The FTC Competition Manual – Have You Read It?

I encourage all teams, volunteers, coaches, and mentors, to read the new Competition Manual, cover to cover.

Besides the new format, there are many rule changes, robot part additions, judging updates, and playoff updates in the document this season. There is no section of the manual that is more important than any other to read through and understand!

Sign up for Team Update Notification

Adult team members (18+) can sign up to get Team Update Notification emails every time a new team update is posted.

Do you know where to find the Q&A System?

As a reminder, every team has access to the Official Q&A, where they can ask questions throughout the season. Check out section 1.10 of the Competition Manual for more Q&A specifics.

The Q&A will open on 9/16/2024. Instructions on how to register your account can be found here.  

How to Stay Informed Throughout the Season

In-season rule updates will be communicated as follows: 

1. Any important rule updates or clarifications will be written in the Competition Manual, and releases will happen on a biweekly (twice a month) basis starting on 9/19/2024. Updates will be posted every other Thursday at 12:00 p.m. eastern time.  

2. A separate document titled “Team Updates” will be posted on our website concurrently with the Competition Manual updates. The document will highlight any rule changes or clarifications made to the Competition Manual.  

3. Team Update emails will be sent out to anyone who has subscribed for the team updates notifications. These notifications are separate from the standard team blast.

Top 5 Most Missed/Misunderstood Rules

1. How many SAMPLES can my ROBOT hold?

2. Can I pre-load both SPECIMENS and SAMPLES during pre-MATCH setup?

3. I’m going to build a ROBOT to ASCEND directly to LEVEL 3!

4. Can the HUMAN PLAYER do anything during AUTO?

5. Why does R104 exist other than to kill creative extend-o ‘bots?

Find the answers to these questions in the "Submerge into the Competition Resources" blog post from FIRST Tech Challenge!

Starter Robot Designs & Other CAD Resources

With the INTO THE DEEP℠ season in full swing, teams can now access Starter Bot concepts from suppliers like AndyMark, goBILDA, Pitsco, REV Robotics, and Studica. These basic designs, available on the Robot Building Resources page under "Build Guides," are perfect for getting started with your kit. While they aren't designed to be highly competitive, they offer a strong foundation for teams to build on and improve.

Free CAD software is also available on the page to help refine your designs.

Be sure to follow the FIRST Community Blog to stay up-to-date on the FIRST Tech Challenge blog posts!

Renee