5 ARENA

The

includes all elements of the game infrastructure that are required to play REEFSCAPESM presented by Haas: the , SCORING ELEMENTS, queue area, team media area, designated area, and all equipment needed for , , and scorekeeping.

The

is modular and assembled, used, disassembled, and shipped many times during the competition season. It undergoes wear and tear. The is designed to withstand rigorous play and frequent shipping. Every effort is made to ensure that are consistent from event to event. However, are assembled in different venues by different event staff and some small variations occur. For details regarding assembly tolerances, please refer to the 2025

ARENA

Layout and Marking Diagram. Successful teams will design that are insensitive to these variations.

Illustrations included in this section are for a general visual understanding of the REEFSCAPE

, and dimensions included in the manual are nominal. Please refer to the official drawings for exact dimensions, tolerances, and construction details. The official drawings, CAD models, and drawings for low-cost versions of important elements of the REEFSCAPE are posted on the REEFSCAPE Playing

FIELD

web page on the FIRST website.

5.1

FIELD

Each

for REEFSCAPE is an approximately 26 ft. 5 in. (~805 cm) by 57 ft. 6⅞ in. (~1 755 cm) carpeted area bounded by inward facing surfaces of the WALLS, STATIONS, and openings, and guardrails.

The

is populated with and surrounded by the following elements:

• 1
  REEF
  per
  ALLIANCE
  ,
• 1
  PROCESSOR
  per
  ALLIANCE
  ,
• 2
  CORAL
  STATIONS per
  ALLIANCE
  , and
• 1
  BARGE
  which consists of 3
  CAGES
  and 1
  NET
  for each
  ALLIANCE
  .

The surface of the

is low pile carpet, Shaw Floors, Philadelphia Commercial, Neyland II 20, “66561 Medallion.” Neyland II carpet is not available for purchase, and the closest equivalent is Shaw, Philadelphia Brand, Profusion 20, Style 54933; see results from FIRST’s evaluation in this blog post.

Carpet edges and seams are secured with 3MTM Premium Matte Cloth (Gaffers) Tape GT2, GT3 or comparable Gaffer’s Tape. Tears, rips, and damage to the carpet may be repaired with the same styles of tape and

must be prepared to operate on surfaces made of carpet, tape, or combinations of both materials as repairs are made through the course of competition.

Guardrails form the long edges of the

. Guardrails are a 1 ft. 8 in. (~51 cm) tall system of transparent polycarbonate supported on the top and bottom by aluminum extrusion. There are 4 gates in the guardrail that allow access to the for placement and removal of . The gate passthrough, when open, is 3 ft. 2 in. (~97 cm) wide. Gates are closed and shielded during the .

There are 2 versions of guardrails and

STATIONS used for competitions. 1 design is reflected in the 2025 Official FIRST

FIELD

Drawings & Models. The other is designed and sold by AndyMark. While the designs are slightly different, the critical dimensions, performance, and expected user experience between them are the same unless otherwise noted. Detailed drawings for the AndyMark design are posted on the AndyMark website. All illustrations in this manual show the traditional design.

5.2 Areas, Zones, & Markings

areas, zones, and markings of consequence are described below. Unless otherwise specified, the tape used to mark lines and zones throughout the is 2 in. (~51 mm) 3M™ Premium Matte Cloth (Gaffers) Tape (GT2), ProGaff® Premium Professional Grade Gaffer Tape, or comparable gaffers tape.

