VEX Robotics Competition Turning Point - Game Manual

VEX Robotics Competition Turning Point – Game Manual Flag - A pivoting plastic element consisting of a red target, a blue target, and a hinge. Each target has rectangular dimensions of 9.9” (251.5mm) wide and 6.00” (152.4mm) tall. Flags are elevated above the field. The hinge on each Flag also features a pointer that is used in conjunction with the Detent to determine if the Flag is Toggled. Low Flags are roughly 18.3” (464.8mm) from the field tiles to their top edge. Note: the top of the Low Flags can be used as a rough visual indicator to see if Robots are below 18”. High Flags are made up of two rows: one that is roughly 32.4” (822.9mm) from the field tiles to their top edge, and one that is roughly 46.3” (1176.0mm) from the field tiles to their top edge. Game Object – A Cap or Ball. Hoarding – A Robot status. A Robot is Hoarding if it is actively blocking opposing Robot access to more than two (2) Balls, or more than one (1) Cap, in any of the four (4) corners of the field (i.e. positioned in the corner roughly the size of one foam field tile). See SG5 . Match – A Match consists of an Autonomous Period followed by a Driver Controlled Period for a total time of two minutes (2:00). Match Affecting – A rule violation status determined by the head referee. A rule violation is Match Affecting if it changes the winning and losing Alliances in the Match. Multiple rule violations within a Match can cumulatively become Match Affecting. Net – The roughly 59” (1.5m) tall woven nylon net structure that spans the entire side of the field perimeter where the Flags are located, with a mesh width of roughly 2.0” (50.8mm) and an overall height of roughly 58.6” (1488.4mm). Parked – One of two Robot statuses. Alliance Parked – A Robot status. A Robot is Alliance Parked when it is: o Contacting its Alliance Platform. o Not contacting the foam field tiles or white tape. Center Parked – A Robot status. A Robot is Center Parked when it is: o Contacting the Center Platform. o Not contacting any Alliance Platform. o Not contacting the foam field tiles or white tape. vexrobotics.com Copyright 2018, VEX Robotics Inc. 2018-08-17 9

VEX Robotics Competition Turning Point – Game Manual Figures 9 & 10: A Robot which is Alliance Parked (left) and Center Parked (right). Platform – One of three (3) raised surfaces made of PVC and polycarbonate, roughly 23.875” (606.4mm) by 21.70” (551.2mm), that can be used for Parking Robots. See Figures 5, 9, and 10. Alliance Platforms are denoted by their red or blue structural PVC pieces, and can only be used for Parking by Robots of the same color Alliance as the Platform. The Center Platform is denoted by its yellow structural PVC pieces, and can be used for Parking by Robots of either Alliance. Note: The structures on the sides of the Center Platform are not considered part of the Platform, and cannot be used for Center Parking. See Figure 11 and SG9 . Figure 11: A close-up view of the Center Platform, with the polycarbonate structure underneath highlighted. This structure’s intent is to keep Balls out from underneath the Center Platform per SG9 ; it cannot be used for Parking. Possession – A Game Object status. A Robot has Possession of a Game Object if it is carrying, holding, or encompassing it. See rule SG4 for details on Possession limits. Post – One of six (6) vertical PVC pipes attached to the field perimeter with a diameter of approximately 0.84” ( 21.5mm) where Caps can be Scored. Four (4) Posts (furthest from the Flags) are roughly 23” (584.2mm) tall. Two (2) Posts (closest to the Flags) are roughly 34” (863.6mm) tall. vexrobotics.com Copyright 2018, VEX Robotics Inc. 2018-08-17 10

