13 Event Rules
FIRST is committed to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion and as such, FIRST makes reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities that request accommodation. If a participant needs an accommodation for an event, please talk to a volunteer at the event or contact your local leadership before the event so they can help ensure the accommodation is provided. Local leadership may make exceptions to event rules to allow for reasonable accommodations given the exceptions do not create an undue hardship or cause safety concerns.
Safety is always paramount, and many rules are intended to establish norms at each event that will mitigate injury risk to all participants.
Event staff have the final decision authority for all safety-related issues within a venue.
13.1 General Rules
The rules below apply throughout an event, i.e. from when Load-In begins to when Load-Out is complete.
Universal Violation
Additional rule specific violations, if applicable, are listed with their corresponding rule.
E101 *Personal safety comes first.
All team members must observe the following safety practices throughout the event:
A. wear safety glasses (only ANSI-approved, UL Listed, CE EN166 rated, AS/NZS certified, or CSA rated non-shaded) while in and around the playing
B. wear closed toed/heeled shoes.
C. tie back long hair while working on or around a
D. wear appropriate clothing.
E. walk in the venue.
F. health and safety requirements in place for that event (e.g. mask wearing).
For more information about safety at FIRST Robotics Competition events, please reference the Safety Manual.
E102 *Be nice.
All participants must be gracious and professional at all times while attending FIRST Robotics Competition events. Uncivil behavior toward any participants is not tolerated.
Examples of inappropriate behavior include, but are not limited to
A. use of offensive language or other uncivil conduct,
B. intentionally blocking the view of other participants or spectators for an extended period (team members momentarily holding up team signs while directly supporting their team is not considered a violation of this rule.), and
C. jamming or interfering with the remote sensing capabilities of a
Examples of remote sensing capabilities include, but are not limited to, vision systems, acoustic range finders, sonars, and infrared proximity sensors.
Use of imagery that, to a reasonably astute observer, mimics the AprilTags employed on the
Examples of particularly contemptible behavior that may result in ejection from the event include, but are not limited to, the following:
A. assault, e.g. throwing something that hits another person (even if unintended),
B. threat, e.g. saying something like “if you don’t reverse that call, I’ll make you regret it,”
C. harassment, e.g. badgering someone with no new information after a decision’s been made or a question’s been answered,
D. bullying, e.g. using body or verbal language to cause another person to feel inadequate,
E. insulting, e.g. telling someone they don’t deserve to be on a team,
F. swearing at another person (versus swearing under one’s breath or at oneself), and
G. yelling at another person(s) in anger or frustration.
Use of imagery that, to a reasonably astute observer, mimics the AprilTags employed on the
E103 *Children with adults, please.
Children under 12 must be accompanied in the pits by an adult at all times.
E104 *Respect the venue.
Teams may not damage the venue, including but not limited to bleachers, floors, walls, railings, etc., in any way.
E105 *Teams must check in.
An adult team member must check in at the Pit Administration station no later than 90 minutes before Qualification
Event check-in takes place at the Pit Administration station the evening before and/or the first morning of each event.
Once a team’s consent and release forms are submitted at Pit Administration, each team will receive their
E106 *Some event resources for event teams only.
Only teams registered for an event may use that event’s Competition
E107 *Practice only when/where permitted.
Teams may only practice with their
Teams may not set up their own practice equipment outside their pit. When practicing in their pit, safety must remain the top priority. If Event Management determines a pit practice setup is unsafe or interferes with activity in adjacent pits or aisles, the team must discontinue the activity.
E108 *Work in designated areas only.
At the event venue, teams may only produce
A. in their pit area,
B. in another team’s pit area with permission from that team,
C. while queued for a
D. any area designated by Event Staff (e.g. Playoff Pit Area, etc.), or
E. as permitted at provided machine shops that are available to all teams.
E109 *Some things don’t belong at events.
Do not bring or use the following:
A. skateboards
B. ‘hoverboards’
C. drones
D. bottled gas tanks (e.g. helium)
E. noisy devices or noisemakers, such as floor stompers, whistles and/or air horns
F. walkie-talkies
G. scooters, except for those used for accommodations
E110 *Don’t arrange for additional utilities.
Do not arrange for power, internet access, or phone lines from venue service providers or attempt to use venue internet connections reserved for event purposes (e.g. the
E111 *Don’t sell stuff.
