Coaches and Team Members
Send an email to doug.rcx@gmail.com if you have any questions. I will post your question and my responses on this page. By using my email, I will be able to reply quicker.
When emailing a question, please follow this outline:
Subject Line: Game Time Question
Comments: "Mission #"
Identify the Mission, then outline your question or concern.
or
Comments: "General Rule"
Identify the General Rule, then outline your question or concern.
Q&A posted on this page will be used to clarify General Rules and Game Time Missions and Rules questions. Sometimes the combination of the General Rules and Game Time documents and videos may create a conflict. Things may need to be clarified. Post your question so that a member of the RCX Team can provide an answer to clarify your question. The responses from the RCX Team will establish conditions your team will need to follow to prepare for this year's challenge.
We will try to get back with you ASAP.
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General Rule Questions Question from Melissa Are they able to put a small identifying mark on their containers (like with a sharpie) to tell which mission they go and also to help us keep straight which team it belongs to since there are so many pieces? Doug's Response A review of the General Rules: Robot Construction, Rules 2-1 through 2-8. There is NO rule that states you CANNOT mark the LEGOs of your containers. So, YES you can mark the containers with a Sharpie. Honestly, I would prefer that they not mark the containers and use their mind/memory to know the difference between the containers. 1/21/26 _______________________
Questions from Amanda I registered several teams for the competition. My students found out today that there is a band event on that day. We are trying to see if they can do both events. If the scheduling doesn't work and they can't do both events is there anyway to switch a few of my teams to virtual? Is it possible to have some teams compete in person and some compete virtually? We are trying to explore all options so that they can participate in both events. Doug's Response General Rules: Eligibility, Rules 1-1 through 1-11 Your concern is quit common. Review the General Rules referenced above. In short, YES, you can have teams compete at multiple regions &/or virtually. You will have to make a decision by January 31. After this date, you are not guaranteed that we will be able to switch the location. 1/21/26 ____________________________
Question from Melissa Is there a new drive train document for scoring on the quad or is it the same one from last year? Response from Doug It is the same as last year. Locate Scoring the Quad Platform, Drive Source document found on the General Rules and other documents page. 1/21/26 |
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Coaches Meeting Video: Container scoring Question from Lee Can you clarify how the Mission Objects will score if they are placed within a container? Does the container score the mission objects, or do the individual mission objects score? Doug' Response Thanks Lee for the question. This may get a little wordy, so make sure to review the Coaches Meeting video and General Rules. Overall, the Mission Object is the scoring item, not the container. You do not receive a score based on the container position. The referee will score the Mission Object by looking from above, looking downward, to see if the Mission Object crosses the line of the destination area. For most, not all of the missions, once the Mission Object crosses the line, either "Partially" or "Completely" you will receive a score. Review the characteristics of each Mission. Some Missions require the Mission Object to be "Completely" in to score. As an unwritten rule, make sure the referee can see how and where the Mission Objects are placed in your container. _________________________________________________________________________ Question from Jenna You need/can build a LEGO structure for the following missions: Scrabble, Baseball, Basketball, Football, Soccer, Connect 4, Pool, and a cup for the dice, correct? Doug's Response That's a very broad question. I will try to confirm. 1st The simple answer is "Yes" your team could build a container for each of the missions listed. 2nd ALL containers need to be constructed of LEGOs. 3rd As I review the missions you outlined, make sure the Mission Object "Touches", Does NOT Touch" and so on as is stated in each separate mission for a score. Finally, while all of the missions you outlined could use a container, I do see ways to NOT use a container on at least 2 of the missions for a score. I can not be more specific as to which mission. 2/19/26 _____________________________________________ Question from Melissa Can team members, not at the board hold their Container during the Match? Response from Doug Yes Since there are so many containers and mission objects to have to put in those containers this year, team members not at the board are allowed to hold their containers so they can get their objects/items put in them while they are waiting for their turn. The Mission Objects should remain at the Board until the team member approaches the Board. At that time the team member may insert their mission objects into their container. 3/4/26 |
