FRCManual.com

Each 2025 FIRST Robotics Competition event is played in a tournament format. Each tournament consists of 3 types of

MATCHES

: Practice

MATCHES

(not necessarily played at all District Events), Qualification

MATCHES

, and Playoff

MATCHES

Practice

MATCHES

provide each team with an opportunity to operate its

ROBOT

on the

FIELD

prior to the start of the Qualification

MATCHES

Qualification

MATCHES

allow each team to earn Ranking Points which determine their seeding position and may qualify them for participation in the Playoff

MATCHES

Playoff

MATCHES

determine the event Champions.

10.1
MATCH
Schedules

MATCH

schedule is used to coordinate

MATCHES

at an Event. Figure 10‑1 details information shown on each schedule.

SURROGATE

MATCHES

are described in section 10.5.2

MATCH

Assignment.

Figure 10‑1 Sample
MATCH
schedule

10.2
MATCH
Replays

Over the course of the tournament, it may be necessary for a

MATCH

to be replayed. Typical causes for replays are

MATCHES

that end in a tie during the Playoffs (due to criteria listed in Table 10‑3 or any Finals

MATCH

MATCHES

that are stopped because

FIELD

STAFF anticipated

FIELD

damage or personal injury, or if there is an

ARENA

FAULT. An

ARENA

FAULT is an error in

ARENA

operation that includes, but is not limited to:

A. broken

FIELD

elements due to

a. normal, expected game play or

ROBOT

abuse of

FIELD

elements that affects the outcome of the

MATCH

for their opponents

A broken

FIELD

element caused by

ROBOT

abuse that affects the outcome of the

MATCH

for their

ALLIANCE

is not an

ARENA

FAULT.

B. power failure to a portion of the

FIELD

(tripping the circuit breaker in the

DRIVER

STATION is not considered a power failure),

C. improper activation by the

FMS

D. errors by

FIELD

STAFF (except those listed in section 6.8 Other Logistics), and

E. a

ROBOT

radio disconnect that impairs operation of other

ROBOTS

on the

FIELD

for more than 8 seconds.

If, in the judgment of the Head

REFEREE

, an

ARENA

FAULT occurs that affects the outcome of the

MATCH

and any team on the affected

ALLIANCE

desires a replay, the

MATCH

will be replayed. FIRST Headquarters reserves the right to, with consultation of the Head

REFEREE

and the

FTA

, replay a

MATCH

in which an

ARENA

FAULT impacts the outcome of an event.

The outcome of the

MATCH

is affected if an error occurs that, in the judgement of the Head

REFEREE

, changes which

ALLIANCE

would have won the

MATCH

and/or the assignment of Ranking Points.

The outcome of an event is affected if an error occurs that, in the judgement of FIRST Headquarters, changes the assignment of Ranking Points or has a dramatic effect on points used for ranking criteria.

Note that an

ARENA

FAULT that does not affect

MATCH

outcome, in the judgement of the Head

REFEREE

, does not lead to a

MATCH

replay. Examples include, but are not limited to:

A. a piece of

FIELD

plastic falls into the

FIELD

, far away from any human or

ROBOT

activity, and in such a way that it does not affect

MATCH

outcome,

B. delay in the playing of an

ARENA

sound,

C. mismatch between the timer on the audience screen and the

ARENA

timer,

D. any adjustment or delay in assignment of a penalty (including those made after the

MATCH

), and

E. the disconnect described in scenario E occurring before the last 20 seconds of the

MATCH

Examples of errors by

FIELD

STAFF include, but are not limited to:

F. a gate being left open when the

MATCH

starts,

G. mistakenly allowing a

ROBOT

in violation of I102 that hasn’t passed an initial, complete inspection to participate in the

MATCH

T201 *Replays will be the same. All reasonable effort is made to create the same conditions when replaying a

MATCH

caused by an

ARENA

FAULT or

FIELD

damage. This means, for example, that a team that was

BYPASSED

prior to the start of the

MATCH

which is to be replayed is

BYPASSED

for the replay

MATCH

ROBOT

and DRIVE TEAM starting locations do not need to be replicated when replaying a

MATCH

Violation:

MATCH

with not start until the situation is corrected

Per section 6.6.1 YELLOW and RED CARDS, cards assigned in previous

MATCHES

, including prior instances of the

MATCH

to be replayed, are not cleared.

