Our question relates to the application of <R23>; specifically, <R23> part (a), stating that "Anodizing, painting, dyeing or changing the color of any legal VEX part is prohibited."
(a) The VEX manual clearly states that some commercial off-the-shelf parts are legal, as has been standard for past seasons. Some of these parts come in color; for example, some companies sell nuts which come in color, and many teams choose to use screws with colored heads to aid in identification of screw lengths. These COTS colored parts can be considered to be outside the category of "legal VEX part", as they are not manufactured by VEX. Will these parts be legal? Broadly applied, does legal VEX part apply only to parts sold and distributed by VEX Robotics, Inc.?
(b) i. Many teams in the past have used anodized metal parts like C-channels or dyed parts like gears. Before the 2026-27 season, these parts were already dyed or anodized. The language of <R23> states that the action of anodization/painting/dyeing/coloring is not legal, but it does not state that the use of previously anodized/painted/dyed/colored parts is illegal. This part of the rule was not present before the 2026-27 season. Does <R23> forbid the action of anodizing, painting, dyeing, or changing the color of any legal VEX part from the 2026-27 season onwards, or is it meant to be applied in retrospect, overriding previous game manuals, thereby banning all parts that have been anodized, painted, dyed, or color-changed, including ones teams already owned, and that were previously legal?
(b) ii. This is a follow-up to (b) i. IF all anodized/dyed/painted/colored parts are banned. Does VEX have a plan to compensate or alleviate the financial burden on organizations which have a large amount of these parts? <R23> (a) was added to the rulebook without warning, and many teams operated under the expectation that these previously unambiguously legal parts would be continually reusable for future seasons, as is the intent with purchasing these parts; they are an investment towards students' education for the season the parts are bought in and many seasons following. How does VEX intend these teams to deal with the sudden financial burden of needing new parts?