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Official Q&A: VEX V5 Robotics Competition 2025-2026: Push Back
2826: What is Considered Actively Moving Blocks? <GG9> <SG10> <Q&A2791>
Hello GDC,
Point 1 of Q&A2791 states
Reaching into a Goal to move Blocks isn't anchoring or a <GG9> Violation. Keeping your mechanism there while the Robot isn't actively moving Blocks inside the Goal is considered anchoring, and is a <GG9> Violation.
Point 2 of Q&A2791 states
If a Head Referee sees a Robot that has reached into a Goal and stayed there while the Robot isn't actively moving Blocks inside the Goal, that Robot should be verbally warned away and issued at least a Minor Violation.
My question is, what is considered “actively moving”? Is an attempt at moving Blocks enough to be considered actively moving Blocks, or should there be visible movement of the Blocks? Consider the following example:
Red 1 reaches into an open section of a Goal to move blocks, Blue 2 counters by attempting to move blocks from the opposite direction without reaching into the goal. A stalemate occurs where both robots are both actively pushing on the blocks, but there is currently no movement of the Blocks. Should Red 1 receive a Violation of <GG9> since Red 1 “isn't actively moving Blocks inside the Goal” per point 2 or is the attempt at moving blocks enough to be considered actively moving?
Thanks for these questions, Nathan! We hope our answers will boost the consistency of related calls at events around the world.
My question is, what is considered “actively moving”? Is an attempt at moving Blocks enough to be considered actively moving Blocks, or should there be visible movement of the Blocks?
For the purposes of this rule, actively moving Blocks inside the Goal in an effort to change the score of the Match (i.e., adding or removing Blocks from a Goal or a Control Zone) should qualify as movement. Holding the position of Blocks that are already in a Goal or Control Zone should not.
A stalemate occurs where both robots are both actively pushing on the blocks, but there is currently no movement of the Blocks.
In your scenario, one Robot is reaching into the open section of a Goal and the other is not. The Robot that is not reaching inside the Goal is not in Violation of <GG9> or <SG10>. If the Blocks aren't changing position in the Goal based on the actions of the Robot that is reaching inside the Goal, that Robot will receive an <SG10> Violation if it remains inside the Goal.
However, if both Robots in your scenario were reaching inside the Goal in attempts to move Blocks within the Goal (i.e., two Robots pushing against each other in a 'standoff' with no Blocks moving), both Robots would receive <SG10> Violations if they remain within the Goal without moving Blocks. In this case, a Robot may receive a Major Violation if their mechanism adds or removes Blocks to or from the Control Zone and/or Goal as they depart.