Throughout the season, the Robotics Education and Competition (REC) Foundation makes updates to the Game Manual to accommodate realities on the ground. For the 2021-22 season, the manual was updated on August 31st with two important changes for coaches to be aware of.
Single Driver Teams Now Permitted
The REC Foundation updated the definition of "Team" and rule G8 to permit single-driver teams.
To accommodate the needs of schools and students navigating the Delta variant, single-driver teams were allowed again for the 2021-22 season. The intent was to provide flexibility for teams unable to meet in a traditional capacity due to local health guidelines — not to provide a strategic advantage.
The Rule
If only one Driver is present in the Driver Station, they may drive for the full Match, and a controller switch is not required. It is at the Team's discretion whether they wish to have one Driver or two. If two Drivers are present in the Driver Station, the controller switch rules would then apply.
The REC Foundation was clear: teamwork is a core tenet of the VEX IQ Challenge, and the two-student drive team is the intended standard. If a team had the capacity to include multiple students, it was expected they would not take advantage of the single-driver exception for strategic gain.
What This Means for Coaches
This update was important for coaches planning their season. Programs with attendance constraints or health-related limitations could field a single driver without penalty. Programs operating normally were encouraged to maintain the two-driver structure.
The Game Manual for the 2021-22 season is available on the VEX Robotics website. Coaches were encouraged to share this update with any new coaches joining their program, as many programs changed hands or restructured during 2020-21.