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VEX Robotics Competition Turning Point – Game ManualFlag - A pivoting plastic element consisting of a red target, a blue target, and a hinge. Each targethas rectangular dimensions of 9.9” (251.5mm) wide and 6.00” (152.4mm) tall. Flags are elevatedabove the field. The hinge on each Flag also features a pointer that is used in conjunction with theDetent 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 ofthe 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 tilesto their top edge, and one that is roughly 46.3” (1176.0mm) from the field tiles to their topedge.Game Object – A Cap or Ball.Hoarding – A Robot status. A Robot is Hoarding if it is actively blocking opposing Robot access totwo (2) or more Game Objects that are in any of the four (4) corners of the field (i.e. positioned in thecorner roughly the size of one foam field tile.)Match – A Match consists of an Autonomous Period followed by a Driver Controlled Period for atotal time of two minutes (2:00).Match Affecting – A rule violation status determined by the head referee. A rule violation is MatchAffecting if it changes the winning and losing Alliances in the Match. Multiple rule violations within aMatch can cumulatively become Match Affecting.Net – The roughly 59” (1.5m) tall woven nylon net structure that spans the entire side of the fieldperimeter where the Flags are located, with a mesh width of roughly 2.0” (50.8mm) and an overallheight 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: Contacting its Alliance Platform.Not contacting the foam field tiles or white tape.Center Parked – A Robot status. A Robot is Center Parked when it is: Contacting the Center Platform.Not contacting any Alliance Platform.Not contacting the foam field tiles or white tape.vexrobotics.comCopyright 2018, VEX Robotics Inc.2018-04-189

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 beused 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 forParking by Robots of either Alliance.Note: The structures on the sides of the Center Platform are not considered part of thePlatform, 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 keepBalls 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 ofapproximately 0.84” ( 21.5mm) where Caps can be Scored. Four (4) Posts (furthest from the Flags) are roughly 20” (508.0mm) tall.Two (2) Posts (closest to the Flags) are roughly 32” (812.8mm) tall.vexrobotics.comCopyright 2018, VEX Robotics Inc.2018-04-1810

VEX Robotics Competition Turning Point – Game ManualPreload – The Ball, one (1) per robot, that must be placed on the field such that it satisfies thefollowing conditions prior to the start of the Match. The Preload is touching one Robot.The Preload is fully within the field perimeter. XFigure 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 aMatch.Scored – One of two Cap statuses.Low Scored – A Cap status. A Cap is Low Scored when a Cap’s Core is touching the foamfield tiles, white tape lines, or Platforms, without touching a Robot of the color Alliance forwhich the Cap would award points. Points for a Low Scored Cap are awarded to the Alliancecolor that is facing “up” when the Core half on its opposite side is touching the foam fieldtiles, white tape lines, or Platform.Note: If a Core is touching both the foam field tiles and the Center Platform, it should bescored as if it was only touching the foam field tiles. XFigure 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.comCopyright 2018, VEX Robotics Inc.2018-04-1811

VEX Robotics Competition Turning Point – Game ManualHigh Scored – A Cap status. A Cap is High Scored when its Core is touching a Post, the Capis not touching any other Field Elements, and the Cap is not touching a Robot of the colorAlliance for which the Cap would award points. Points for a High Scored Cap are awarded tothe Alliance color that is facing “up” when the Core half on its opposite side is touching thePost. XFigure 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 grantedbased 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 aschool, 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 allmembers are Middle School Students. A Team is classified as a High School Team if any of itsmembers are High School Students. Teams may be associated with schools, community/youthorganizations, 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 andthe Flag is not touching a robot of the color Alliance for which the Flag would award points. WhenToggled, points are awarded to the red Alliance if the pointer is to the left of the Detent, andawarded to the blue Alliance if the pointer is to the right of the Detent. In the case that the Flagpivots beyond the containing PVC structure, the Flag is no longer Toggled. See Figures 18-20 onthe following page.vexrobotics.comCopyright 2018, VEX Robotics Inc.2018-04-1812

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. Themiddle 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 providedan avenue for escape. Trapping can be direct (e.g. pinning an opponent to a field perimeter wall) orindirect (e.g. preventing a Robot from escaping from a corner of the field).vexrobotics.comCopyright 2018, VEX Robotics Inc.2018-04-1813

VEX Robotics Competition Turning Point – Game ManualGame RulesScoringAutonomous 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.comCopyright 2018, VEX Robotics Inc.2018-04-1814

VEX Robotics Competition Turning Point – Game ManualSafety Rules S1 Be safe out there. If at any time the Robot operation or Team actions are deemed unsafe orhave damaged any Field Elements or Game Objects, the offending Team may be Disabled and/orDisqualified at the discretion of the Head Referee. The Robot will require re-inspection before itmay 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 willbe Disabled for the remainder of the Match.Note: The intent is NOT to penalize Robots for having mechanisms that inadvertently cross thefield perimeter during normal game play.General Game Rules G1 Treat everyone with respect. All Teams are expected to conduct themselves in a respectfuland professional manner while competing in VEX Robotics Competition events. If a Team or any ofits members (Students or any adults associated with the Team) are disrespectful or uncivil to eventstaff, volunteers, or fellow competitors, they may be Disqualified from a current or upcomingMatch. 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 entireevent, depending on the severity of the situation.Robotics competitions often induce intense, high stress situations. These are good opportunitiesto 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 thatmay 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 Conductcan be considered a violation of G1 and can result in Disqualification from a current Match, anupcoming Match, an entire event, or (in extreme cases) an entire competition season. The Code ofConduct can be found at s/vex-roboticscompetition/ . G2 Use common sense. When reading and applying the various rules in this document, pleaseremember that common sense always applies in the VEX Robotics Competition.vexrobotics.comCopyright 2018, VEX Robotics Inc.2018-04-1815