10.3 Measurement

At each event, the

ARENA

will be open for at least 30 minutes prior to the start of Qualification

MATCHES

, during which time teams may survey and/or measure the

ARENA

and bring

ROBOTS

on the

FIELD

to perform sensor calibration. The specific time that the

FIELD

is open will be communicated to teams at the event. Teams may bring specific questions or comments to the

FTA

T301 *Freeze,

ROBOT

. During the period when the

ARENA

is open for measurement,

ROBOTS

can be enabled, but may neither drive, extend outside their

ROBOT

PERIMETER, nor interact with (e.g. score, push, pickup, etc.) SCORING ELEMENTS, a

CAGE

PROCESSOR

REEF

CORAL

STATION, or other

FIELD

elements.

Violation: VERBAL WARNING, plus YELLOW CARD if subsequent violations at any point during the event or egregious.

10.4 Practice
MATCHES

Practice

MATCHES

are played before Qualification

MATCHES

. The Practice

MATCH

schedule is available as soon as possible, but no later than the start of Practice

MATCHES

. For Regional events, it will also be published and available online on the FRC-Events website, except during exceptional circumstances. Practice

MATCHES

are randomly assigned, and teams may not switch scheduled Practice

MATCHES

. Each team is assigned an equal number of Practice

MATCHES

unless the number of teams multiplied by number of Practice

MATCHES

is not divisible by 6. In this case, the

FMS

randomly selects some teams to play an extra Practice

MATCH

Practice

MATCHES

are not guaranteed at District Events due to event schedule constraints.

10.4.1 Filler Line

A Filler Line is used to fill open slots at events that employ scheduled Practice

MATCHES

or all slots at events with an open Practice

MATCH

schedule. Teams from the Filler Line are used on a first come, first served basis to fill empty spots in Practice

MATCHES

left by other teams that do not report to Queueing. The number of teams in the Filler Line is dependent upon space at venues.

Only teams that meet all criteria below qualify for the Filler Line:

ROBOTS

in the Filler Line must have passed inspection (this requirement may be waived for events with open Practice

MATCH

schedules),

B. DRIVE TEAMS must join the Filler Line with their

ROBOT

C. teams may not work on their

ROBOT

while in the Filler Line,

D. teams may not occupy more than 1 spot in the Filler Line, and

E. if a team is queued for their Practice

MATCH

, they may not also join the Filler Line.

10.5 Qualification
MATCHES

10.5.1 Schedule

The Qualification

MATCH

schedule is made available as soon as possible, but no later than 30 minutes before Qualification

MATCHES

are scheduled to begin. Teams receive 1 hard copy and it is also available on the FRC-Events website, except during exceptional circumstances. Each Qualification schedule consists of a series of rounds in which each team plays 1

MATCH

per round.

10.5.2
MATCH
Assignment

FMS

assigns each team 2

ALLIANCE

partners for each Qualification

MATCH

using a predefined algorithm, and teams may not switch Qualification

MATCH

assignments. The algorithm employs the following criteria, listed in order of priority:

ensure each team has at least the minimum required time between
MATCHES
(varies by event size)
minimize the number of times a team is allied with any team
minimize the number of times a team plays opposite any team
minimize the use of
SURROGATES
(teams randomly assigned by the
FMS
to play an extra Qualification
MATCH
)
provide even distribution of
MATCHES
played on blue and red
ALLIANCE
provide even distribution of
MATCHES
played in each
DRIVER
STATION number

For more information about the

MATCH

scheduling algorithm, please see Idle Loop software’s website.

At events with fewer than 24 participating teams, the criteria are similar, however criterion 5 is changed to minimize the number of times a team swaps between the blue and red

ALLIANCE

rather than an even distribution.

All teams are assigned the same number of Qualification

MATCHES

, equal to the number of rounds, unless the number of teams multiplied by number of

MATCHES

is not divisible by 6. In this case, the

FMS

randomly selects some teams to play an extra

MATCH

. For the purpose of seeding calculations, those teams are designated as

SURROGATES

for the extra

MATCH

. If a team plays a

MATCH

as a

SURROGATE

, it is indicated on the

MATCH

schedule, it is always their third Qualification

MATCH

, and the outcome of the

MATCH

has no effect on the team’s ranking. YELLOW and RED CARDS assigned to

SURROGATES

, however, do carry forward to subsequent

MATCHES

10.5.3 Qualification Ranking

Ranking Points are units credited to a team based on their

ALLIANCE

’S performance in Qualification

MATCHES

. Ranking Points are awarded to each eligible team at the completion of each Qualification

MATCH

per Table 6‑2.

Exceptions to Ranking Point assignment are as follows:

A. A

SURROGATE

receives 0 Ranking Points.

B. A

DISQUALIFIED

team, as determined by the Head

REFEREE

, receives 0 Ranking Points.

