Chapter 4: Robot Inspection
Introduction
The first part of this course built the shared foundation every referee needs: the roles referees play and how Teamwork and Robot Skills Matches are scored. With your Scorekeeper Referee Certification complete, this chapter begins the Head Referee pathway. The remaining chapters focus on the additional responsibilities Head Referees carry — applying rules, resolving disputes, and making the final rulings that keep an event fair. That work begins before a robot ever reaches the field.
Before any robot competes, it must be inspected. Inspection confirms that a robot meets the construction rules in the Game Manual so that every team competes under the same standards. This chapter explains why inspection matters, how to work through the inspection checklist with a team, and how to handle the outcome of an inspection — including when a robot must be re-inspected.
At many VEX IQ competition events, Head Referees inspect robots alongside other inspectors. When they do not, inspectors handle the routine checks and bring any questions they cannot resolve to the Head Referee, who has final authority on all robot rules. Either way, the inspection process is a core part of the Head Referee's responsibilities.
The time to complete this chapter is approximately 30 minutes.
In This Chapter
You will learn why a robot must pass inspection before it competes and how to verify each item accurately and consistently, including robot size across all legal starting configurations. You will also learn the possible outcomes of an inspection and how to communicate results clearly and supportively to a team.