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

I want to check the validity of using white take to make the letters of a license plate more visible. Consider the following arrangement:

1. A plate of VEX structural material is cut to the appropriate size and painted/powder-coated per the example provided in Figure R6-2.
2. White tape is applied over the white paint of the numbers to make them more legible. <R6>

I ask because honestly the plate in figure R6-2 is painful to look at, I think I would struggle as Head Ref to easily identify the numbers because of the pattern of holes across the plate. Adding the tape would cover the holes, breaking up the pattern and making the numbers easier to read.

What would be the ruling regarding the intersection of R6 and R24 in the following cases:

1. White tape is applied on top of white paint. I believe this would be a non-functional decoration because removing the white tape simply exposes the white paint beneath.
2. White tape is applied on top of unpainted metal. I believe this would be a violation of R24 because the team number would ONLY be written in white (R6.f) if the tape was not removed, making the tape a functional decoration.
3. White tape is applied on top of metal painted the color of the license plate (i.e. the plate is painted a solid color and removing the tape means it looks functionally the same as a blank license plate). I believe this is a violation of R24 because removing the tape removes the team number, making the tape a functional decoration.
4. Any other color tape applied in place of white in the above examples. I believe this is a violation because of R6.f (team numbers must be written in white).
5. What if red and blue tape were used to color the plates rather than paint or powder-coating. I believe this is a violation of R24 because the tape is functional.