C. A “no-show” team is either

DISQUALIFIED

from or issued a RED CARD for that

MATCH

(see G208). A team is declared a no-show if no member of the DRIVE TEAM is in the

ALLIANCE

AREA at the start of the

MATCH

The total number of Ranking Points earned by a team throughout their Qualification

MATCHES

divided by the number of

MATCHES

they’ve been scheduled to play (minus any

SURROGATE

MATCH

), then rounded to 2 decimal places, is their Ranking Score (

All teams participating in Qualification

MATCHES

are ranked by Ranking Score. If the number of teams in attendance is ‘n’, they are ranked ‘1’ through ‘n’, with ‘1’ being the team with the highest Ranking Score and ‘n’ being the team with the lowest Ranking Score.

Teams are ranked in order, using the sorting criteria defined in Table 10‑1.

Table 10‑1 Qualification
MATCH
ranking criteria

Order Sort	Criteria
1st	Ranking Score
2nd	Average Coopertition Bonus points
3rd	Average ALLIANCE MATCH points, not including MINOR FOULS and MAJOR FOULS
4th	Average ALLIANCE LEAVE + AUTO SCORING ELEMENT points
5th	Average ALLIANCE BARGE points
6th	Random sorting by the FMS

10.6 Playoff
MATCHES

Playoff

MATCHES

follow the qualification

MATCHES

. In the Playoffs, teams play on set

ALLIANCES

, chosen during

ALLIANCE

selection, and advance through a double elimination bracket. Teams do not earn Ranking Points; they advance based on winning, losing, or tying a

MATCH

DISQUALIFIED

team, as determined by the Head

REFEREE

, causes their

alliance

to receive 0

MATCH

points in a Playoff

MATCH

10.6.1
ALLIANCE
Selection Process

At the end of the Qualification

MATCHES

, the top 8 ranked teams become the

ALLIANCE

Leads. The ranked

ALLIANCES

are designated, in order,

ALLIANCE

2, etc., down to

ALLIANCE

8. Using the

ALLIANCE

selection process described in this section, each

ALLIANCE

Lead chooses 2 other teams to join their

ALLIANCE

A break of 8 minutes (8:00) occurs between the posting of scores from the last qualification

match

(scheduled or replay, whichever comes later) and the start of the

ALLIANCE

Selection process for events that host

Alliance

Selection shortly after QUALIFICATION

MATCHES

. At the end of this break,

ALLIANCE

1 is “on the clock” as defined below in T605.

T601 *Send your

STUDENT

representatives. Each team must choose and send a minimum of one and a maximum of three

STUDENT

team representatives. Representative(s) must report to the

ARENA

before the start of

ALLIANCE

Selection.

Violation: Team is ineligible for the Playoff Tournament if they are not represented by the time they are announced.

If an absent team would have been an

ALLIANCE

Lead, all lower ranked

ALLIANCE

Leads are promoted 1 spot.

The designated

STUDENT

representative from each

ALLIANCE

Lead is called the

ALLIANCE

CAPTAIN (if the

ALLIANCE

has sent multiple

STUDENT

representatives, they must designate only one as the

ALLIANCE

CAPTAIN). This representative may change between

ALLIANCE

selection and Playoff

MATCHES

T602 *

STUDENTS

must outnumber adults. A non-STUDENT may additionally be a representative from a team if the team has exactly two

STUDENT

representatives.

Violation: Non-STUDENT must

leave

the

ARENA

These are the possible combinations of

ALLIANCE

Selection representatives between T601/T602:

A. One

STUDENT

B. Two

STUDENTS

C. Three

STUDENTS

D. Two

STUDENTS

and one non-STUDENT

The

ALLIANCE

selection process consists of rounds during which each

ALLIANCE

CAPTAIN invites a team ranked below them in the standings to join their

ALLIANCE

. The invited team’s representative must either accept or decline the invitation immediately. If the team accepts, it becomes a member of that

ALLIANCE

. This process results in 8

ALLIANCES

of 3 teams.

Each round is complete when all

ALLIANCES

have added one additional team, and each round must be complete before the next round can begin. In round 1 selections are made in descending order (

ALLIANCE

1 to

ALLIANCE

8), whereas in round 2 selections are made in ascending order (

ALLIANCE

8 to

ALLIANCE

1).

T603 * Only

STUDENTS

may use the mic. Only a single

STUDENT

from the invited team is allowed to accept/decline.

Violation: The team is assumed to have declined.

