VEX IQ Robotics Competition Level Up - Game Manual
Version 1.1 - Copyright 2026, Innovation First, Inc./ VEX Robotics, Inc.
You're reading v1.1 of the VEX IQ Level Up manual, which has been replaced by v2.1. Read the current version · See what changed. Appendix B - Simplified Edition Using this Appendix Section titled “Using this Appendix” Hey, Students! Welcome to the VEX IQ Robotics Competition. We’re excited to see you play Level Up! We know that learning new things can be hard, and that the game manual can feel like a lot. That’s why we’re here to help. You and your teammates can start here and work together to learn about the Field, how to earn points, the basic rules, and different ways to play the game. This section does not include all of the rules. You will still need to learn them all! After you understand everything here, and before your first event, go to the official game manual to make sure you know all the rules. We hope you have fun, make new friends, and work together to build your best Robot. Have an awesome season! Hi, Adults! This unofficial version of the VEX IQ Robotics Competition manual is a print-friendly resource for you and your Teams to help introduce Students to this season’s game, Level Up. It’s very important to note that this is NOT a replacement for reading the official manual in its entirety. We encourage you to use this Appendix to support Team members who may be overwhelmed by the full game manual, and use it to aid in building a basic understanding of the game. Once Students are comfortable with this appendix and the rules outlined here, you should transition them to reading and using the full game manual, where they will gain a full-depth comprehension of the VEX IQ Robotics Competition. We hope that you’ll find this guide helpful and that more Students feel welcomed, supported, and empowered to join your Teams. Your Robotics friends, The VEX Robotics Competition Game Design Committee Important Rules Section titled “Important Rules” It is important to follow all of the rules in Level Up. This applies to both Students and Adults. The choices that Students and Adults make work together, so everyone should follow the rules. All event attendees must abide by the guidelines set forth in the Code of Conduct. G1 Be kind and do your best. This is one of the most important parts of VEX IQ. Be respectful. It’s okay for Students and Adults to disagree, but it’s never okay to be disrespectful. Be a good sport. Think about how your actions affect others. Include everyone. Alliances should always work together to make a plan. You cannot tell another Team how they must play. Participants must follow the Student Centered Policy. G2 The Student-Centered Policy is very important because VEX IQ is a competition for Students. This means that the Students come up with the ideas, build the Robots, write the code, fix problems, and compete. Adults can teach, but cannot do the work on the Robots, code, engineering notebook, or strategies. They can give tips, but not answers. Students should speak up in a respectful way if an Adult is doing too much. Give a reminder that Student Centered is a rule all the time and everywhere with VEX IQ Robotics Competitions. How do you play Level Up Section titled “How do you play Level Up” Level Up is a game where two Robots work together to place Bean Bags on Goals to score points. During a Match, both Robots earn points. These points are added together to get a Teamwork Challenge score. Teams are ranked based on their scores in Teamwork Matches. The top Teams compete in Finals Matches to find a Teamwork Champion. Teams can also play in Robot Skills Matches to see how well their Robot works on its own. There are two types: Driving Skills Matches (you control the Robot) and Autonomous Coding Skills Matches (the Robot runs using code written by Students). Game Pieces and Goals Section titled “Game Pieces and Goals” Bean Bags There are 38 Bean Bags in each Match. Bean Bags can be red, blue, or yellow. Some Bean Bags start on the Field, some are put into the Field by Loaders, and each Robot can start with a Preload SG5. The three types of Bean Bags. Goals There are three (3) types of Goals: Floor Goal, Pyramid Goal and L4 Goal. A Floor Goal A Pyramid Goal An L4 Goal How to Earn Points Section titled “How to Earn Points” Robots score Bean Bags in the Floor GoalSC3 Bean Bags must be fully inside the Floor Goal and not touching any VEX IQ parts on the Floor. Bean Bags must match the color of the Floor Goal, or be yellow to score points Robots score Bean Bags on the Pyramid GoalSC4 Bean Bags must be resting on the Pyramid Goal or another Bean Bag. They cannot touch Robots, or anything outside of the Field. Bean Bags must match the color of the Pyramid Goal, or be yellow to score points Robots score Bean Bags on the L4 GoalSC5 Bean Bags must be resting on the L4 Goal or another Bean Bag, and not touching any Robots Bean Bags must be yellow to score points Robot Rules Section titled “Robot Rules” Before the Match starts, Robots cannot be bigger than 11” by 20” and cannot be taller than 15”. After the Match starts, Robots may grow bigger and taller by following rules SG2 and SG3. Your Robot has to be designed, built, and coded by the Students on your Team, not by Adults R2, using only VEX IQ parts R12. Drive Team Section titled “Drive Team” The Drive Team for each Match is composed of up to three Students: Driver 1 - Drives the Robot for the first 30 seconds GG11 Driver 2 - Drives the Robot for the last 30 seconds Loader - Places Bean Bags into the Field during the Match SG7 Your Team can use different people in these roles each Match, but all must be members of your Team. G5 and GG11 Matches and Referees Section titled “Matches and Referees” Drive Team Members should know who the Head Referee is each Match. T1 Robots must stop moving at the end of the Match GG12 and can end the Match early. GG13 Scores are added at the end of the Match. The Head Referee or Scorekeeper Referee will share them with the Drive Team Members. SC1 Only Drive Team Members can talk to the Head Referee about a Match. They must do this right after the Match without Team Adults. SC2 The Head Referee makes the final decision. Students may respectfully ask questions, but may not argue after the decision is made. T3 Previous Appendix A - Field Overview Next Appendix C - Glossary of Terms

Appendix B - Simplified Edition

Using this Appendix

Welcome to the VEX IQ Robotics Competition. We’re excited to see you play Level Up! We know that learning new things can be hard, and that the game manual can feel like a lot. That’s why we’re here to help.

