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

Usage Guidelines All Questions

3018: Reaching Into Goal Without Scoring During Driver Control

96Z
6-Jan-2026

During the Driver Control period, if a Robot uses a static or passive mechanism (such as a piece of plastic or metal) that reaches into an open portion of a Goal, as shown below, and the Robot is not actively scoring or descoring Blocks, but the mechanism physically blocks Blocks from entering or exiting the Goal, preventing either Alliance from legally changing the score, does this constitute Goalkeeping under the Goalkeeping definition and <SG10>, and therefore result in a violation, regardless of whether the Robot is capable of scoring or is in possession of a Block? <SG10>

Given that <SG10> clarifies that reaching into any open portion of a Goal while not attempting to change the score through legal means is prohibited, should this interaction be ruled a Goalkeeping violation? Additionally, based on Q&A 2791, Keeping your mechanism there while the Robot isn't actively moving Blocks inside the Goal is considered anchoring, should maintaining this mechanism inside the open portion of the Goal as shown in the image below, thereby continuously denying access and preventing legal scoring or descoring be ruled as Goalkeeping and a violation?

Many thanks.

[Example Image]

SG10  
Answered by committee
29-Jan-2026

We'll start by saying that the Robot in your image does not appear to be reaching into any open portion of the Goal, and its actions do not meet the definition of Goalkeeping or an <SG10> Violation.

However, if that or any other Robot is reaching into the open portion of a Goal while not attempting to change the score of the Match, it counts as Goalkeeping and is a Violation of <SG10> if it remains there after being warned away by the Head Referee.

The guidance in Q&A 2791 was overridden by later updates to the game manual, in which <GG9> and <SG10> were revised and separated to provide a clearer different between reaching into the Goal and becoming anchored as a result.