Bean Bag Bash Question and Answer Page

Below is a list of previously submitted questions. Please submit any further questions regarding Bean Bag Bash to .

Q1. What is the "Home zone?" Is it the "End zone", the "Starting zone" or something else?

A1. The "Home Zone" is the same as the "End Zone" which is the area behind the walls on your side of the field.

Q2. What is the "Goal box?" (Is it the same thing as the "Starting zone?")

A2. The "Goal box" is the same as the "Starting Zone" but any removal of beanbags from the field results in a 10 point penalty.

Q3. Can you give us a ball source and/or specification (4" or 5", type?), so that we may come up with a ball for tryout/practice?

A3. It is a 5 inch diameter ball. We actually obtained these balls at Summerfest as a giveaway. They are red and made of lightweight, hard plastic, but are not so hard that you couldn't (permanently) deform them by crushing them with your hand or stepping on them. I wouldn't expect that they would weigh more than a few ounces. It really does feel like you're holding a feather.

Q4. Is de-scoring of bean bags or balls allowed?

A4. De-scoring of the ball is allowed, but not of the beanbags, or a 10 point penalty will result. There is no restriction on how many beanbags you may have in your possession at one time.

Q5. Can opponents' bean bags or ball be removed from the field?

A5. Removing things from the field purposefully will result in a 10 point penalty, however clear accidents will be overlooked, but please remember that doing this is not in the spirit of gracious professionalism.

Q6. Can you provide more details about the scoring tiers (i.e. number of chains, attachment points, doughnut material and finish, etc.)? Do the radii given refer to the outermost edge of each doughnut?

A6. There are 8 chain locations spaced evenly around the tower. each connection point is half an inch in from the closest border. in other words, the inner rim of the bottom tier is connected to the outer rim of the second tier. The connections were made by drilling holes through the material and feeding through a loop of braided cable through which the chain is hooked.

The only difference is that the connections made on the outer edge of the second tier are done with multiple passes of string covered by electrical tape (to create a better playing surface for ya'll) the radii refer to the outer edge of the higher tier AND the inner edge of the lower, so 6.5 is the outer edge of the second tier and the inner edge of the bottom one. The bottom tier is made of 1/4in thick blood red acrylic with a matte finish (NOTE: any matte finish will do, as blood red is rather expensive) the second is made of 1/4in thick black expanded PVC foam, and the rest of the structure is acrylic.

Q7. If a human player unintentionally hits a robot with a bean bag, will he/she be removed?

A7. No, but again, purposefully doing so would not be in the spirit of gracious professionalism

Q8. What can the human player do with the robot during the match? The rules state the human player can repair the robot - can they pick it up? What makes it "broken?"

A8. What we intended with this rule is to give you a buffer, in case you forgot to attach your wires after a modification or something minor of that nature. (We hate when that happens to us). This doesn't mean you can bring in a large toolkit and do a full rebuild during a match, just the tools from the VEX kit. The most we might expect in actual physical fixing would be tightening or replacing a key screw, otherwise, we shouldn't see much of this. It should also be expected that this be done directly in front of the boundaries or nearby. Picking it up is fine, just don't move away from the field. Pick it up, fix what's wrong, and set it down again.

Q9. What is the weight of the bean bag? Also, what is the weight of the ball?

A9. THe beanbags each weigh 3 oz. The ball does not weigh enough to give me a reading on my scale. Therefore size is really the only obstacle to overcome in lifting it.

P.S. I know you have been waiting for the official weight of the bean bags for awhile now. I would like to thank you for your patience and sincerely apologize for having taken so long, as I have recently been caught up in back to school activities.
- Sarah Wittmann