You and your teammates can start here and work together to learn about the Field, how to earn points, the basic rules, and different ways to play the game.

This section does not include all of the rules. You will still need to learn them all! After you understand everything here, and before your first event, go to the official game manual to make sure you know all the rules.

We hope you have fun, make new friends, and work together to build your best Robot. Have an awesome season!

Hi, Adults!

This unofficial version of the VEX IQ Robotics Competition manual is a print-friendly resource for you and your Teams to help introduce Students to this season’s game, Level Up.

It’s very important to note that this is NOT a replacement for reading the official manual in its entirety. We encourage you to use this Appendix to support Team members who may be overwhelmed by the full game manual, and use it to aid in building a basic understanding of the game. Once Students are comfortable with this appendix and the rules outlined here, you should transition them to reading and using the full game manual, where they will gain a full-depth comprehension of the VEX IQ Robotics Competition.

We hope that you’ll find this guide helpful and that more Students feel welcomed, supported, and empowered to join your Teams.

Your Robotics friends,

The VEX Robotics Competition Game Design Committee

Important Rules

It is important to follow all of the rules in Level Up. This applies to both Students and Adults. The choices that Students and Adults make work together, so everyone should follow the rules.

All event attendees must abide by the guidelines set forth in the Code of Conduct. G1

Be kind and do your best. This is one of the most important parts of VEX IQ.
Be respectful. It’s okay for Students and Adults to disagree, but it’s never okay to be disrespectful.
Be a good sport. Think about how your actions affect others.
Include everyone. Alliances should always work together to make a plan. You cannot tell another Team how they must play.

Participants must follow the Student Centered Policy. G2

The Student-Centered Policy is very important because VEX IQ is a competition for Students.
This means that the Students come up with the ideas, build the Robots, write the code, fix problems, and compete.
Adults can teach, but cannot do the work on the Robots, code, engineering notebook, or strategies. They can give tips, but not answers.
Students should speak up in a respectful way if an Adult is doing too much. Give a reminder that Student Centered is a rule all the time and everywhere with VEX IQ Robotics Competitions.

How do you play Level Up

Level Up is a game where two Robots work together to place Bean Bags on Goals to score points. During a Match, both Robots earn points. These points are added together to get a Teamwork Challenge score. Teams are ranked based on their scores in Teamwork Matches. The top Teams compete in Finals Matches to find a Teamwork Champion.

Teams can also play in Robot Skills Matches to see how well their Robot works on its own. There are two types: Driving Skills Matches (you control the Robot) and Autonomous Coding Skills Matches (the Robot runs using code written by Students).

Game Pieces and Goals

Bean Bags

There are 38 Bean Bags in each Match. Bean Bags can be red, blue, or yellow.
Some Bean Bags start on the Field, some are put into the Field by Loaders, and each Robot can start with a Preload SG5.

One red, one blue and one yellow rectangular bean bags

The three types of Bean Bags.

Goals

There are three (3) types of Goals: Floor Goal, Pyramid Goal and L4 Goal.

A space three field squares long and one half a field square wide against the field wall directly in front of the blue pyramid goal highlighted in green

A Floor Goal

A structure with three steps in which the bottom step is the widest, and the top step the least wide. Each level is marked L1, L2, L3 from the bottom. a yellow octagon is marked in the upper right corner of L3.

A Pyramid Goal

A structure with a grey round base, a yellow pole, and a grey inverted cone at the top.

An L4 Goal

How to Earn Points

Robots score Bean Bags in the Floor GoalSC3

Bean Bags must be fully inside the Floor Goal and not touching any VEX IQ parts on the Floor.
Bean Bags must match the color of the Floor Goal, or be yellow to score points

Robots score Bean Bags on the Pyramid GoalSC4

Bean Bags must be resting on the Pyramid Goal or another Bean Bag. They cannot touch Robots, or anything outside of the Field.
Bean Bags must match the color of the Pyramid Goal, or be yellow to score points

Robots score Bean Bags on the L4 GoalSC5

Bean Bags must be resting on the L4 Goal or another Bean Bag, and not touching any Robots
Bean Bags must be yellow to score points

Robot Rules

Before the Match starts, Robots cannot be bigger than 11” by 20” and cannot be taller than 15”. After the Match starts, Robots may grow bigger and taller by following rules SG2 and SG3.

Your Robot has to be designed, built, and coded by the Students on your Team, not by Adults R2, using only VEX IQ parts R12.

Drive Team

The Drive Team for each Match is composed of up to three Students:

Driver 1 - Drives the Robot for the first 30 seconds GG11
Driver 2 - Drives the Robot for the last 30 seconds
Loader - Places Bean Bags into the Field during the Match SG7

Your Team can use different people in these roles each Match, but all must be members of your Team. G5 and GG11

Matches and Referees

Drive Team Members should know who the Head Referee is each Match. T1
Robots must stop moving at the end of the Match GG12 and can end the Match early. GG13
Scores are added at the end of the Match. The Head Referee or Scorekeeper Referee will share them with the Drive Team Members. SC1
Only Drive Team Members can talk to the Head Referee about a Match. They must do this right after the Match without Team Adults. SC2
The Head Referee makes the final decision. Students may respectfully ask questions, but may not argue after the decision is made. T3