• ALLIANCE
  AREA: a 18 ft. 1¼ in. wide by 13 ft. 10⅜ in. deep (~552 cm by 423 cm) infinitely tall volume formed by, and including the
  ALLIANCE
  WALL,
  CORAL
  STATION AREAs, the edge of the carpet, and white colored tape perpendicular to the
  Driver
  Stations.
• BARGE
  ZONE: a 3 ft. 10 in. deep by 12 ft. 2½ in. long (~117 cm by 372 cm)., infinitely tall, 4-sided volume surrounding the
  ALLIANCE
  ’S half of the
  BARGE
  . It is bounded by and includes the ALLIANCE-colored tape.
• CORAL
  MARK: 1 of 6 4 in. by 4 in. (~102 mm by 102 mm) “+” marks used to identify placement of
  CORAL
  before the
  MATCH
  . Marks are made with black tape.
• CORAL
  STATION AREA: a 5 ft. 10⅞ in. wide by 13 ft. 10⅜ in. ft deep (~180 cm by 423 cm) infinitely tall volume bounded by the
  CORAL
  STATION, edge of carpet, and
  ALLIANCE
  and white colored tape.
• HUMAN STARTING LINE: a white line spanning the
  ALLIANCE
  AREA between the
  CORAL
  STATION AREAs that is parallel to and located 2 ft. (~61 cm) from the bottom square tube of the
  ALLIANCE
  WALL to the near edge of the tape.
• PROCESSOR
  AREA: a 3 ft. 7⅜ in. wide by 7 ft. 6 in. deep (~110 cm by 229 cm) infinitely tall volume formed by, and including, the
  ALLIANCE
  colored tape, guardrail, and the
  PROCESSOR
  wall.
• REEF
  ZONE: an infinitely tall 6-sided, 7 ft. 9½ in. wide (face to face) (~237 cm), volume surrounding the
  ALLIANCE
  ’S
  REEF
  . It is bounded by and includes the ALLIANCE-colored tape.
• ROBOT
  STARTING LINE: a black line that spans the width of the
  FIELD
  between each
  REEF
  and the
  BARGE
  . It is positioned such that it is 7 ft. 4 in. (~224 cm) from the
  REEF
  .

5.3

REEF

A

is 1 of 2 5 ft. 5 ½ in. (~166 cm) hexagonal structures with that extend from each side where are scored. Each has a dedicated centered between each guardrail and located 12 ft. away from the WALL. Each has 4 levels to score on Level 1 (L1), Level 2 (L2), Level 3 (L3), and Level 4 (L4).

The base of each

has a trough (L1) into which can score . The trough includes the angled and vertical surfaces, as well as the top of the front edge as shown in Figure 5‑7. The front edge of the trough is 1 ft. 6 in. (~46 cm) off the carpet.

Vertical pipes extend up from the base, and pipes on the same face are 1 ft. 1 in. (~33 cm) apart (center to center). The pipes are made out of 1-¼ in. Schedule 40 Steel. Each pipe has 3

which are angled or compound extensions from the vertical pipes.

L2 is the 12 lowest level

and are angled up at 35°. The highest point of the L2 is 2 ft. 7⅞ in. (~81 cm) from the carpet and is inset 1⅝ in. (~41 mm) from the base.

L3 is the 12 mid-level

and are angled up at 35°. The highest point of the L3 is 3 ft. 11⅝ in. (~121 cm) from the carpet and is inset 1⅝ in. (~41 mm) from the base.

L4 is the 12 highest-level

and they are vertical. The highest point of the L4 is 6 ft. (~183 cm) from the carpet and is inset 1⅛ in. (~29 mm) from the base.

For scoring purposes, the

of the are tracked in as follows:

5.4

BARGE

The

is a 29 ft. 2 in. (889 cm) wide, 3 ft. 8 in. (~112 cm) deep, and 8 ft. 5 in. (~257 cm) tall structure that spans the center of the . It is made of truss structure supported by legs just outside the guardrail. The includes 6 , a red and blue , and all structure supporting and . The horizontal truss structure is 5 ft. 2 in. (~157 cm) above the carpet and is supported in the center of the by vertical truss and supporting materials. The has three locations on each side located 3 ft. 5½ in., 7 ft. ⅜ in., 10 ft. 7⅜ in. (~105 cm, ~214 cm, ~324 cm) from mid to the center of the .

The

has three segments of lights on each side of the truss which indicate progression toward and completion of the Coopertition Bonus and the final 20 seconds in the . One segment will light up each time an is scored in the . Once each has scored two all six segments will illuminate. The lights will flash to indicate that there are 20 seconds left in the .