VEX Robotics Competition Turning Point – Game Manual Preload – The Ball, one (1) per robot, that must be placed on the field such that it satisfies the following conditions prior to the start of the Match. The Preload is touching one Robot. The Preload is fully within the field perimeter. X Figure 12: A legal Preload. Figure 13: An illegal Preload. Robot – Anything that has passed inspection that a Team places on the field prior to the start of a Match. Scored – One of two Cap statuses. Low Scored – A Cap status. A Cap is Low Scored when a Cap’s Core is touching the foam field tiles, white tape lines, or Platforms, without touching a Robot of the color Alliance for which the Cap would award points. Points for a Low Scored Cap are awarded to the Alliance color that is facing “up” when the Core half on its opposite side is touching the foam field tiles, white tape lines, or Platform. Note: If a Core is touching both the foam field tiles and the Center Platform, it should be scored as if it was only touching the foam field tiles. X Figure 14 (left): A Cap which is Low Scored for the Red Alliance, because the opposite Core is contacting the field tiles. Figure 15 (right): A Cap which is not Scored at all, because the Core is not contacting any field tiles, white tape lines, or Platforms. vexrobotics.com Copyright 2018, VEX Robotics Inc. 2018-08-17 11

VEX Robotics Competition Turning Point – Game Manual High Scored – A Cap status. A Cap is High Scored when its Core is touching a Post, the Cap is not touching any other Field Elements, and the Cap is not touching a Robot of the color Alliance for which the Cap would award points. Points for a High Scored Cap are awarded to the Alliance color that is facing “up” when the Core half on its opposite side is touching the Post. X Figure 16 (left): A Cap which is High Scored for the Red Alliance, because the opposite Core is contacting the Post. Figure 17 (right): A Cap which is not Scored, because it is being contacted by a Robot of the same color as it would have been awarded points. Student – Anyone enrolled in a pre-college school or who is home-schooled as part of a precollege educational curriculum and is born after April 27th, 2000. Eligibility may also be granted based on a disability that has delayed education by at least one year. Middle School Student – A Student enrolled in grade 8 or lower or enrolled in grade 9 in a school, which includes grade 8 but not grade 10. High School Student – Any eligible Student that is not a Middle School Student. Team – One or more Students make up a Team. A Team is classified as a Middle School Team if all members are Middle School Students. A Team is classified as a High School Team if any of its members are High School Students. Teams may be associated with schools, community/youth organizations, or a group of neighborhood Students. Toggled – A Flag status. A Flag is Toggled when the Flag’s pointer is not nested in the Detent and the Flag is not touching a robot of the color Alliance for which the Flag would award points. When Toggled, points are awarded to the red Alliance if the pointer is to the left of the Detent, and awarded to the blue Alliance if the pointer is to the right of the Detent. In the case that the Flag pivots beyond the containing PVC structure, the Flag is no longer Toggled. See Figures 18-20 on the following page. vexrobotics.com Copyright 2018, VEX Robotics Inc. 2018-08-17 12

VEX Robotics Competition Turning Point – Game Manual X (Red) Figure 18 (left): A Flag tower depicting three Flag states. The top Flag is Toggled, and points would be awarded to the blue Alliance. The middle Flag is not Toggled. The bottom Flag is Toggled, and points would be awarded to the red Alliance. Figure 19 (right): Close-up of a Toggled flag, with the Detent and Flag pointer highlighted. This Flag is Toggled in favor of the red Alliance. Trapping – A Robot status. A Robot is Trapping if it has restricted an opposing Robot into a small, confined area of the field, approximately the size of one foam field tile or less, and has not provided an avenue for escape. Trapping can be direct (e.g. pinning an opponent to a field perimeter wall) or indirect (e.g. preventing a Robot from escaping from a corner of the field). vexrobotics.com Copyright 2018, VEX Robotics Inc. 2018-08-17 13

VEX Robotics Competition Turning Point – Game Manual Game Rules Scoring Autonomous Period Scoring: A Toggled High Flag is worth two (2) points. A Toggled Low Flag is worth one (1) point. A High Scored Cap is worth two (2) points. A Low Scored Cap is worth one (1) point. A Robot which is Alliance Parked earns three (3) points. An Alliance that wins the Autonomous Bonus earns four (4) points. Driver Controlled Period Scoring: A Toggled High Flag is worth two (2) points. A Toggled Low Flag is worth one (1) point. A High Scored Cap is worth two (2) points. A Low Scored Cap is worth one (1) point. A Robot which is Alliance Parked earns three (3) points. A Robot which is Center Parked earns six (6) points. Figure 20: Example VRC Turning Point match, depicting various point values. vexrobotics.com Copyright 2018, VEX Robotics Inc. 2018-08-17 14

