This Q&A is now read-only
Official Q&A: VEX V5 Robotics Competition 2025-2026: Push Back
2827: When should a Holding Violation escalate from minor to major? <GG17>
Note: The GDC revised this question and its title to better reflect the definitions and processes in the game manual.
Red 1 holds Blue 2 for a 3-count, per <GG17>, then the following scenarios happen:
- Red 1 continues to hold Blue 2 for an additional 1-count, for a total of 4
- Red 1 continues to hold Blue 2 for an additional 3-count, for a total of 6
- Red 1 backs away for a 4-count, and then resumes a hold on Blue 2 for an additional 1-count, for a total of 4
Which of these should be minor violations, and which should be major?
When determining whether the violation is match affecting, should the Head Referee consider the actions Blue 2 could have made for the total count or only the additional time exceeding the initial 3-count?
Thanks for your question, Nathan!
We'll start with some tried and true boilerplate GDC language from prior seasons that is still true today. It is impossible to issue a blanket answer beyond what is written in the game manual that encompasses all possible situations based on a snapshot description of a hypothetical interaction. This ruling, and the determination of whether it's a Minor or Major Violation, must be made by the Head Referee based on the context of the Match.
However, absent any other case-by-case context or extenuating circumstances, we can provide some general guidance on what a Head Referee could consider when deciding whether a Holding Violation is Minor or Major. Factors that could affect the ruling include:
- 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
- Holding is an inherently defensive action, so rule <GG15> may also be considered if a judgment call is required
It is difficult for a Head Referee to know exactly what actions a Robot "would have taken" if a Holding action had ended correctly after a 3-count, so we can't tell referees how to determine whether the Violation was or wasn't Match Affecting. 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.
Regarding your scenarios, depending on the circumstances of the Match a Head Referee could reasonably decide that any of them were Major Violations. Scenario 2 is the most likely to be considered a Major Violation, as it's double the length of a legal Holding interaction regardless of any other factors.