T604 * Only the

ALLIANCE

CAPTAIN may invite an

ALLIANCE

. The

ALLIANCE

CAPTAIN is the only representative of the

ALLIANCE

who may approach the Emcee and make a valid pick via the microphone.

Violation: Pick does not count, and pick timer continues to count down.

T605 * Picks are time limited. Once the emcee requests an

ALLIANCE

’S selection, the

ALLIANCE

is considered “on the clock” and the pick timer begins to countdown. In round 1, the timer begins at 45 seconds (0:45), in round 2 the timer begins at 1 minute and 30 seconds (1:30). A sound will play to indicate that there are 5 seconds left on the timer and a buzzer will go off to indicate the end of the time. The

ALLIANCE

CAPTAIN must make a good faith effort, as determined by the

FTA

or their designee, to state a valid team selection before the expiration of the pick timer.

Violation: The

ALLIANCE

is skipped, and the emcee moves to the next

ALLIANCE

, unless the selection is the last of a round in which case the

ALLIANCE

receives the next highest-ranked unselected team to the

ALLIANCE

The time remaining on the pick timer is displayed on the

FIELD

timers. Please note that audio cues are intended as a courtesy to participants and not intended as official markers.

A valid team selection includes any team who has not yet accepted or declined an invitation to join another

ALLIANCE

and is not an

ALLIANCE

Lead that has had a pick timer violation. If an

ALLIANCE

CAPTAIN attempts to select a team that is not valid, the pick timer continues to run until it either expires, or a different (valid) team is invited to join the

ALLIANCE

Examples of good faith efforts to state a valid team selection include but are not limited to:

A. Walking safely towards the Emcee when the clock hits zero

B. Starting to state a team as the clock hits zero

Examples that are not considered good faith efforts to quickly become

MATCH

ready include but are not limited to:

C. Continuing to talk with your

ALLIANCE

partners without moving towards the Emcee

D. Talking into the microphone for more than approximately 30 seconds without clearly stating a team number to invite

If an

ALLIANCE

CAPTAIN extends a valid invitation and the invited team declines, the pick clock resets to the time for the designated round and restarts immediately.

After each accepted

ALLIANCE

invitation or pick clock violation, the emcee invites any

ALLIANCE

CAPTAINS that received a pick clock violation in that round to make their selections. Each

ALLIANCE

CAPTAIN may either indicate that they are ready to make their selection (and immediately do so) or indicate that they are not yet ready, and they will be revisited after the next accepted invitation or pick clock violation. If there are multiple

ALLIANCE

CAPTAINS that have received pick clock violations, they are revisited in the same order in which they received their violations.

The

ALLIANCE

CAPTAIN with the last selection of a given round may not be the

ALLIANCE

CAPTAIN scheduled to have the final pick. For example, imagine in round 1 that

ALLIANCES

1-6 have all made valid selections and

ALLIANCE

Lead 7 receives a pick clock violation. If

ALLIANCE

Lead 8 makes a valid selection, then

ALLIANCE

Lead 7 now has the final selection of round 1.

A break of 2 minutes (2:00) occurs between each round of selections. At the conclusion of the break, the

ALLIANCE

scheduled to make the next selection goes “on the clock” and their timer begins per T603.

T606 *Declining teams can’t be picked. An

ALLIANCE

CAPTAIN may not invite a team that has declined another

ALLIANCE

’S invitation to participate in the Playoff tournament. Declining teams are ineligible to be a BACKUP TEAM.

Violation: The

ALLIANCE

CAPTAIN must make another selection and pick timer continues to count down.

ALLIANCE

Lead that declines an invitation from another

ALLIANCE

is able to invite teams to join their

ALLIANCE

but may not be invited to join another

ALLIANCE

At the conclusion of

ALLIANCE

selection, the highest ranked unselected teams are eligible to become a BACKUP TEAM, as defined in section 10.6.3 BACKUP TEAMS.

10.6.2 Playoff
MATCH
Bracket

The double elimination tournament consists of an Upper and Lower bracket as shown in Figure 10‑2. Each

ALLIANCE

begins with a slot in the Upper bracket. If an

ALLIANCE

wins a

MATCH

in the Upper bracket, they remain in the Upper bracket. If an

ALLIANCE

loses a

MATCH

in the Upper bracket, they transition to the Lower bracket.

ALLIANCES

in the Lower bracket must win any subsequent

MATCHES

(except for finals) to remain in the tournament, i.e. once they lose a

MATCH

, they’re out of the tournament.

In Round 1, the higher ranked

ALLIANCE

is assigned to the red

ALLIANCE

. For subsequent rounds,

ALLIANCE

color is assigned as shown in Figure 10‑2, regardless of

ALLIANCE

rank at the start of the Playoff tournament.

