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Official Q&A: VEX IQ Robotics Competition 2024-2025: Rapid Relay
2527: Preload Zone Requirements
In a teamwork or skills match is their a portion of the preload ball that is require to be within the same starting zone as a robot or is the only requirement that the preload ball be touching the robot which is legally in the zone? Trying to understand is there a requirement for preloads similar to Q&A 2192 which is referencing rapid loads where it requires a portion of the ball to still touch that zone.
Example 1: If the robot was all the way against the edge of the zone 1, touching the preload ball that was is sitting majority in zone 2 and barley crossing the vertical plane and not touching zone 1, is this legal?
Example 2: If the robot is in zone 1, holding the ball in the air but majority of the ball is in zone 2 in the air, is this legal?
Q&A 2473 tries to ask a similar question but the answer only references the ball is not required to be in the size limit, but does not reference zone. I am asking again because we have seen Refs interpret this differently and do not think SG1 Answers this.
The only requirements for a Preload Ball's position at the start of the Match comes from the definition in the Game-Specific Definitions in Section 2 of the game manual, "Preload – A Ball that is placed in contact with a Robot prior to a Match. See <SG1>" and clause C of rule <SG1> that says a Robot can only be contacting one Preload.
There is no requirement that a Preload be in a specific Starting Zone, or in a single Starting Zone. If each Robot is contacting exactly one Preload at the start of the Match, all requirements have been met.