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Touch Penalty/ Yahtzee Dice, Yahtzee Cup Question from David The Yahtzee Cup was not supplied. I need a description in the Missions & Rules document of what will be an acceptable Yahtzee Cup. Response from Doug The Yahtzee Cup is a container. The Team should follow the Game Time Container document to construct a container or Yahtzee Cup. _________________________ Question from Melissa For the Yahtzee (Cup) container they have to shake overhead, but a lid is not required? Response from Doug The Team Member should cover the opening of the Yahtzee Cup with their hand while shaking the cup. 1/21/26 __________________________
Question from Melissa Should the dice be completely out of view once on the mat? What if they are not? Doug's Response Yes If the Dice is not covered by the Yahtzee Cup, then the Referee can see it. If the Referee can see the Dice, then the Referee could potentially take it as a Touch Penalty, thus the team looses the potential to score the Dice. 1/21/26 _____________________________________________________ Question from Scott My question is - the student is allowed to place the cup on the circle? The robot doesn't have to move it to the circle? Response from Doug Correct, the student can physically place the cup, with Yahtzee Dice inside the cup, over the Yahtzee Circle 1 time during the Match. The robot does not need to deliver the Yahtzee Cup with Yahtzee Dice. Although, if your team would like to have the robot deliver the Yahtzee Cup with dice, they can.
This action does contradict the General Rules, but it is ONLY this action that is permitted for Team Members to perform physically outside the Safe Zone during the Match. All other action outside the Safe Zone MUST be performed by the robot to avoid a Touch Penalty. 2/23/26 ______________________________________________ Question from Melissa How should the referee remove/score the Yahtzee Cup after the Match ends? Response from Doug The Yahtzee container it is to be picked straight up by the referee and only dice found inside the black circle will count as "In" the Yahtzee Cup Circle. If they are outside the circle they will be scored as "Anywhere on the Mat". Also, I have stated verbly and through emails that the Yahtzee Dice may be either "Partially &/or Completely" in the Yahtzee Cup Circle to score as "In the Yahtzee Cup Circle". 3/4/26
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Mission 1: Scrabble Question from Amanda Do the scrabble tiles have to be actual tiles from the game or can they be made of legos? Response from Doug Yes. You can bring your own Scrabble Tiles to the tournament. Notify the Referee when you approach the Competition Board. Your Tiles can come from a Scrabble Board Game from school or a Team Members home. Your Scrabble Tiles can be made of LEGOs. Make sure each tile is separate. Make sure each tile has a letter that is legible. There are many ways to solve this. Be creative and think out of the box. _________________________________
Question from Melissa If they are not trying for the bonus can the scrabble tiles be stacked on top of each other as long as in a tray? Doug's Response Yes 1/21/26 _________________________________________________________
Question from Angela Can both sets of tiles be on the tray? The 7 letter word tiles, plus the tiles from the GT kit? (picture provided, not shared) Doug's Response You only need 1 set of letters. Use the set from the GT kit. Or use your own letters from another source. 2/23/26 ______________________________________________________ Question from Angela How does the team earn the 50 points? Doug's Response Scrabble Mission: A minimum of 5 tiles must be on a tray. The tray must be delivered to the Scrabble Board outline on the mat. The Scrabble Tiles must be over the Scrabble Board outline. Partially or Completely scores. 25 Points Scrabble Bonus: There must be 7 tiles on the Tray. The tiles must spell a word, letters in the correct order. The Scrabble Tiles must be over the Scrabble Board outline. Partially or Completely scores. 25 Points 2/23/26 |
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Mission 3: Playing Pool Question from Steve We wanted to make sure that this was a legitimate score. Would this be acceptable for the pool ball mission? 100 points, right? (Picture provided to Doug. Picture NOT shared to retain the strategy for the team.) Doug's Response Yes that works. This strategy would potentionally yeild a 100 point score for Playing Pool. 1/21/26 |
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Mission 4: Jenga Blocks Question from David What happens if a Jenga Piece for the other tables lands on our table in a position where it can interfere with one of our mission runs. Can we ask the referee to move the Jenga piece out of the way? Response from Doug No, the Referee will NOT remove the Jenga Blocks from your opponents table. The Jenga Blocks become an obstacle your team will have to consider. The Team will need to have a strategy which includes "Time Management" & "Robot Construction" which will consider these objects being in the way. The Referee will consider the position of your Team's scoring Mission Objects. If the opponents Jenga Blocks move a "Scoring Mission Object" to a "Non-Scoring Position", the Referee should still award your Team a positive score. Make sure your Teammember is prepared to question the Referee if this occurs.
