Answered: Pressure Gauge as Nonfunctional Decoration - <R7>d. Clarification

[dontworryaboutit]

<R7> Robots are allowed the following additional “non-VEX” components:
d. Teams may add non-functional decorations provided that these do not affect the robot performance in any significant way or affect the outcome of the match. These decorations must be in the spirit of the competition. Inspectors will have final say in what is considered “nonfunctional”.

Would an air pressure gauge such as this one be legal for use in Sack Attack (new game, new Q&A, right?)? This is of course assuming it meets all the conditions of being a nonfunctional decoration (does not touch game objects, does not significantly affect the pneumatic system, is not used as a structural component, etc.). As with any other nonfunctional decoration, its effects are purely visual and thus will provide no advantage to a robot during a match of VEX Sack Attack (not affect the outcome of the match).

Or would it not be allowed because it is not a “decoration”? If it is not allowed because it is not a “decoration”, if we put pretty stickers on it could we use it?

How would any ruling here interact with rulings made by the Head Inspector at an event; could an Inspector go against this ruling because the rules say that Inspectors have the final say?

Sorry for multiple questions in one thread, but I’m sure it’s better than making a new thread for each one of these questions.
Thanks in advance!

[Karthik]

Would an air pressure gauge such as this one be legal for use in Sack Attack (new game, new Q&A, right?)? This is of course assuming it meets all the conditions of being a nonfunctional decoration (does not touch game objects, does not significantly affect the pneumatic system, is not used as a structural component, etc.). As with any other nonfunctional decoration, its effects are purely visual and thus will provide no advantage to a robot during a match of VEX Sack Attack (not affect the outcome of the match).

The device you linked to is functional and would not qualify under <R7d>

<R7> Robots are allowed the following additional “non-VEX” components:
d. Teams may add non-functional decorations provided that these do not affect the robot performance in any significant way or affect the outcome of the match. These decorations must be in the spirit of the competition. Inspectors will have final say in what is considered “nonfunctional”.

How would any ruling here interact with rulings made by the Head Inspector at an event; could an Inspector go against this ruling because the rules say that Inspectors have the final say?

This question is answered in rule <G15> of the VEX Sack Attack Game Manual. I’ve bolded some text for emphasis.

<G15> All teams must adhere to all VEX Robotics Competition Rules as they are written, and must abide by the listed intent of the rules. Every team has the opportunity to ask for official rules interpretations in the VEX Robotics Competition Question & Answer Forum. Any responses in this Q&A forum should be treated as official rulings from the VEX Robotics Competition Game Design Committee, and represent the correct and official interpretation of the VEX Robotics Competition Rules.

Thus, all event officials are expected to treat the Q&A in the same way they treat the manual, and enforce it accordingly.

Sorry for multiple questions in one thread, but I’m sure it’s better than making a new thread for each one of these questions.

Our preference, as indicated in the Q&A Usage Guidelines is for there to be a separate thread for each question on an unrelated topic. In this case your two questions addressed two separate rules, so two separate threads would be a better fit.