Figure 10‑2 Playoff
MATCH
bracket (Red
ALLIANCE
tops each pairing)

As shown in Figure 10‑2 and Table 10‑2, Playoff

MATCHES

consist of 6 rounds with breaks between later rounds and between Finals

MATCHES

. Breaks begin after the

FIELD

has been cleared from the previous

MATCH

. The Blue and Red Gap columns indicate the approximate time between each

ALLIANCE

’S

MATCHES

. The expected start time of the scheduled

MATCH

is the time indicated on the

MATCH

schedule or 15 minutes from the end of either

ALLIANCE

’S previous

MATCH

, whichever is later. Occasionally, replayed

MATCHES

within a round may be played out of order; if

MATCHES

are played out of order, teams are informed by the Emcee,

FIELD

STAFF, and/or Queueing staff.

If a Playoff

MATCH

needs to be replayed as described in section 10.2

MATCH

Replays, teams are notified of when the replay will occur. A minimum 10-minute delay is provided for teams to reset their

ROBOTS

prior to the replay unless all teams are ready sooner. The affected

MATCH

must be replayed before the next round begins.

Table 10‑2 Typical Playoff
MATCH
schedule

Round	MATCH	Upper/ Lower			Gap (min)	Gap (min)	Next MATCH ( MATCH # ( ALLIANCE color))	Next MATCH ( MATCH # ( ALLIANCE color))
Blue	Red	Blue	Red	Winner	Loser
1	1	Upper	8	1			M7 ( R )	M5 ( R )
2	Upper	5	4	M7 (B)	M5 (B)
3	Upper	7	2	M8 ( R )	M6 ( R )
4	Upper	6	3	M8 (B)	M6 (B)
2	5	Lower	L2	L1	0:24	0:33	M10 (B)
6	Lower	L4	L3	0:15	0:24	M9 (B)
7	Upper	W2	W1	0:42	0:51	M11 ( R )	M9 ( R )
8	Upper	W4	W3	0:33	0:42	M11 (B)	M10 ( R )
3	9	Lower	W6	L7	0:24	0:15	M12 (B)
10	Lower	W5	L8	0:42	0:15	M12 ( R )
6-minute break	6-minute break	6-minute break	6-minute break	6-minute break	6-minute break	6-minute break	6-minute break	6-minute break
4	11	Upper	W8	W7	0:27	0:36	M14 ( R )	M13 ( R )
12	Lower	W9	W10	0:27	0:18	M13 (B)
15-minute awards break: Imagery, Gracious Professionalism, Team Spirit, and Rising All Star	15-minute awards break: Imagery, Gracious Professionalism, Team Spirit, and Rising All Star	15-minute awards break: Imagery, Gracious Professionalism, Team Spirit, and Rising All Star	15-minute awards break: Imagery, Gracious Professionalism, Team Spirit, and Rising All Star	15-minute awards break: Imagery, Gracious Professionalism, Team Spirit, and Rising All Star	15-minute awards break: Imagery, Gracious Professionalism, Team Spirit, and Rising All Star	15-minute awards break: Imagery, Gracious Professionalism, Team Spirit, and Rising All Star	15-minute awards break: Imagery, Gracious Professionalism, Team Spirit, and Rising All Star	15-minute awards break: Imagery, Gracious Professionalism, Team Spirit, and Rising All Star
5	13	Lower	W12	L11	0:18	0:27	M14 (B)
15-minute awards break: Autonomous, Creativity, Quality, and Industrial Design	15-minute awards break: Autonomous, Creativity, Quality, and Industrial Design	15-minute awards break: Autonomous, Creativity, Quality, and Industrial Design	15-minute awards break: Autonomous, Creativity, Quality, and Industrial Design	15-minute awards break: Autonomous, Creativity, Quality, and Industrial Design	15-minute awards break: Autonomous, Creativity, Quality, and Industrial Design	15-minute awards break: Autonomous, Creativity, Quality, and Industrial Design	15-minute awards break: Autonomous, Creativity, Quality, and Industrial Design	15-minute awards break: Autonomous, Creativity, Quality, and Industrial Design
Finals	14		W13	W11	0:18	0:48	M15	M15
15-minute awards break: Innovation in Control , Excellence in Engineering, Team Sustainability, Judges	15-minute awards break: Innovation in Control , Excellence in Engineering, Team Sustainability, Judges	15-minute awards break: Innovation in Control , Excellence in Engineering, Team Sustainability, Judges	15-minute awards break: Innovation in Control , Excellence in Engineering, Team Sustainability, Judges	15-minute awards break: Innovation in Control , Excellence in Engineering, Team Sustainability, Judges	15-minute awards break: Innovation in Control , Excellence in Engineering, Team Sustainability, Judges	15-minute awards break: Innovation in Control , Excellence in Engineering, Team Sustainability, Judges	15-minute awards break: Innovation in Control , Excellence in Engineering, Team Sustainability, Judges	15-minute awards break: Innovation in Control , Excellence in Engineering, Team Sustainability, Judges
Finals	15		W13	W11	0:18	0:18	M16*	M16*
15-minute awards break: Rookie All Star, Dean's List, Engineering Inspiration**	15-minute awards break: Rookie All Star, Dean's List, Engineering Inspiration**	15-minute awards break: Rookie All Star, Dean's List, Engineering Inspiration**	15-minute awards break: Rookie All Star, Dean's List, Engineering Inspiration**	15-minute awards break: Rookie All Star, Dean's List, Engineering Inspiration**	15-minute awards break: Rookie All Star, Dean's List, Engineering Inspiration**	15-minute awards break: Rookie All Star, Dean's List, Engineering Inspiration**	15-minute awards break: Rookie All Star, Dean's List, Engineering Inspiration**	15-minute awards break: Rookie All Star, Dean's List, Engineering Inspiration**
Finals	16*		W13	W11	0:18	0:18
Awards: Remaining awards, Finalists, Winners, and FIRST Impact Award	Awards: Remaining awards, Finalists, Winners, and FIRST Impact Award	Awards: Remaining awards, Finalists, Winners, and FIRST Impact Award	Awards: Remaining awards, Finalists, Winners, and FIRST Impact Award	Awards: Remaining awards, Finalists, Winners, and FIRST Impact Award	Awards: Remaining awards, Finalists, Winners, and FIRST Impact Award	Awards: Remaining awards, Finalists, Winners, and FIRST Impact Award	Awards: Remaining awards, Finalists, Winners, and FIRST Impact Award	Awards: Remaining awards, Finalists, Winners, and FIRST Impact Award