VEX Robotics Competition Turning Point – Game Manual G3 Robots begin the Match in the starting cube. At the beginning of a Match, each Robot mustbe 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 ifthe 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 theHead Referee’s discretion. G4 Keep your Robots together. Robots may not intentionally detach parts during the Match orleave mechanisms on the field.Minor violations of this rule that do not affect the Match will result in a warning. Match Affectingoffenses will result in a Disqualification. Teams that receive multiple warnings may also receive aDisqualification at the Head Referee's discretion. Multiple intentional infractions may result inDisqualification for the entire competition. G5 The red alliance, or the highest seed, places last. In Qualification Matches, the red Alliancehas the right to place its Robots on the field last. In Elimination Matches, the higher (better) seededAlliance has the right to place its Robots on the field last. Once a Team has placed its Robot on thefield, its position cannot be readjusted prior to the Match. If a Team violates this rule, the opposingAlliance 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 aviolation of G1 . G6 Drive your own Robot. Each Team shall include up to three Drive Team Members. No DriveTeam Member may fulfill this role for more than one Team. G7 Only Drivers, and only in the Alliance Station. During a Match, all Drive Team Membersmust remain in their Alliance Station. Drive Team Members are not allowed to use any sort ofcommunication devices during their Match. Devices with communication features turned off (e.g. aphone in airplane mode) are allowed.Note: Per T02 , Drive Team Members are the only Team members that are allowed to be in theAlliance Station during a Match.Note 2: During a Match, Robots may be operated only by the Drive Team Members and/or bysoftware 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.comCopyright 2018, VEX Robotics Inc.2018-04-1816

VEX Robotics Competition Turning Point – Game Manual G8 Hands out of the field. Drive Team Members may only touch the Team’s controls and Robotat specified times during a Match as per G8a . Drive Team Members are prohibited from makingintentional contact with any Game Object, Field Element, or Robot during a Match, apart from thecontact specified in G8a .a. During the Driver Controlled Period, Drive Team Members may only touch their own Robot ifthe Robot has not moved at all during the Match. Touching the Robot in this case ispermitted 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 timeduring 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 Affectingoffenses will result in a Disqualification. Teams that receive multiple warnings may also receive aDisqualification at the Head Referee's discretion. G9 Autonomous means “no humans”. During the Autonomous Period, Drive Team Membersare not permitted to interact with the Robot in any way, directly or indirectly. This could include, butis 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 AutonomousBonus being awarded to the opposing Alliance. Teams that receive multiple warnings may alsoreceive a Disqualification at the Head Referee's discretion. G10 Rules still apply in the Autonomous Period. Any infractions committed during theAutonomous Period that are not Match Affecting, but do affect the outcome of the AutonomousBonus, 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 theAutonomous Period. Any infractions committed during the Autonomous Period that areMatch Affecting can result in a Disqualification, if warranted by the rule.b. If both Alliances cause infractions during the Autonomous Period that would have affectedthe outcome of the Autonomous Bonus, then no Autonomous Bonus will be awarded.vexrobotics.comCopyright 2018, VEX Robotics Inc.2018-04-1817

VEX Robotics Competition Turning Point – Game Manual G11 You can’t force an opponent into a penalty. Intentional strategies that cause an opponentto 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 Affectingoffenses will result in a Disqualification. Teams that receive multiple warnings may also receive aDisqualification at the Head Referee's discretion. G12 Don’t destroy other Robots. But, be prepared to encounter defense. Strategies aimedsolely at the destruction, damage, tipping over, or Entanglement of opposing Robots are not part ofthe ethos of the VEX Robotics Competition and are not allowed. If the tipping, Entanglement, ordamage is ruled to be intentional or egregious, the offending Team may be Disqualified from thatMatch. 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 thatpartake 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 illegalstrategies 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 occur as a part of normal gameplay without violation. It willbe up to the head referee’s discretion whether the interaction was incidental or intentional.c. A Team is responsible for the actions of its Robot at all times, including the AutonomousPeriod. This applies both to Teams that are driving recklessly or potentially causing damage,and to Teams that drive around with a small wheel base. A Team should design its Robotsuch that it is not easily tipped over or damaged by minor contact.Note 1: Teams who attempt to utilize the Center Platform should expect to encounter vigorousinteractions from opponent Robots who are attempting to do the same. Engaging in thisgameplay element of VRC Turning Point constitutes an acknowledgement of the risk ofincidental tipping or damage, as covered by G12b and G12c , and waives the protectionthat is offered by G12 against destructive interactions.Note 2: The Alliance Platform is not included in Note 1. Robots which are Alliance Parked arestill protected by G12 against destructive or defensive strategies. G13 Offensive Robots get the “benefit of the doubt”. In the case where referees are forced tomake a judgment call regarding a destructive interaction between a defensive and offensive Robot,or an interaction which results in a questionable rules violation, the referees will err on the side ofthe offensive Robot.

VEX Robotics Compet ition Turning Point is not just a game that we invented because it is fun to play - it is a vehicle for teaching (and testing) teamwork, perseverance in the face of hardship, and provides a methodology to approach and solve new challenges with confidence. Contained in this manual are the rules that shape VRC Turning Point .