The First Robotics Competition (FRC) is one of the largest STEM competitions in the world.

With thousands of active teams competing every year from 30+ different countries, winning this competition is a momentous achievement.

If you are interested in engineering, robotics, and unique challenges, this competition is for you.

This guide will tell you everything you need to know about FRC, from the competition structure, to actually forming a team and competing.

FRC Competition Structure There are two main paths to the FRC Championship: districts and regionals, based on where your team is located.

District If your team is in a location outlined in the table below, then you compete as a district team.

These teams compete twice at smaller events to earn District Points.

District Points are awarded for winning qualifying and playoff matches, being part of alliances, and earning awards.

Teams with enough District Points make their way to the District Championship, where the best performing teams earn their spot in the FRC Championship.

District NameLocations IncludedFIRST Chesapeake Maryland, Virginia, + Washington, D.

C.

FIRST in Michigan MichiganFIRST Indiana RoboticsIndianaFIRST in Texas Texas & New MexicoFIRST Mid-Atlantic Delaware, New Jersey, & Eastern PennsylvaniaFIRST North CarolinaNorth CarolinaNE FIRST Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, & VermontPeachtreeGeorgia & South CarolinaPacific NorthwestWashington & OregonOntarioOntario, CanadaFIRST IsraelIsrael Regional If your team isn’t part of a district as outlined above, you compete as a regional team.

Regional teams will only compete once for spots in the FRC Championship.

To directly earn a spot, a team must either be the captain or the first pick of the winning alliance.

However, you can still earn a spot in the FRC Championship as a Wild Card.

If any team earns two qualifying spots, you can earn a spot if you were part of the top 4 alliances in the playoffs.

Awards Awards are a less common way to punch your ticket to the FRC Championship.

At the end of every competition, judges award teams for gracious professionalism, team spirit, and perseverance.

However, only the most prestigious awards give your team a ride to the Championship.

FIRST Impact Award: This award recognizes teams which go above and beyond the field through outreach and consistently helping their community.

Teams who receive this award are shining examples for other teams to emulate, and earn a place in the FIRST Hall of Fame.

Engineering Inspiration Award: This award acknowledges teams that have made a significant impact on STEM education and community involvement.

It celebrates cutting-edge thought, collaboration and diversity through robotics, fully embodying the values of FIRST.

Dean’s List Award: This award recognizes exceptional members of the FIRST community who exemplify what FIRST stands for, exhibiting the utmost dedication to creativity, teamwork and promotion of STEM.

Registering an FRC Team Interested in joining FRC and forming your own team?

A few things are needed to form an FRC team.

Students: It is recommended that you form a team of around 10 high-school age students who are willing to be a part of your team.

It is worth noting that not all of them have to have technical experience or directly work on the robot.

There are other ways to contribute to a team as outlined later on.

Mentors: Each FRC team requires at least two mentors who can manage and motivate their team during the season.

They can have both technical and non-technical expertise.

Sponsors: Unless your team already has money, you will need outside sponsors to get the necessary tools and materials to build your robot, as well as transportation to and from competitions and the registration fees.

Registration Fee: The competition registration fee is $6000 USD to participate in an FRC regional competition or two FRC district competitions.

Team Structure It may be tempting to get started right away, but organization is vital in creating a successful team.

Each and every person should have an active role in the team, whether technical or administrative.

Here are some suggestions for the subdivisions of your brand new robotics team.

Technical Subteams Build: The build subteam directly works on the physical components of the robot, such as the chassis, motors, and attachments.

They also work on creating game elements of that season’s game, whether they are brackets for robots to hang on, or holes to shoot game pieces through.

Electronics: The electronics subteam makes sure that all the components can work together and communicate by wiring the robot properly.

Members of this subteam will have extensive knowledge of electrical engineering.

Programming: The programming subteam works on coding the robot’s vital functions for movement, scoring, as well as autonomous sequences.

Non-Technical Subteams Strategy: The strategy subteam is responsible for scouting opposing teams, analyzing historical data, and finding optional strategies for alliances to win crucial matches.

Business: The business subteam manages outreach, sponsors, and various methods of fundraising through merchandise or bake sales.

They also manage social media and sponsorship.

Safety: The safety subteam goes over safety procedures and instructs team members to stay safe while working on or around any machinery.

Administration: The administration subteam manages all other subteams.

Additionally, they write the team's submissions for awards and do interviews for said awards.

They may also work on outreach projects, such as team websites.

FRC Timeline The First Robotics Competition undergoes the same schedule every year.

This is a rough timeline of the season, including all major competitions.

Off-Season

- June-December: The period between the end of the FRC Championship and the start of the next season occurs between June and December.

Teams will host off-season events to further promote FRC and STEM to their communities.

Current members will also train newer members to carry on the team responsibilities, as this is when senior members leave the team.

Build Season

- January-March: The kickoff to the new season starts when FIRST announces the game at the beginning of the new year.

The moment that the season starts, teams are brainstorming and building their robots for their upcoming competitions.

Competition Season

- March-April: District and regional events are underway during the entire month of March and continue to early April.

The top performing teams will compete at the FRC Championship in mid-April, formally concluding the season.

Join the Discord to ask any questions about FRC!

There is no limit to what you can accomplish in FRC with hard work and dedication.

But you may have more questions about FRC or robotics in general.

To find a group of driven individuals who can provide valuable assistance to your STEM initiatives, look no further than the Rishab Jain Discord Server.

Filled with experienced students and mentors alike, all your questions about FRC can be answered in seconds.

Join the growing Discord community here: https://discord. com/invite/yrGNBFU7.