round of selection, and ___ [the number of specified in rule T21 based on the event size] Alliances of two Teams will compete in the Elimination Matches.
- Timeouts – There are no timeouts during qualifying matches. Each Alliance may request one Time Out no greater than three minutes between matches during the elimination bracket.
- Qualifications to the state/regional championship – This event will qualify ___ [insert number of teams] teams to advance to the ___ [insert name] championship event, including the recipients of the ___ [insert qualifying award names] awards.
Rules Reminders for VEX V5 Robotics Competition High Stakes
Rule <G1> and the Code of Conduct
- Please keep the REC Foundation Code of Conduct in mind while competing today. Be respectful, stay professional, follow the rules, and we’ll all have a great event. Coaches, if you haven’t reviewed the Code of Conduct with your students, please take a few minutes to do that after this meeting. You can find it on the REC Foundation website (and maybe an onsite banner—point it out if there’s one available).
- If a team or any of its members are disrespectful or uncivil to event staff, volunteers, or fellow competitors, they may be Disqualified from a current Match, upcoming Match, or the entire event depending on the severity of the situation. Judges will also consider team conduct and ethics when determining awards. This applies to anyone associated with the team (participants and spectators). <G1>
- Individuals, event participants, and event staff who observe disrespectful or uncivil behavior should report it to the Event Partner immediately, along with any photo or video evidence.
- Only the Drive Team Members may contest a referee’s ruling - Adults are not permitted to intervene. <T3>
VEX V5 Robotics Competition is a Student-Centered Program
- VEX V5 Robotics Competition is a student-centered program. Adults may assist Students in urgent situations, but Adults may never work on or program a Robot without Students on that Team being present and actively participating. <G2>
- The robot design, construction, and programming must represent the skill level of the team. <G4>
Before the Match
- Get to the queuing table on time with a ready‐to‐drive robot and controller. If you can’t get your robot to a match, sending a drive team member will still get you points from the match. <T5><T6>
- Check for safety glasses and the correct color of license plates. If the wrong color plates are easily visible on your robot, your bot may be removed from the field. <S4><R9>
- Set your robot up quickly, in a legal starting position and configuration. <G5><SG1>
Autonomous Period
- You're not allowed to touch foam tiles, scoring objects, or field elements that begin the match on the other side of the Autonomous Line. You can engage with Scoring Objects and Wall Stakes that are on the Autonomous Line, but remember that your opponents might choose to interact with the same objects! <SG7> <SG8>
- Any rule violations, major or minor, during the Autonomous Period make you ineligible to win any portion of the Autonomous Bonus or an Autonomous Win Point. <SC2> <SC8>
During the Match
- Horizontal expansion is limited to 24", and you can only expand in one direction. <SG2>
- Vertical expansion does not rotate with the robot, and is based on your location. If you're on the floor, it's effectively 32"; if you're climbing, you can't break more than two planes simultaneously. <SG3>
- Possession is limited to two unscored Rings and one Mobile Goal, whether it's intentionally or accidentally. If you have extra objects, the only thing you're allowed to do is try to get rid of the extras. <SG6>
- Don't remove opponents from the ladder. <SG9>
- No holding (including trapping, pinning, and lifting) for more than a 5-count. <G16>
- It’s only holding if one robot is restricting an opponent's movements, and if the trapped/pinned/lifted robot is actively trying to escape. Holding longer than a 5-count may result in a DQ.
- If you believe you’re being held, call for a referee’s attention.
- After a holding count ends, a robot can't resume holding the same opponent again for another 5-count, or the original holding count will resume where it left off.
- Positive corners are protected during the final 15 seconds of the match.
- To avoid violations, try to let go of mobile goals in those corners around 17-18 seconds on the clock.
- Dropping the mobile goal into the corner at 15 seconds is likely to be considered an intentional violation that will result in a DQ.
After the Match
- Check the score and raise any concerns about the match before you leave the field. <T1>
- Once you’ve left the alliance station you’ve waived your right to any appeals. <T3>
- The referees will only talk to the drive team members about matches and can’t look at videos of the match. Period. <T3>
Skills Matches
- Each team gets up to three driving skills matches and three autonomous coding skills matches. Be sure to make time for skills!
- In a Skills match, teams can use any legal starting position for the red alliance and must remain in the red alliance station. <RSC3>
- Blue rings can only be used as Top Rings, and only after ALL red rings are in scored locations. Ted rings can't be scored above blue rings. <RSC4> <RSC5>
- Skills matches don't have corner modifiers, but mobile goals in corners earn points. <RSC7>
- Most game rules still apply in skills matches.
- Remember--if you want to record a Skills Stop Time for a Match, you have to arrange that with the referee before that match starts!
Share Feedback, and Have Fun!
- Direct questions, concerns, or positive feedback to the Event Partner.
Enjoy your VEX V5 Robotics Competition experience! Thank you for your support!