____________________________________________________ Question from Cindy When students are knocking down the jenga tiles, can they cross the outer edge of the board? Rule 4-3 said the outside railing is out of bounds so want to make sure! Doug's Response Rule 4-3 Border/Railing- The line that borders the Mat extends to the inside of the black railing of the Board. The inside and top of the railing are considered in-bounds. The outside of the railing is considered What this means as it pertains to your team. -The Black Line around the outer edge of the mat is "In-Bounds" -The 2 by 4 wooding frame: -The side nearest the mat is "In-Bounds" -The top of the 2 by 4 is "In-Bounds"
What is "Out-of-Bounds"? -The area of the 2 by 4 on the "Outside" of the board, which team members would potentially touch, lean against with their waist or chest. The robot can not be designed to use this area as a guide, tool or other method to aid in the movement, or control of the robot. -For the GT Challenge. Since at the tournament competition boards are connected together, with the outside of the 2 by 4's for separate boards touching "Outside" edge to "Outside" edge, the team's robot CANNOT touch this part of the 2 by 4. -The wooden frame of the Oponents Board is considered "Out-of-Bounds". Your team should not program or design their robot to use the opponents board in any way to control their robot.
Conclusion In the act of attempting to knock over the Jenga pile into the opponents area, it should be expected that your team's robot may touch the wooden frame of the opponents. As long as your team does not intentionally program or design their robot to act on the opponents wooden frame, their robot's action is allowed and expected. Should the team's robot get stuck on the frame, the act of freeing the robot most likely will result in a team member touching the robot to free it. This is a Touch Penalty. If you ask for help from the Referee, this is a Touch Penalty. 3/4/26 |
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Mission 5: Crazy 8s Question from Melissa Verifying if the stack of cards in crazy 8s may be stacked on top of each other, as long as one card is touching the mat, or do they have to be fanned out so all touching? Doug's Response Both ways score: "Fanned Out" & "Stacked". Just make sure each card is above the Crazy 8s outline AND 1 card is "Touching" the mat. 1/21/26 ___________________________
Question from Elizabeth Are rubber bands that come with the lego sets allowed to be used to keep cards together for the crazy 8's mission? Doug's Response General Rule 2-4 states LEGO Brand pieces are allowed. Yes, you can use LEGO Brand rubber bands. They usually have a distinct color so we can identify them. Make sure that at least 1 card is Touching the mat. If the rubber band ellivates the cards such that NO card is Touching the mat, then you will recieve NO score. 1/21/26 |
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Mission 6A: On the Green Question from Stephen Does the golf ball have to be completely in the white, in order to score the 40 points, or can it be partially in? Response from Doug 1st, The entire "Green" area under the Quad Platform is considered the "On the Green" area. 2nd, As long as any part of the golf ball is "Completely" or "Partially" in the Green area or the White cup area, you will receive a score of 40 Points.
