Compare "Appendix C - Rule Violations": v1.0 → v2.1

This appendix is intended to provide additional guidance regarding rule Violations within the VEX V5 Robotics Competition, and offer further explanation on how Violations may be interpreted and enforced during Matches. It is designed to promote consistency in officiating and to help Teams better understand how actions on the Field may impact scoring, Match outcomes, and referee decisions.

−Removed: Version 1.0 (Old)

All Violation Notes to denote special circumstances or provide additional clarifications have been consolidated into this section such that they may be easily referenced. If no Violation Notes are found in a given rule, then it should be assumed that the below “default” definitions apply.

This appendix does not supersede any existing rule, but instead serves as a secondary resource to aid in their application.

+Added: Version 2.1 (New)

This appendix does not supersede any existing rule, but instead serves as a secondary resource to aid in their application. If no Violation Notes are found in a given rule, then it should be assumed that the below “default” definitions apply.

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 Match 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 Match 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. Minor Violations carry over into Elimination Matches unless otherwise specified within a rule.

• Match Affecting - A Violation which changes the winning and losing Alliance in the Match.

  • Multiple Violations within a Match can cumulatively become Match Affecting.
  • When evaluating if a Violation was Match Affecting, Head Referees will focus primarily on any Robot actions that were directly related to the Violation.
  • Determining whether a Violation was Match Affecting can only be done once the Match is complete and the scores have been calculated.

−Removed: Version 1.0 (Old)

• • To determine whether a Violation may have been Match Affecting, check whether the Team who committed the Violation won or lost the Match. If they did not win the Match, then the Violation could not have been Match Affecting, and it was very likely a Minor Violation.

Violation Notes by Rule

Specific Game Rules

SG1

1. 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 <R2d> and GG2 will apply until the situation is corrected. They will not receive a Disqualification, but should receive a Minor Violation and will not be permitted to play in the Match.

SG2

1. Incidental/insignificant infractions that occur during a Match are only considered Minor Violations. Repeated Minor Violations should only escalate to a Major Violation in extreme circumstances. Examples of Minor Violations include, but are not limited to:
   • Loose wires
   • Broken zip ties / rubber bands
   • Bent or broken mechanical components that are not used for strategic gain

SG4

1. Due to the difficulty of determining Match Affecting implications of this rule, most Violations should be considered Minor. However, blatantly intentional and/or Match Affecting Violations (especially during Elimination Matches ) may still immediately escalate to a Major Violation at the Head Referee’s discretion.

SG5

1. See SG1.

SG7

1. All Violations of this rule (Major or Minor) will result in the Autonomous Bonus being awarded to the opposing Alliance. See <SG8b> for a potential exception caused by Autonomous Line interactions.
2. Intentional, strategic, or egregious Violations, such as intentional contact with an opposing Robot while contacting the foam tiles on the opposing side of the Autonomous Line, or the interactions described in <SG7e> will be considered Major Violations and should result in a Disqualification for the Match.
3. Deliberate Defensive Autonomous strategies, as described in <SG7a>, may also be recorded as G1 Violations at the Head Referee’s discretion.

SG9

1. Incidental interactions, such as unintentional contact with the Goal and/or Scoring Objects stacked on the Goal, should typically be considered Minor Violations.
2. Intentional interactions, as well as any interactions (intentional or unintentional) involving the addition or removal of Scoring Objects on the Goal, will be considered Major Violations.

SG10

1. Violations should be considered Match Affecting if the offending Team’s Alliance ties or wins the Match by 15 points or less, unless the Head Referee can indisputably determine that the Violation did not affect the outcome of the Match. (Note: Teams should not expect a Head Referee to be capable of determining whether a Violation affected the outcome of a Match in most instances.)
2. Intentional, strategic, or egregious Violations will be considered Major Violations.
3. Repeated Minor Violations can escalate to a Major Violation at the Head Referee’s discretion, especially in cases where Violations occur after multiple prior warnings