VEX Robotics Competition Turning Point – Game Manual Safety Rules S1 Be safe out there. If at any time the Robot operation or Team actions are deemed unsafe or have damaged any Field Elements or Game Objects, the offending Team may be Disabled and/or Disqualified at the discretion of the Head Referee. The Robot will require re-inspection before it may again take the field. a. Teams should be extra cautious when interacting with the Net, per SG5 . S2 Stay inside the field. If a Robot is completely out-of-bounds (outside the playing field), it will be Disabled for the remainder of the Match. Note: The intent is NOT to penalize Robots for having mechanisms that inadvertently cross the field perimeter during normal game play. General Game Rules G1 Treat everyone with respect. All Teams are expected to conduct themselves in a respectful and professional manner while competing in VEX Robotics Competition events. If a Team or any of its members (Students or any adults associated with the Team) are disrespectful or uncivil to event staff, volunteers, or fellow competitors, they may be Disqualified from a current or upcoming Match. Team conduct pertaining to G1 may also impact a team’s eligibility for judged awards. Repeated or extreme violations of G1 could result in a Team being Disqualified from an entire event, depending on the severity of the situation. Robotics competitions often induce intense, high stress situations. These are good opportunities to model and/or gain experience in handling these situations in a positive and productive manner. It is important that we all exhibit maturity and class when dealing with any difficult situations that may present themselves in both the VEX Robotics Competition and our lives in general. This rule exists alongside the REC Foundation Code of Conduct. Violation of the Code of Conduct can be considered a violation of G1 and can result in Disqualification from a current Match, an upcoming Match, an entire event, or (in extreme cases) an entire competition season. The Code of Conduct can be found at s/vex-roboticscompetition/ . G2 Use common sense. When reading and applying the various rules in this document, please remember that common sense always applies in the VEX Robotics Competition. vexrobotics.com Copyright 2018, VEX Robotics Inc. 2018-08-17 15

VEX Robotics Competition Turning Point – Game Manual G3 Robots begin the Match in the starting cube. At the beginning of a Match, each Robot must be smaller than a volume of 18” (457.2 mm) long by 18” (457.2 mm) wide by 18” (457.2 mm) tall. Using Field Elements, such as the field perimeter wall, to maintain starting size is only acceptable if the Robot would still satisfy the constraints of R4 and pass inspection without the Field Element. Robots in violation of this limit will be removed from the field prior to the start of the Match, at the Head Referee’s discretion. G4 Keep your Robots together. Robots may not intentionally detach parts during the Match or leave mechanisms on the field. Minor violations of this rule that do not affect the Match will result in a warning. Match Affecting offenses will result in a Disqualification. Teams that receive multiple warnings may also receive a Disqualification at the Head Referee's discretion. Multiple intentional infractions may result in Disqualification for the entire competition. G5 The red alliance, or the highest seed, places last. In Qualification Matches, the red Alliance has the right to place its Robots on the field last. In Elimination Matches, the higher (better) seeded Alliance has the right to place its Robots on the field last. Once a Team has placed its Robot on the field, its position cannot be readjusted prior to the Match. If a Team violates this rule, the opposing Alliance will be given the opportunity to reposition their Robots promptly. a. Robots must be placed on the field promptly. Repeated failure to do so could result in a violation of G1 . The exact definition of the term “promptly” is at the discretion of the Head Referee and the Event Partner, who will consider event schedule, previous warnings or delays, etc. G6 Drive your own Robot. Each Team shall include up to three Drive Team Members. No Drive Team Member may fulfill this role for more than one Team in a given competition season. G7 Only Drivers, and only in the Alliance Station. During a Match, all Drive Team Members must remain in their Alliance Station. Drive Team Members are not allowed to use any sort of communication devices during their Match. Devices with communication features turned off (e.g. a phone in airplane mode) are allowed. Note: Per T02 , Drive Team Members are the only Team members that are allowed to be in the Alliance Station during a Match. Note 2: During a Match, Robots may be operated only by the Drive Team Members and/or by software running on the Robot’s control system, in accordance with R11 and G9 . Violations or refusal to comply with this rule could be considered a violation of G1 . vexrobotics.com Copyright 2018, VEX Robotics Inc. 2018-08-17 16