Teams may not conduct sales at an event. This includes, but is not limited to, raffle tickets, food, hats, shirts, candy, water, soft drinks, fruit, or any promotional products.
E112 *Don’t give out food.
Teams may not distribute food to others at an event.
E113 *Make FIRST loud, but with restrictions.
Do not invite or bring live bands to play in the audience. Do not play loud music.
E114 *Hang banners with care.
Be respectful when hanging your banners.
A. Do not cover or move other team or sponsor signs already in place.
B. Share the available space fairly with other teams.
C. Do not obstruct the view of spectators.
D. Get permission from the Event Coordinator before hanging banners outside of your pit.
E. Hang signs and banners in a safe manner.
F. Banners hung outside team pits must not be larger than 25 ft.2 (2.3 m2).
We encourage teams to bring team flags and/or signs for display in their pits and/or the playing
To find your Event Coordinator, inquire at the Pit Administration desk.
Respect venue-specific rules regarding sign location and hanging methods. At the end of the event, safely remove all signs and anything used to hang the signs (tape, string, etc.).
E115 *Limit flag and flagpole size.
Flags and flagpoles may not be of unreasonable size and weight.
As a guideline, reasonable flags are less than 3 ft. by 5 ft. (~91 cm by 152 cm) in size and weigh less than 2 lbs. (~907g). Reasonable flagpoles may not be more than 8 ft. (~243 cm) long and weigh less than 3 lbs. (~1360g).
E116 *No firearms.
Firearms are prohibited at all FIRST events for all FIRST programs, including without limitation, all official FIRST Events posted here. This policy does not apply to law enforcement or venue security personnel.
E117 *Inspection for Practice Fields.
A team may only use the designated event practice areas with a
13.2 Machine Shops
Some events host a machine shop, open during specific hours (see the event’s agenda), to help teams with repair and fabrication of their
In most cases, the machine shop is on site and readily accessible to all teams. If a team attends an event where the Machine Shop is off-site, volunteers are in place to transport the
E201 *The ROBOT goes alone to off-site machine shops.
Team members may not travel to off-site machine shops with the
Teams may travel to the off-site machine shop on their own, either by walking or using their own vehicle, but all
13.3 Wireless Rules
E301 *No wireless communication.
Teams may not set up their own 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax/be wireless communication (e.g. access points or ad-hoc networks) in the venue.
A wireless hot spot created by a cellular device, camera, smart TV, etc. is considered an access point.
Some smart TVs have access points enabled by factory default. Please make sure that functionality is
E302 *Don’t interfere with wireless networks.
Participants may not interfere, attempt to interfere, or attempt to connect with any other team or FIRST wireless communication except as expressly allowed for purposes of communicating with their team’s
Teams are encouraged to report suspected wireless security vulnerabilities to the FIRST Technical Advisor (
E303 *Tethered operation outside FIELDS/Practice Fields.
E304 *Practice Field wireless via event radios only.
If operating wirelessly on the Practice
13.4 Load-In
Events set specific time frames, published on the event’s schedule, in which teams are invited to load their
Load-In can be stressful for teams and volunteers, which can be mitigated by preparation and planning. Unanticipated factors, like traffic or weather, can change a team’s scheduled arrival time, making the process difficult. The most important things a team should remember are to be safe, gracious, and professional. Teams who experience smooth and easy Load-Ins are encouraged to check with others to see if they can help and make their experience as positive as possible.
E401 *Load in during Load-In.
Teams may not bring the
A. exceptions listed in R302
B. raw stock
C.
D. gearboxes attached to associated motor(s)
E. assembled wheels
F. exceptional circumstances that result in a team not being able to make the Load-In time and has made arrangements with Event Management.
There are no rules that explicitly restrict items that may be brought into the venue during the designated Load-In period.
If an event does not have a designated Load-In period on its Public Schedule, the designated Load-In period begins when pits open and ends when opening ceremonies start.
During Load-In, teams are not limited to a single trip, and are encouraged to be as efficient and safe as possible.
E402 *Load-In person limit is 5.
Only 5 team members (one of which must be an adult) may be in the pit area during any Load-In period prior to pits opening.
E403 *Load-In to your pit only.
Teams may only bring materials to and
E404 *Pit must be left in a safe state.
