[Al Skierkiewicz]

IKE,
It depends on a lot of factors. If it is a major design issue as Andy has pointed out, there is really no way that the robot can play as is so the major issue has to be addressed right away. These can be more than the allowed motors in the drive system, the robot is too big or too heavy, has the bumpers mounted in the wrong area or not supported, etc.
If an actuator motor is illegal and the robot can still drive and perform other functions, then it is simple to remove the breaker while the team decides what is best and how to proceed. If a mechanism is illegal for some reason, a team can tie it down or disable in any fashion they wish. A team should not be allowed to play with these glaring violations but they should not be prevented from playing if we can make the offending item disabled or unpowered. A 28" cylinder for instance, is just so much ballast if the tubing is removed and the shaft is tied in place.
Good inspectors will do everything they can to get you playing. Many years ago, Andy and I were inspecting at an event. Andy found a team with an illegal motor and brought it to my attention. Both of us approached the team, identified the problem and started to discuss a solution. The team was really downhearted, both mentors and students as this device was their main strategy and they challenged the rules. We gave them a copy and showed them what rule we thought applied and left them to read and discuss it. They came back and agreed with us and said they would remove the motor. We offered help and suggestions (you can't hardly get better mechanical help than Andy) but they said they would just disable and we continued with inspection, which they passed. A short while later they came back and said they had redesigned with a legal motor that had more power and better response. They thanked us profusely and went on to place very high for that weekend. One of my best success stories.
As to minor issues like taped terminals, frayed wires, obvious sharp edges, etc., I have the team start working on them while I continue with inspection. I can guide them and show them the best method, inspect their work while I am there, test the fix etc. If everything else passes, I will tell them to continue working while I get signatures and the sticker and that is usually enough time to complete or get most of the way there. I would encourage you to inspect IKE. Plan on spending at least an hour or two working along side an experienced inspector. If you want to come to Chicago, I would be glad to show you the ropes. You have to ready though, I go pretty quick and talk fast.