VEX Robotics Competition Turning Point – Game Manual G8 Hands out of the field. Drive Team Members may only touch the Team’s controls and Robot at specified times during a Match as per G8a . Drive Team Members are prohibited from making intentional contact with any Game Object, Field Element, or Robot during a Match, apart from the contact specified in G8a . a. During the Driver Controlled Period, Drive Team Members may only touch their own Robot if the Robot has not moved at all during the Match. Touching the Robot in this case is permitted for only the following reasons: 1. Turning the Robot on or off. 2. Plugging in a battery and/or power expander. 3. Plugging in a VEXnet Key or V5 Robot Radio. 4. Touching the V5 Robot Brain screen, such as to start a program. b. Drive Team Members are not permitted to break the plane of the field perimeter at any time during the Match, apart from the actions described in G5a . Minor violations of these rules that do not affect the Match will result in a warning. Match Affecting offenses will result in a Disqualification. Teams that receive multiple warnings may also receive a Disqualification at the Head Referee's discretion. G9 Autonomous means “no humans”. During the Autonomous Period, Drive Team Members are not permitted to interact with the Robot in any way, directly or indirectly. This could include, but is not limited to: Activating any controls on their VEXnet Joysticks or V5 Controllers. Unplugging or disconnecting from the field in any way. Triggering sensors (including the Vision Sensor) in any way, even without touching them. Violations of this rule would be considered a violation of G10 and could result in the Autonomous Bonus being awarded to the opposing Alliance. Teams that receive multiple warnings may also receive a Disqualification at the Head Referee's discretion. G10 Rules still apply in the Autonomous Period. Any infractions committed during the Autonomous Period that are not Match Affecting, but do affect the outcome of the Autonomous Bonus, will result in the Autonomous Bonus being automatically awarded to the opposing Alliance. a. Teams are responsible for the actions of their Robots at all times, including during the Autonomous Period. Any infractions committed during the Autonomous Period that are Match Affecting can result in a Disqualification, if warranted by the rule. b. If both Alliances cause infractions during the Autonomous Period that would have affected the outcome of the Autonomous Bonus, then no Autonomous Bonus will be awarded. vexrobotics.com Copyright 2018, VEX Robotics Inc. 2018-08-17 17

VEX Robotics Competition Turning Point – Game Manual G11 You can’t force an opponent into a penalty. Intentional strategies that cause an opponent to violate a rule are not permitted, and will not result in an infraction on the opposing Alliance. Minor violations of this rule that do not affect the Match will result in a warning. Match Affecting offenses will result in a Disqualification. Teams that receive multiple warnings may also receive a Disqualification at the Head Referee's discretion. G12 Don’t destroy other Robots. But, be prepared to encounter defense. Strategies aimed solely at the destruction, damage, tipping over, or Entanglement of opposing Robots are not part of the ethos of the VEX Robotics Competition and are not allowed. If the tipping, Entanglement, or damage is ruled to be intentional or egregious, the offending Team may be Disqualified from that Match. Repeated offenses could result in Disqualification from the entirety of the competition. a. VEX Robotics Competition Turning Point is intended to be an offensive game. Teams that partake in solely defensive or destructive strategies will not have the protections implied by G12 (see G13 ). However, defensive play which does not involve destructive or illegal strategies is still within the spirit of this rule. b. VEX Robotics Competition Turning Point is an interactive game. Some incidental tipping, Entanglement, and damage may occu

The VEX Robotics Game Design Committee, comprised of members from the Robotics Education & Competition Foundation, Robomatter, DWAB Technolog y , and VEX Robotics. VEX Robotics Competition Turning Point: A Primer VEX Robotics Competition Turning Point is played on a 12 ft x 12 ft foam-mat, surrounded by a sheet-metal and polycarbonate perimeter.