The Game Manual is the official rulebook for the V5 Robotics Competition Override game. It defines the game rules, scoring, field and game element specifications, robot and inspection requirements, and the Robot Skills Challenge for the current season. Teams, coaches, Event Partners, referees, and judges all reference the Game Manual to compete in and run events correctly.
The current V5 Override Game Manual is available here.
The Game Manual is updated throughout the season, so reviewing the latest version and change summary before each event ensures everyone is working from the same rules.
Scheduled Manual Updates
The Game Manual is updated throughout the season. Updates fall into two types: major updates, which may include gameplay or rule changes, and minor updates, which handle clarifications, typos, and formatting. The Game Design Committee may also issue unscheduled updates if it deems a change critical.
A schedule of updates can be found in Section 1 of the Game Manual and also is included here for your reference.
Known major release dates are as follows:
| Release Date | Effective Date | Version | What the update includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 27, 2026 | April 27, 2026 | Version 0.1 | Initial game release |
| May 14, 2026 | May 14, 2026 | N/A | Official Q&A system opens |
| June 4, 2026 | June 11, 2026 | Version 0.2 | Minor typographical errors or formatting issues found in the initial release, with very few rule changes expected |
| July 2, 2026 | July 9, 2026 | Version 1.0 | May include gameplay or rule changes inspired by input from the official Q&A system and the VEX community |
| August 6, 2026 | August 13, 2026 | Version 1.1 | Clarification / minor update |
| September 3, 2026 | September 10, 2026 | Version 2.0 | May include gameplay or rule changes inspired by early-season events |
| October 8, 2026 | October 15, 2026 | Version 2.1 | Clarification / minor update |
| December 3, 2026 | December 10, 2026 | Version 2.2 | Clarification / minor update |
| January 28, 2027 | February 4, 2027 | Version 3.0 | May include gameplay or rule changes inspired by mid-season events |
| March 25, 2027 | April 1, 2027 | Version 4.0 | May include gameplay or rule changes pertaining specifically to the VEX Robotics World Championship |
The version number on your copy of the Game Manual can be checked by looking at the footer of each page.
Q&A System
The Game Manual is the official source for rules, scoring, robot requirements, tournament procedures, definitions, and event expectations. The official Q&A is its companion. When a team, Event Partner, or Head Referee has closely reviewed the relevant rules and still cannot find a clear answer, they can ask the Game Design Committee for an official interpretation in the VEX V5 Robotics Competition Q&A System.
A Q&A response is not an opinion or a suggestion. Every response is an official ruling from the Game Design Committee and represents the correct and official interpretation of the rules — functionally an extension of the Game Manual itself.