Official Q&A: VEX V5 Robotics Competition 2025-2026: Push Back

In Specific Game Rules, Rule <SG2> is stated as the following,

Horizontal expansion is limited. Once the Match begins, Robots may expand horizontally beyond the 18” x 18” starting size limit within the following criteria: The Robot can never be larger than 22” wide or 22” long (must always be able to fit within a 22”x22” square horizontal footprint).<

Consider three scenarios which could possibly be following the rules, or being in violation of this rule.

1. A robot has two mechanisms that extend out that when both extended cross over the 22" horizontal limit, but when only one is extended, is within the limit. The team chooses to not use both at once in a match and understands they may get a violation if they accidentally extend both during a match.
2. Similar to the last scenario, a team once again has a mechanism that extends beyond 22" when fully extended in both directions, but is within when one is extended. The team this time however, makes sure they cannot ever have both extended at once, adding a line in all their codes to prevent both mechanisms from being extended simultaneously. They show this to inspection, thinking the robot is technically always within the 22" limit.
3. This time, the same issue arises, but the team decides to connect both mechanisms to a single motor or pneumatic cylinder, so when one mechanism is open, the other is closed, making it phsyically impossible to have both open without modification after inspection.

Which of these scenarios would count as following <SG2> and which would be in violation of the rule?