5.4.1

CAGE

are 2 ft. tall and 7⅜ in. wide (outside dimension) (~61 cm tall and ~19 cm wide) rectangular structures. Each is a welded structure made of 4 steel 1-⅜ in. Schedule 40 pipes, a bottom plate, a top plate, and an eyebolt with fastening hardware. are suspended from the truss structure in specific locations as shown in Figure 5‑9 and hang at shallow or deep positions according to the corresponding team’s selection (see section 6.3.5 for details) such that the bottom of the is 3½ in. (~89 mm) and 2 ft. 5⅜ in. (~75 cm) from the carpet respectively. Deep are suspended using chain that is 19 links of ¼-in. Grade 43 zinc plated chain.

are a collection of surfaces at the top of the and chain assembly that include the following items and as shown in Figure 5‑11:

• A. the top surface of the
  CAGE
  top plate,
• B. the chain,
• C. both carabiners,
• D. the portion of the eye bolt extending above the
  CAGE
  top plate,
• E. the eye nut attached to the
  BARGE
  ,
• F. the upper end surfaces of the
  CAGE
  pipes, and
• G. the inside surfaces of the
  CAGE
  pipes.

5.4.2

NET

A

is a goal in which an scores . The is ¼ in. (~6 mm) knit polyester mesh, 4 ft. (~122 cm) wide by 12 ft. (~366 cm) long with a sewn cord border. It is available for purchase from AndyMark, am-5522. It is suspended from the top of the such that its lowest point hangs 6 ft. 4 in. (~193 cm) above the carpet. There is a for the Blue and for the Red .

5.5

PROCESSOR

A

is a goal into which an scores . There is 1 per . The is integrated into the guardrail near the ’S ZONE and adjacent to the opponent’s AREA. Each has a rectangular opening through which score which is 2 ft. 4 in. wide (~71 cm), 1 ft. 8 in. tall (~51 cm), and 7 in. (~18 cm) from the carpet.

Once an

passes through the , it rolls past a scoring sensor array and into the opponent’s AREA. To keep the clear for scoring, the HUMAN PLAYER can shift scored on top of the where there are designated holders.

5.6

ALLIANCE

WALL

The

WALL separates from DRIVE TEAM members in the AREA. It consists of 3 STATIONS.

5.6.1

DRIVER

STATIONS

A

STATION is 1 of 3 assemblies within an WALL behind which a DRIVE TEAM operates their . Each STATION is made from a 3 ft. ¾ in. (~93 cm) tall diamond plate base topped with a 3 ft. 6 in. (~107 cm) tall transparent plastic sheet and a top rail. An aluminum shelf is attached to each STATION to support an OPERATOR CONSOLE. The shelf is 5 ft. 9 in. (~175 cm) wide and 1 ft. ¼ in. (~31 cm) deep. There is a 4 ft. 6 in. (~137 cm) long by 2 in. (nominal) wide strip of hook-and-loop tape (“loop” side) along the center of the support shelf that may be used to secure the OPERATOR CONSOLE to the shelf. The shelf also includes two clips to hold the shelf in place with a 1 in. (~25 mm) by 2 in. (~51 mm) thick tab that sits on the top surface of the shelf.

Each

STATION contains the following elements for DRIVE TEAMS:

• 1 Ethernet cable: attaches to the Ethernet port of the OPERATOR CONSOLE and provides connectivity to the
  FIELD
  Management System (
  FMS
  )
• 1 120VAC NEMA 5-15R power outlet (i.e. standard US outlet): located on each
  DRIVER
  STATION shelf and protected by its own 2-Amp circuit breaker. It can be used to power the OPERATOR CONSOLE. DRIVE TEAMS are responsible for monitoring their power consumption as a tripped breaker in the outlet does not constitute an
  ARENA
  FAULT. For some events in regions that don’t use NEMA 5-15 shaped outlets, event organizers may install appropriate plug adapters to be used throughout the event.
• 1 Emergency Stop (E-Stop) button: located on the left side of the
  DRIVER
  STATION shelf and is used to deactivate a
  ROBOT
  in an emergency
• 1 Autonomous Stop (A-Stop) button: located on the right side of the
  DRIVER
  STATION shelf and is used to DISABLE a
  ROBOT
  during
  AUTO
• 1 team sign: located at the top of each
  DRIVER
  STATION. The
  FIELD
  facing side of the sign displays the team number in the
  ALLIANCE
  color. The
  ALLIANCE
  AREA side of the sign displays the following information in red:
  • o Pre-MATCH: team number and
    ROBOT
    connection state
  • o During the
    MATCH
    :
• remaining
  MATCH
  period time,
• MATCH
  scores, and
• progress towards the
  CORAL
  RP
  threshold (n/a during the Playoff Tournament).