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Mission 7: String Time Question from Amanda Do the dominos have to be lying flat or can they be standing up or on their side? Doug's Response I am struggling with how to answer this question. I watched the video several times. I read the Mission wording. To play the game you need to be able to see the dimples. I did NOT state that the dominos need to be flat. In the video I stated teams did NOT need to place the domino dimples up. I also stated the dimple count did not have to match from domino to domino. So I am not following the game rules. I did state that the dominos should be in a "Row". But then I also stated that they did not have to touch each other. I also stated that the dominos would score if they were caotically placed between the Black Line and the Wall. So Yes, the Dominos will score whether they are flat or standing, as long as a minimum of 5 dominos are in a scoring position. 1/21/26 |
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Mission 8 Bowling Question from Daniel Clarify the scoring of the Bowling Pins as shared with Doug's email on March 3. Doug's Response Here is my clarification.
Mission 8: Make a Spare Oh No! The dreaded “7/10 Split”, a bowler's worst enemy. Make a spare by knocking both pins off their circles. (C )
- The GT Missions & Rules document states to knock both pins off their circle(Completely).
- The GT Coaches Meeting video states to knock both over.
- You are correct that the GT Mission Object Starting/Scoring Position document does not show the scenario you address.
To be consistent across all areas of the robot and mission objects, per General Rules 5-8 through 5-11(which refers directly to the robot), the mission objects have historically followed these same rules to be considered "In, On, Above, and so on" the target area to score or not to score.
Because the GT Missions & Rules document states"(C )", Completely, the Bowling Pin must be Completely off (In, On, Above and so on) the white circle to score. This is consistent with how other mission objects are scored and have been scored when considering: Partially, Completely, In, On, Above and so on.
General Rule 8-1 Annual Challenge: The Annual Challenge Rules and Missions documents may override the General Rules. Follow the Annual Challenge Rules and Missions document first, then the General Rules. Should a General Rule conflict with the rules/missions of the Challenge Annual Rules and Missions without being notated in the Annual Challenge Rules and Missions, teams should notify the RCX Program Manager and request a rule clarification. Review the Q&A for clarification. Absent of a rule clarification at the time of the tournament, the Head Referee will make a ruling to benefit both the team and the integrity of the RCX Program.
RCX Program Tournament Policy Document
The Host, referees, coaches, students and any volunteers who will make decisions at the tournament, should review the RCX General Rules, Annual Challenge Rules and Missions, RCX Program Tournament Policy and the RCX website “Q&A”. The Annual Challenge Rules will override the RCX General Rules. The printed RCX General Rules and Annual Challenge Rules override the videos. The Q&A responses posted at the RCX website overrides all. Absent any formal document or website clarification, the Host of the Tournament, in collaboration with the Head Referee will make a final ruling at their tournament.
This was a ruling made at the Bowling Green Area Tournament to clarify how the Bowling Pins would score. Therefore, all regions will follow the same rule.
3/4/26
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Mission 9: Volley Question from Rachael What should we do if the shuttlecock brakes? Doug's Response As stated in the Coaches Meeting video, I am trying different materials for the Mission Objects. The shuttlecock is an example of material I will not use in the future. What should the school do? So, if you need to replace your team's shuttlecock, go to Target, Walmart, Dicks or other retailer and buy a pack of shuttlecocks. Make sure they are the same size. Use these to practice with. Bring 1 or2 to the tournament with your team. You will be allowed to use your shuttlecock in place of the RCX one at any tournament. Sorry for this confusion. |
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Mission 10: Connect 4 Question from Daniel Clarify the scoring of the Connect 4 chips as shared with Doug's email on March 3. Doug's Response The 4 chips must be "Facing out", edge to edge(they do NOT have to be touching).
Also, not emphasized by me in the last email, the GT Coaches Meeting video states all 4 chips "must be in a row", straight line. Not bent or at any angle.
Chips may not overlap another chip, individually, or collectively.
3/4/26
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Mission 11: Let's Play Chess Question from Janet Are the chess pieces counted as Partial or Complete? Response from Doug Each Chess piece scores separately. The Chess piece MUST be vertical. The Chess pieces can score both "Partially In" &/or "Completely In". |