Teams must have their pits in a safe state by the time pits close (even if some tasks are left undone).
E405 *Once done, head out.
Unless assisting other teams per the introductory language in this section, teams must
If an event has designated Early Pit Setup times both the evening before and the morning before pits officially open, a team may use both periods for Load-In and setup, but per this rule must
13.5 Pits
A team pit is the designated space, usually 10 ft. by 10 ft. by 10 ft. (~3 m x 3 m x 3 m), where a team may work on their
Teams, volunteers, FIRST staff, and guests spend a lot of time in the pits. Get to know other teams and help each other when you can. Time is short and help is very often right "next door" in the adjacent team pits.
Small, bench-top machinery, with appropriate guards, is permitted in team pits. ‘Small’ machinery is machinery that can be easily lifted by one person and examples include, but are not limited to, small band saws, drill presses, desktop CNC mills, and sanders.
E501 *Pits are unavailable if closed.
Teams may not be in their team pit outside the designated pit hours.
E502 *Stay in your pit.
Teams may neither allow their materials to expand beyond their team pit (including running power or internet lines from their team pit to any other area), swap team pits with other teams, nor move themselves to empty team pits.
E503 *Keep aisles clear.
Aisles must be kept clear.
E504 *No sparks.
Tools that throw sparks or produce open flames are prohibited.
Examples of tools that violate this rule include, but are not limited to, welders, bench and angle grinders, gas torches, etc.
E505 *Nothing too big.
Floor standing power tools are prohibited.
Examples include but are not limited to full-size drill presses, band saws, and table saws.
E506 *No brazing or welding.
Brazing/welding is prohibited.
E507 *Solder with specific tools only.
Soldering may be done using an electric iron/gun only.
E508 *Structures must be safe.
Teams may not build any structure that supports people or stores items overhead.
E509 *Secure team identification assets.
Team signs, flags, and displays must be securely mounted to the pit structure.
13.6 ROBOT Carts
Most teams use carts to transport their
E601 *Carts must be safe and easy to use.
Carts must be easy to
E602 *Carts shouldn’t be too big.
Carts must fit through a standard 30-inch door.
E603 *Carts can’t park anywhere.
Carts must remain in the team pit (or cart staging area if during a
E604 *No noisy carts.
Carts may not be equipped with music or other sound-generating devices, except for devices of reasonable volume used for safety purposes (e.g. to make others in the vicinity aware that a
E605 *No motor driven carts.
E606 *Small ROBOT carts are allowed on the FIELD.
13.7 Ceremonies
At every event, there are Opening and Closing Ceremonies to show honor and respect for represented countries, sponsors, teams, mentors, volunteers, and award winners. Ceremonies provide everyone with the opportunity to collectively applaud the successes of all participants. They also give teams a chance to "meet" the volunteers and other people and sponsors involved with the event. Closing Ceremony elements at the end of the event are integrated into and presented between Playoff
At the Awards Ceremony, FIRST presents trophies and medallions to outstanding teams. All team members are encouraged to attend the ceremonies, be punctual, and show appreciation to volunteers that staffed the event.
E701 *If in the pits during Ceremonies, shhhhhh.
During Ceremonies outside of Playoff
A. use power tools
B. use loud hand tools (hammers, saws, etc.)
C. shout, yell, or use loud voices, unless as a demonstration of approval during a ceremonial activity.
E702 *Pit person limit during Ceremonies is 5.
No more than 5 team members may be in the pits during Ceremonies outside of Playoff
E703 *Be respectful during anthems.
Team members, including any remaining in the pits, should exhibit peaceful behavior during the presentation of all national anthems. Traditionally, team members stand to face the flag, remove hats, and either sing along or maintain a respectful silence during the anthems of all nations present at the event. If team members wish to abstain, they have a right to do so, as long as they remain silent and non-disruptive.
13.8 In the Stands
E801 *No saving seats.
Teams are not permitted to save or designate seats for team members that are not present.
Teams may not hang banners or ribbons or otherwise designate seating. (Event staff will remove and discard any banners, roping, etc., used to designate seating.) Please take turns sitting in the bleachers/stands if seating is limited. If there is a crowding problem, we ask that you kindly
Event management may reserve seats for attendees who require accommodations.
E802 *Don’t throw items from the stands.
Items may not be thrown from audience seating.
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