SG11

1. For the purposes of Match Affecting calculations, each illegal Match Load should be considered worth a value of 3 points. These values are not added to the actual score. If subtracting 3 points per illegal Match Load from the offending Alliance’s final score would change the outcome of the Match, then the SG11 Violation should be considered Match Affecting.
2. For the purposes of this rule, the following guidelines should be used for escalating repeated Minor Violations to a Major Violation during Qualification Matches:
   1. Six or more illegal Match Loads in a single Qualification Match.
   2. Three or more Qualification Matches with at least one illegal Match Load (i.e., the third Match and all subsequent Matches with a Violation ).
3. For the purposes of this rule, only Match Affecting Violations should be considered during Elimination Matches (i.e., repeated Minor Violations in Elimination Matches do not compound to Major Violations ).
   1. Point 2a does not explicitly apply during Elimination Matches, although the risk of illegal Match Load becoming Match Affecting still inherently increases as the quantity of Match Loads increases.
   2. Point 2b does not apply during Elimination Matches.

SG12

1. Most Violations of this rule should be considered Minor Violations. However, repeated Minor Violations can escalate to a Major Violation at the Head Referee’s discretion, especially in cases where Violations occur after multiple prior warnings.
2. Violations involving Pins Placed on the Midfield Goal that change the outcome of the Match in favor of the offending Robot’s Alliance will be considered Match Affecting Violations.

SG13

1. Egregious Violations, will be considered Major Violations.
2. Repeated Minor Violations can escalate to a Major Violation at the Head Referee’s discretion, especially in cases where Violations occur after multiple prior warnings.

General Rules

G1

1. 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.

G2

1. Potential Violations of this rule will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. By definition, all Violations of this rule become Match Affecting as soon as a Robot which was built or programmed by an Adult scores points in a Match.

G4

1. 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 VEX Robotics. Based on the investigation the Team may be removed from further Matches, have their Robot Skills Match scores removed, and/or be removed from consideration from judged awards.
2. Violations of this rule will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, in tandem with VEX Robotics as noted in G1 and G2.

−Removed: Version 1.0 (Old)

G6

+Added: Version 2.1 (New)

G5

1. A Team that circumvents a Robot rule for a competitive advantage should receive an immediate Disqualification for the current Match.

General Game Rules

GG1

1. Major Violations of this rule are not required to be Match Affecting, and could invoke Violations of other rules, such as G1, G2, or G4.

GG8

1. Major Violations of this rule should be rare, as Robots should never be designed to intentionally violate it. Minor Violations are usually due to Robots being damaged during gameplay, such as a wheel falling off.

GG11

1. The intent of this rule is to ensure that Robots abide by commands sent by the tournament software. Temporarily removing the cable to assist with mid-Match troubleshooting, with an Event Partner or other event technical staff present and assisting, would not be considered a Violation.

GG12

1. See GG13.

GG13

1. In general, Minor Violations of SG rules that occur during the Autonomous Period should only affect the outcome of the Autonomous Period (i.e., the Alliance can’t win the Autonomous Bonus or earn an Autonomous Win Point ) and should not be considered when determining whether a Violation has been repeated during the event.
2. If a Head Referee determines that a Violation of an SG or GG rule during the Autonomous Period was intentional/strategic rather than accidental/situational, it should be recorded as a Minor Violation or Major Violation and considered when determining whether a Violation has been repeated during the event.

GG14

1. Major Violations of this rule are not required to be Match Affecting. Intentional and/or egregious tipping, Entanglement, or damage may be considered a Major Violation at the Head Referee’s discretion.
2. Repeated Violations within a Match or Tournament could be considered a Violation of G1 and/or S1 at the Head Referee’s discretion.

GG16

1. In most cases, if a Team causes their opponent to break a rule, the Head Referee will simply not enforce the penalty on that opponent, and it will be considered a Minor Violation for the Team that forced a Violation. However, if the forced situation becomes Match Affecting in favor of the Team that forced the Violation, it will be considered a Major Violation for the Team that forced the Violation.

GG17

1. When determining whether a Holding Violation was Match Affecting, they should consider the full context of the Match and both Robots’ actions, including the following. Because the first three seconds of a Hold are legal game play and not a Violation, only the extended portion of a Hold should be considered. Holding is an inherently Defensive action, so rule GG15 may also be considered if a judgment call is required.
   • How much extra time was included in the Holding interaction
   • How long the Robots were separated if the Holding Robot backs away and returns too early
   • What both Robots were doing within the larger context of the Match

Robot Rules

R24

1. Teams must replace broken plastic pieces that result in temporary, unintentional R24 Violations.