• 1 timer (in
  DRIVER
  STATION 2 only): displays the official time remaining in the
  MATCH
  period on the FIELD-facing side (in white) and a more detailed breakdown of
  CORAL
  scored on each level of the
  REEF
  on the TEAM-facing side. (in red).

• 1 team LED stack: indicates
  ALLIANCE
  color,
  ROBOT
  status, E-Stop and A-Stop status, and is centered at the top of each
  DRIVER
  STATION. The stack includes 2 identical ALLIANCE-colored
  ROBOT
  status LEDs above a third amber A-stop/E-stop LED. LED states are as follows:
  • o
    ROBOT
    status LEDs
• Solid: indicates that the
  ROBOT
  is connected and enabled. This only happens during a
  MATCH
  .
• Blinking: indicates that either the
  FMS
  is preset for the
  MATCH
  and the
  ROBOT
  is not connected yet, or it’s during a
  MATCH
  and the corresponding
  ROBOT
  is
  BYPASSED
  , has lost connectivity, or the E-stop was pressed.
• Off: indicates that the
  ROBOT
  is linked and
  DISABLED
  prior to the start of the
  MATCH
  . This light is also off, regardless of
  ROBOT
  connection status, after the
  MATCH
  has concluded.
  • o A-Stop/E-stop LED
• Solid: the
  ROBOT
  is
  DISABLED
  due to a press of the team E-stop button, the
  FIELD
  E-stop button, or by the scorekeeper via the
  FMS
  .
• Blinking: the
  ROBOT
  is
  DISABLED
  for the remainder of
  AUTO
  due to a press of the team A-Stop button.
• Off: the
  ROBOT
  is not
  DISABLED
  by the
  FIELD
  .
• FMS
  hardware and wiring: mostly located below shelves in the 2
  DRIVER
  STATIONS closer to the scoring table.

5.6.2

CORAL

STATION

A

STATION is an assembly through which HUMAN PLAYERS feed into the . There are 4 STATIONS, 1 in each corner of the connecting the guardrail to the WALL. Each STATION has a 6 ft. 4 in. wide by 7 in. tall (~193 cm wide by ~18 cm tall) opening through which passes to the ; the bottom of the opening is 3 ft. 1½ in. (~95 cm) from the carpet. A 55° sloped tunnel, called the , leads to the opening in the STATION.

5.7 SCORING ELEMENTS

SCORING ELEMENTS are items that teams use to score additional points. There are 2 types of SCORING ELEMENTS used in REEFSCAPE:

and .

5.7.1

CORAL

A

is a 11 ⅞ in. long (~30 cm) piece of 4 in. diameter Schedule 40 Cellular (Foam) Core PVC pipe. has a 4-in. (~102 mm) inside diameter and a 4½-in. (~11 cm) outside diameter. is available for purchase from AndyMark, am-5601 or can be cut from longer lengths of 4 in. diameter Schedule 40 Cellular (Foam) Core PVC pipe.

in the and at events has a weight of between 1.1-1.8 lbs. (~0.5-0.8 kg) and has text marking along the length of the pipe that may vary in color.

undergoes wear and tear during a competition. Generally, a that still appears to look approximately like a is considered a for the purposes of rule evaluation and scoring, whether damaged or not. Small chunks of a are not considered a .

5.7.2

ALGAE

Each

is a 16 in. (41 cm) ±½ in. (~12 mm) diameter rubber playground ball. The ball is custom made for FIRST by Baden Sports and sold by AndyMark am-5602.

At events,

will be inflated using a sizing gauge so that the diameter measures between 15.5 in. (~39 cm) and 16.5 in. (~42 cm)

5.8 AprilTags

AprilTags are 8⅛ in. (~21 cm) square targets located above

, , STATIONS and on . There are 22 unique markers on the , positioned as shown in Figure 5‑21.

All markers are from the 36h11 tag family, IDs 1-22. All AprilTags are mounted to and centered on a 10½ in. (~27 cm) square polycarbonate panel. Each marker has an identifying text label. If AprilTags experience wear and marking during

, they are repaired with gaffers tape.