if required

** Program Delivery Partners may choose to hold these awards until after all

MATCHES

are complete.

10.6.2.1 Playoff
MATCH
ties

If final

MATCH

scores for both

ALLIANCES

are equal, the win is awarded to the

ALLIANCE

per criteria listed in Table 10‑3.

Table 10‑3 Playoff
MATCH
Tiebreaker Criteria

Order Sort	Criteria
1st	Cumulative MAJOR FOUL points due to opponent rule violations
2nd	ALLIANCE AUTO points
3rd	ALLIANCE BARGE points
4th	MATCH is replayed

10.6.2.2 Playoff Finals

Once a single

ALLIANCE

remains in each Upper and Lower bracket, those

ALLIANCES

proceed to the Finals round. The first

ALLIANCE

to win 2

MATCHES

in the Finals becomes the event’s Champions.

If a Finals

MATCH

ends in a tie score, the tie is not broken using the criteria in Table 10‑3, the

MATCH

remains a tie. In the case where an

ALLIANCE

hasn’t won 2

MATCHES

after 3

MATCHES

have been played (because of tied

MATCHES

), the Playoffs proceed with up to 3 additional Finals

MATCHES

, called Overtime

MATCHES

, until an

ALLIANCE

has won 2 Finals

MATCHES

. In the case where the Overtime

MATCH

scores for both

ALLIANCES

are equal, the win for that Overtime

MATCH

is awarded based on the criteria listed in Table 10‑3.

10.6.3 BACKUP TEAMS

During the Playoff

MATCHES

ALLIANCE

CAPTAIN may elect to replace one of its

ROBOTS

. The team whose

ROBOT

and DRIVE TEAM replaces another

ROBOT

and DRIVE TEAM on an

ALLIANCE

during the Playoff

MATCHES

is called the BACKUP TEAM.

In this situation, the

ALLIANCE

CAPTAIN has the option to bring in the highest ranked team from the pool of available teams to join its

ALLIANCE

for the following

MATCH

. The resulting

ALLIANCE

is then composed of 4 teams.

ALLIANCES

submit

LINEUPS

(as described in section 10.6.4

LINEUPS

) for each Playoff

MATCH

. After the BACKUP TEAM’s first Playoff

MATCH

, the

ALLIANCE

’S

LINEUP

may consist of any 3 of the

ALLIANCE

’S 4 teams.

