VEX AIR Drone Competition Pick & Drop - Game Manual
Version 1.0 - Copyright 2026, Innovation First, Inc./ VEX Robotics, Inc.
Section 2 - The Game Pick & Drop at a Glance Section titled “Pick & Drop at a Glance” Pick & Drop is a cooperative Drone game played by an Alliance of two Teams on a 12’ x 12’ Field. Drones pick up Orbit Balls and Cargo and drop them into seven Goals, earning more points when a Scoring Object’s color matches its Goal. Drones also score by flying through the Ring Tunnel and by landing on a Field Platform before the three-minute Match ends. Each Round uses one of six Scoring Systems, so what each Goal is worth changes from Round to Round. Field Overview Section titled “Field Overview” The Field includes: 20 Orbit Balls (9 Red, 9 Blue, 2 White) 18 Cargo (6 Red, 6 Blue, 6 White) 3 Racks (1 Long Rack, 2 Short Racks) 2 Drop Tower Goals (1 Red, 1 Blue) 2 Cargo Platform Goals (1 Red, 1 Blue) 2 Pole Goals (1 Red, 1 Blue) 1 Drop Zone Goal 2 Field Platforms 1 Ring Tunnel 10 Cargo Tile Plates Note: The illustrations in this manual show the general layout of the game. They are not exact specifications. See Appendix A for details. Figure FO-1: Top down image of the Field showing recommended locations for where Head Referee (black and white stripes), Scorekeeper Referees (black and white checkerboard), and Flight Team Members (red and blue) should stand. Scoring Objects Section titled “Scoring Objects” Cargo: a Red, White, or Blue cube that expands when picked up, to about 2.2” x 2.2” x 2.75” (55 mm x 55 mm x 70 mm). Orbit Ball: a Red, White, or Blue ball made of three interlocking plastic rings, about 4” across. Figure FO-2: A Blue Cargo and Blue Orbit Ball. Goals Section titled “Goals” Drop Tower: a tall Goal with a funnel on top. There are two, one Red and one Blue, shown by the color of the funnel and base. Drop Zone: a wide, short Goal with a funnel on top. There is one, and it has no color. Cargo Platform: a Goal with a flat top plate covered in loop tape. There are two, one Red and one Blue, shown by the color of the top plate and base. Pole Goal: a vertical PVC pole with a cone-shaped cap, standing in a cone-shaped base. There are two, one Red and one Blue, shown by the color of the base. Figure FO-3: Side view of the Field with the seven Goals highlighted in pink. Other Field Elements Section titled “Other Field Elements” Racks: hold Scoring Objects at the start of the Match. The Long Rack holds Orbit Balls and Cargo. Short Racks hold only Orbit Balls. See Figure FO-4. Ring Tunnel: four Rings that Drones fly through. See Figure FO-5. Field Platforms: where Drones take off at the start of the Match and may land at the end. See Figure FO-5. Cargo Tile Plates: each holds one Cargo at the start of the Match. See Figure FO-6. Figure FO-4: A side view of the Field showing the location of the two Short Racks and one Long Rack highlighted in pink. Figure FO-5: A side view of the Field showing the location of the two Field Platforms and the Ring Tunnel highlighted in pink. Figure FO-6: A top-down view of the Field showing the location of the 10 Cargo Tile Plates highlighted in pink. Previous Section 1 - Introduction Next Section 3 - Scoring & Rules

Section 2 - The Game

Pick & Drop at a Glance

Pick & Drop is a cooperative Drone game played by an Alliance of two Teams on a 12’ x 12’ Field. Drones pick up Orbit Balls and Cargo and drop them into seven Goals, earning more points when a Scoring Object’s color matches its Goal. Drones also score by flying through the Ring Tunnel and by landing on a Field Platform before the three-minute Match ends. Each Round uses one of six Scoring Systems, so what each Goal is worth changes from Round to Round.

Field Overview

The Field includes:

20 Orbit Balls (9 Red, 9 Blue, 2 White)
18 Cargo (6 Red, 6 Blue, 6 White)
3 Racks (1 Long Rack, 2 Short Racks)
2 Drop Tower Goals (1 Red, 1 Blue)
2 Cargo Platform Goals (1 Red, 1 Blue)
2 Pole Goals (1 Red, 1 Blue)
1 Drop Zone Goal
2 Field Platforms
1 Ring Tunnel
10 Cargo Tile Plates

The striped and checkered referee circles sit side by side outside the middle of the top edge. The blue Flight Team Member area wraps around the top left corner and down the left side, and the red area around the top right corner and down the right side. A Field Platform stands in each top corner.

Figure FO-1: Top down image of the Field showing recommended locations for where Head Referee (black and white stripes), Scorekeeper Referees (black and white checkerboard), and Flight Team Members (red and blue) should stand.

Scoring Objects

Cargo: a Red, White, or Blue cube that expands when picked up, to about 2.2” x 2.2” x 2.75” (55 mm x 55 mm x 70 mm).
Orbit Ball: a Red, White, or Blue ball made of three interlocking plastic rings, about 4” across.

On the left, the Cargo: a square crate with a net over its cardboard-box sides and a round disc on top. On the right, the Orbit Ball: three interlocking six-sided rings forming an open ball.

Figure FO-2: A Blue Cargo and Blue Orbit Ball.

Goals

Drop Tower: a tall Goal with a funnel on top. There are two, one Red and one Blue, shown by the color of the funnel and base.
Drop Zone: a wide, short Goal with a funnel on top. There is one, and it has no color.
Cargo Platform: a Goal with a flat top plate covered in loop tape. There are two, one Red and one Blue, shown by the color of the top plate and base.
Pole Goal: a vertical PVC pole with a cone-shaped cap, standing in a cone-shaped base. There are two, one Red and one Blue, shown by the color of the base.

An angled view of the Field. Along the far edge are the blue Drop Tower, the blue Cargo Platform and the blue Pole Goal. Along the near edge are the red Drop Tower, the red Cargo Platform and the red Pole Goal. The Drop Zone stands at the right end, between the two Pole Goals.

Figure FO-3: Side view of the Field with the seven Goals highlighted in pink.

Other Field Elements

Racks: hold Scoring Objects at the start of the Match. The Long Rack holds Orbit Balls and Cargo. Short Racks hold only Orbit Balls. See Figure FO-4.
Ring Tunnel: four Rings that Drones fly through. See Figure FO-5.
Field Platforms: where Drones take off at the start of the Match and may land at the end. See Figure FO-5.
Cargo Tile Plates: each holds one Cargo at the start of the Match. See Figure FO-6.

The Long Rack runs diagonally across the middle of the Field. One Short Rack sits to its far right and the other to its near left.

Figure FO-4: A side view of the Field showing the location of the two Short Racks and one Long Rack highlighted in pink.

The Ring Tunnel runs along the left edge of the Field. The two Field Platforms stand outside the far right and near right corners, at the ends of the blue and red Flight Station lines.

Figure FO-5: A side view of the Field showing the location of the two Field Platforms and the Ring Tunnel highlighted in pink.

Two Cargo Tile Plates sit near the middle of the top edge, four along the left edge and four along the right edge.

Figure FO-6: A top-down view of the Field showing the location of the 10 Cargo Tile Plates highlighted in pink.