STATION AprilTags (IDs 1, 2, 12, and 13) are mounted to the STATION. The bottom of each tag’s panel is 4 ft. 5¼ in. (~135 cm) above the carpet and centered on the STATION.

AprilTag panels (IDs 3 and 16) are 3 ft. 9⅞ in. (~117 cm) above the carpet and centered horizontally above the opening in the WALL.

AprilTag plates (IDs 6-11 and 17-22) are 6⅞ in. (~17 cm) above the carpet and centered horizontally on each of the faces .

AprilTag plates (IDs 4, 5, 14, 15) are 5 ft. 9 in. (~178 cm) above the carpet, approximately centered above the middle , and angled 30° from vertical.

For further marker locating information please refer to the 2025

Layout and Marking Diagram. Printable versions of the markers are available on the 2025 Playing

FIELD

webpage.

5.9 The

FIELD

Management System

The

Management System () is all the electronics responsible for sensing and controlling the FIRST Robotics Competition . The encompasses all electronics, including computers, touchscreens, the wireless access point, sensors, stack lights, A-Stops and E-Stops, etc.

When a DRIVE TEAM connects the Ethernet cable from their assigned

STATION to their OPERATOR CONSOLE, the Station Software on the OPERATOR CONSOLE computer communicates with . Once connected, the open ports available are described in Table 8‑5.

Note that

code cannot be deployed while connected to the . Additional information about the may be found in the

FMS

Whitepaper.

The

alerts participants to milestones in the using audio cues detailed in Table 5‑1. Please note that audio cues are intended as a courtesy to participants and not intended as official markers. If there is a discrepancy between an audio cue and the timers, the timers are the authority.

Event	Timer Value	Audio Cue
MATCH start	0:15 (for AUTO )	“Cavalry Charge”
AUTO ends	0:00 (for AUTO )	“Buzzer”
TELEOP begins	2:15	“3 Bells”
Final 20 seconds	0:20	“Submarine Sonar Ping”
MATCH end	0:00	“Buzzer”
MATCH stopped	n/a	“Foghorn”

5.10

FIELD

STAFF

STAFF are responsible for making sure the are cycled through efficiently, fairly, safely, and with a spirit of cooperation, Gracious Professionalism, and generosity of spirit. STAFF roles are filled by volunteers from the community who prepare for the event with thorough training and certification. There are 3 FIELD-side key volunteer roles with whom teams should be familiar and are encouraged to use as resources to make their event experience valuable (in whatever way the team defines “valuable”).

• Head
  REFEREE
  – trains, directs, and supervises
  REFEREES
  . They oversee all scoring processes and procedures in collaboration with the FIRST Technical Advisor (
  FTA
  ). They interact with
  STUDENTS
  , volunteers, and contracted/FIRST staff. The Head
  REFEREE
  is positioned between the
  FIELD
  and the scoring table and wears a yellow shirt. The Head
  REFEREE
  has final authority for decisions regarding
  MATCH
  scores, penalties, and YELLOW and RED CARD assignments. For additional details, please refer to the Head
  REFEREE
  role description.
• FIRST Technical Advisor (
  FTA
  ) - ensures events run smoothly, safely, and in accordance with FIRST requirements. The
  FTA
  collaborates with FIRST staff, event staff, and other event volunteers in many different areas at events. The
  FTA
  is the liaison between FIRST HQ and the event for all things related to the
  FIELD
  ,
  ROBOTS
  , and game, acts as a team advocate for all teams competing at the event and is a major point of escalation and conflict resolution for the event. For additional details, please refer to the
  FTA
  role description.
• FIELD
  Supervisor - directs activity on the
  FIELD
  to ensure efficient execution of the
  MATCHES
  , pacing of the event, and smooth flow of
  MATCH
  play.
  FIELD
  Supervisors are responsible for ensuring the
  FIELD
  is intact and lead
  FIELD
  Reset teams, who are responsible for resetting the
  FIELD
  after each
  MATCH
  in preparation for the subsequent
  MATCH
  . For additional details, please refer to the
  FIELD
  Supervisor role description.