Rapid Relay Overview

I want to share a resource with you that will help in the understanding Rapid Relay basics with all the information in one place, easy to find.

VEX IQ Competition Rapid Relay (all credit to Ben Lipper)

VEX IQ Competition Rapid Relay is played on a 6’ x 8’ rectangular field, set up like the image above. Two robots join as an alliance in 60-second-long teamwork matches, working together to score points.

Scoring

• Each ball scored in a goal (rectangles on left of field) is 1 point
• Each “switch” (blue circles in the middle of the goals) that is “cleared” (moved back by a ball) is 1 point. Once cleared, switches remain pushed pack and do not spring back.
• Each “pass” is worth 1 point if no switches are cleared at the end of the match, 4 points if 1 is cleared, 8 points if 2 are cleared, 10 if 3 are cleared, and 12 if all 4 are cleared.
  o To be considered a pass, the ball must 1) be loaded through the loader, 2) touch the first robot before it touches the second, and 3) have a time to touch only the second robot
  o If you get more passes than goals, extra passes will not be counted

Game

• Robots work on alliances of two robots to score points. Both robots are on the same team and get the same score at the end of the match
• Matches are 60 seconds long, and there must be two drivers. The 1st driver must drive for 25-35 seconds, and then hand the controller to the 2nd driver. After 60 seconds, stop driving.
• There is 1 human player (HP) per team. HPs take balls from the slashed zone to load
• If your robot is “in trouble,” you can set down your controller, take any balls out of the robot, but it back at the start, and begin driving again.
• There can only ever be 2 balls “in play” at once (a ball is out of play once scored)
• When and HP adds a ball using the loader (black arrow), robots must stay away (behind the edge of the grey zone) until the ball touches the ground
• HPs add balls using the loader (anytime) or by placing them in the grey area (rapid loading) in the last 15 seconds

Robot

• Robots must always be smaller than 23” x 72” x 15” tall
• Robots start the match carrying/touching 1 ball each
• The robot must be made only out of VEX IQ pieces
  o If you want to add non-VEX IQ decorations, that is okay
• Robots must have 1 brain, 1 battery, and up to 6 motors (include ones not hooked up)

Tournament
Matches

• At a tournament, there will be a lot of teams (20-40 usually, up to 60 at a big one)
• You will be randomly selected to play matches on alliances with other teams
  o You will get a match schedule on the day of the tournament
  o Expect about 6-8 matches per tournament
• The scores from all of your matches will be added together to find your “ranking”
• The teams with the highest “ranking” will move onto the finals
• The teams thar score the most points in finals will win the tournament!

No-show and DQ (Disqualification)

• If you don’t show up for one of your matches, or if you break one of the rules in a way that increases your score, you will get a DQ and a score of zero for that match
  o You get zero, even if points are scored. The other robot still gets points for the match.
  o However, if you come to the match without robot and don’t play, you still get points

Other options

There are three kinds of matches available at most tournaments. All matches are 60 seconds.

• Teamwork/regular (required) – Teams work in alliances of two to score points
• Robot Skills (optional) – Teams score as many points as they can on their own
  o The rules are the same as teamwork matches, but you rapid load after the driver switch
• Programming skills (optional) – Teams score points without drivers, only code
  o Robots must be controlled only by code, and rapid loading is allowed all the time
  o Sensors can be used to start the code (as buttons) or to sense things (like blocks)
  o Teams can “restart” their robots as often as they want in programming matches by picking it up, removing its ball(s), and placing it back in a starting position.
• All skills: no passes. Goals are each worth 4, 8, 10, or 12 points (for 1, 2, 3, or 4 clear switches)

Starting Positions

For all matches, one robot must start in each starting position and touching/carrying 1 ball