10.6.3.1 BACKUP TEAM Coupons

Each

ALLIANCE

is allotted 1 BACKUP TEAM coupon during the Playoff

MATCHES

. If two or more

ROBOTS

from the

ALLIANCE

become inoperable, then the

ALLIANCE

must play the following

MATCHES

with only 2 (or even 1)

ROBOTS

Example: 3 teams, A, B and C, form an

ALLIANCE

going into the Playoff

MATCHES

. The highest ranked team not on 1 of the 8

ALLIANCES

is Team D. During 1 of the Playoff

MATCHES

, Team C’s

ROBOT

suffers damage to its mechanical arm. The

ALLIANCE

CAPTAIN decides to bring in Team D to replace Team C in the next

MATCH

. The new

ALLIANCE

of Teams A, B, C, and D are successful in advancing to the Finals and win the event. Teams A, B, C, and D are all recognized as members of the Winning

ALLIANCE

and receive awards.

The Head

REFEREE

will not accept the BACKUP TEAM coupon unless it lists the number of the team whose

ROBOT

is being replaced and is initialed by the

ALLIANCE

CAPTAIN. Once a BACKUP TEAM coupon is submitted and accepted by the Head

REFEREE

, the BACKUP TEAM coupon may not be withdrawn by the

ALLIANCE

T607 *No BACKUP TEAM for replayed
MATCHES
.

ALLIANCE

may not request a BACKUP TEAM for a replayed

MATCH

. The sole exception is if, in the judgment of the Head

REFEREE

, the replay is due to an

ARENA

FAULT that rendered an

ALLIANCE

’S

ROBOT

inoperable.

Violation: The request is denied.

T608 *No BACKUP TEAMS for 1st

MATCH

. An

ALLIANCE

may not request a BACKUP TEAM until after their first Playoff

MATCH

Violation: The request is denied.

T609 *BACKUP TEAMS play when called.

A BACKUP TEAM must be included in the

LINEUP

for the

ALLIANCE

’S next

MATCH

following their recruitment.

Violation: The

LINEUP

is denied.

If the Head

REFEREE

is busy, and there is no designee, the

ALLIANCE

CAPTAIN remains in the Question Box to report the

LINEUP

T610 *BACKUP TEAMS due 2 minutes before the

MATCH

start time. The BACKUP TEAM Coupon must be submitted to the Head

REFEREE

(or their designee) by the

ALLIANCE

CAPTIAN not later than 2 minutes before the expected

MATCH

start time in which the BACKUP TEAM is to play.

Violation: The request is denied

If the Head

REFEREE

is busy, and there is no designee, the

ALLIANCE

CAPTAIN remains in the Question Box to submit the BACKUP TEAM coupon.

10.6.3.2 BACKUP POOL

After the top ranked

ALLIANCE

has made their final pick during

ALLIANCE

Selection,

REFEREES

poll the remaining eligible teams. In rank order,

REFEREES

invite remaining teams to accept or decline a position in the BACKUP POOL, i.e. the group of teams willing and able to join an

ALLIANCE

during the Playoff

MATCHES

, if needed, until up to 8 teams accept.

T611 *Be there to be a BACKUP TEAM. A team must be present after

ALLIANCE

Selection to accept the

REFEREE

’S invitation to join the BACKUP POOL.

Violation: Team is ineligible to be a BACKUP TEAM.

T612 *Send a BACKUP TEAM Representative. The top 2 ranked BACKUP TEAMS must send at least 1

STUDENT

representative (and optionally 1 additional

STUDENT

or mentor) to a designated area near the

FIELD

for the duration of the Playoff

MATCHES

These 2 representatives are available to answer questions and accept invitations to be a BACKUP TEAM from

ALLIANCE

CAPTAINS. If 1 of these 2 teams joins an

ALLIANCE

or excuses themselves from the BACKUP POOL, the next highest ranked team in the BACKUP POOL must provide their representative. Once a BACKUP TEAM has declined an invitation to join an

ALLIANCE

, it is no longer a member of the BACKUP POOL and ineligible to join another

ALLIANCE

Violation: VERBAL WARNING, plus the team is removed from BACKUP POOL if the situation cannot be corrected within a reasonable amount of time.

Some events may offer an area near the

FIELD

where the top 1 or 2 teams in the BACKUP POOL may choose to stage their

ROBOT

for quick and easy access to the

FIELD

if recruited.

10.6.4
LINEUPS

Each

ALLIANCE

competing in a Playoff

MATCH

has the option to submit a

LINEUP

, which lists the 3 teams participating in the

MATCH

and their selected

DRIVER

STATIONS.

