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Official Q&A: VEX V5 Robotics Competition 2025-2026: Push Back
2788: Returning Blocks to a Drive Team Member Clarifications
<SG4> Keep Blocks in the Field. Teams may not remove Blocks from the Field. A Block that leaves the field during Match play, intentionally or unintentionally, will be given to a Drive Team Member from the same color Alliance as the Block...
Using stored event items from Over Under, many EPs will likely use bins to store match load Blocks this year. In regard to <SG4> specifying a Drive Team Member will receive a block that has left the field, I have the following questions,
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Can the Block be placed or tossed into a bin in a manner that is not reckless instead of directly handing the Block to a student?
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If yes to question 1, must scorekeepers and other volunteers attempt to return Blocks in the same manner at an event or can they randomly (in terms of Drive Team Member expectations, they do not know what to expect) choose the manner they return Blocks?
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If the first option is the answer to question 2, must scorekeepers be consistent with their method such that students have to be ready for whatever an event decides as their manner and cannot ask for the opposite or special instructions (if it is somehow possible to clarify beyond bin or hand) for receiving Blocks?
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Applying <G3> and context of the full match, can the delay or an inconsistent manner of receiving a Block that left the field ever be deemed score affecting?
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Does question 4 apply differently based on which alliance caused if the Block(s) in question to leve the field?
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If yes to question 4, is the score affecting threshold of a match 3 points (as <SG9>'s violation notes value one Block), 13 points (the maximum amount of points a scored Block and a controlled zone can accumulate to), or the next highest accumulated points total given the full context of the match?
As always, thanks for your questions, Karson! Here are our answers:
- Yes. We'll update the guidance in the game manual to require that Blocks be given to the Alliance matching the color of the Block, not necessarily handed to them.
- There is no requirement that Blocks be returned in a predictable way.
- N/A
- No. Volunteers should return Blocks as quickly as possible, but this time will vary between Events and Matches based on the full context of the Match and available volunteers.
- No.
- N/A