The

LINEUP

is kept confidential until the

FIELD

is set for the

MATCH

at which point each

ALLIANCE

’S

LINEUP

appears on the Team Signs.

10.6.4.1
LINEUPS
for 4-team
ALLIANCES

If an

ALLIANCE

has 4 members (either because a 3-team

ALLIANCE

has called a BACKUP TEAM or the event is the FIRST Championship), a single representative from the team not on the

LINEUP

is allowed as a sixteenth

ALLIANCE

member but must be a member of that team’s DRIVE TEAM. This additional representative may only serve as a

COACH

10.6.4.2 Default
LINEUP

T613 *

LINEUPS

due 2 minutes before the

MATCH

. The

ALLIANCE

CAPTAIN must submit their

LINEUP

in writing to the Head

REFEREE

(or their designee) 2 minutes before their expected

MATCH

start time.

Violation: Late

LINEUPS

are denied, and the

ALLIANCE

’S most recent

LINEUP

is applied.

If the Head

REFEREE

is busy, and there is no designee, the

ALLIANCE

CAPTAIN remains in the Question Box to report the

LINEUP

If no previous

LINEUP

exists, the

ALLIANCE

Lead is assigned

DRIVER

STATION 2, 1st team selected is assigned

DRIVER

STATION 1, and the 2nd team selected is assigned

DRIVER

STATION 3. If any of these 3

ROBOTS

are unable to play, the

ALLIANCE

must play the

MATCH

with only 2 (or even 1)

ROBOT

(s).

Example: 3 teams, A, B, and C form an

ALLIANCE

going into the Playoff

MATCHES

. During one of the Playoff

MATCHES

, Team C’s

ROBOT

becomes inoperable. The

ALLIANCE

decides to bring in Team D to replace Team C. Team C repairs their

ROBOT

and may play in any subsequent Playoff

MATCHES

replacing Team A, B, or D

If a BACKUP TEAM Coupon is accepted and the

LINEUP

for the next

MATCH

is not submitted or it omits the BACKUP TEAM, then the

ALLIANCE

’S most recent

LINEUP

is used with the BACKUP TEAM in the position populated by the team for whom they’re substituting.

T614 *For replays, no changing

LINEUPS

(mostly). If a

MATCH

must be replayed due to an

ARENA

FAULT, the

LINEUP

for the replayed

MATCH

is the same as the original

MATCH

. The sole exception is if, in the opinion of the Head

REFEREE

, the

ARENA

FAULT rendered a

ROBOT

inoperable, in which case the

LINEUP

can be changed.

Violation: The new

LINEUP

is denied.

10.6.5 Pit Crews

During the Playoff

MATCHES

and because of the distance between the

FIELD

and the pit area, extra team members may be needed to maintain and otherwise assist with the

ROBOT

between

MATCHES

. Each team is permitted to have up to 3 additional pit crew members to help with needed

ROBOT

repairs/maintenance.

10.6.6 Small Event Exceptions

The scheduling algorithm described in section 10.5.2

MATCH

Assignment works to minimize teams playing in back-to-back

MATCHES

. However, at events with fewer than 24 teams, back-to-back plays may occur.

Multi-day events with 24 teams or fewer employ a modified Playoff

MATCH

format. Instead of 8

ALLIANCES

, these events proceed through

ALLIANCE

SELECTION and the Playoff Tournament with the maximum number of complete 3-team

ALLIANCES

that can be formed while leaving at least 1 BACKUP TEAM (e.g. a 24-team event creates 7

ALLIANCES

, a 20-team event creates 6

ALLIANCES

The Playoff Bracket remains as shown in Figure 10‑2, with any matchup against a non-existent

ALLIANCE

resulting in a bye (i.e. automatic advancement to the next round). An

ALLIANCE

assigned a bye-MATCH is invited, though not required, to practice together in a null

MATCH

(i.e. it has no bearing on the Playoff tournament) during the designated time in the Playoff schedule.

District points for Draft Order Acceptance (per section 11.1.2

ALLIANCE

Selection Results) are awarded as if a full set of

ALLIANCES

was selected (i.e. the 2nd selection of the 3-seed

ALLIANCE

still receive 3 points regardless of how many

ALLIANCES

are formed).

9 Inspection & Eligibility (I)

This section describes the rules governing MATCH participation. A team has participated in a MATCH if any member of their DRIVE TEAM is in the ALLIANCE AREA, with or without the ROBOT on the FIELD, at the start of the MATCH.

11 District Tournaments

Teams advance through the season depending on the events at which they compete: Regional or District. This section details how District teams advance from District qualifying events to their District Championship.

10 Tournaments (T)