FIRST Tech Challenge, or FTC, is the FIRST competition for grades 8-12 (ages 14-18). Students get to design, build, program, and compete with robots.

This year's game is called Hot Shot!, in which the object is to get as many balls into the 3 possible goal areas in the time limit as possible.

There are two rounds, autonomous and operator-controlled (or driver-controlled). In the autonomous, you need to program the robot before hand, and it will follow instructions without any other controlling methods. In the operator-controlled round, the two team members drive the robot around and controls it with the controllers, which come in a kit to build the robot.

The autonomous period is 30 seconds long.

The operator-controlled period is 2:00 minutes long.

The match (both rounds) is 2:30 long.
 

For the match, each team will be put into an alliance with one other team, or they will be by themselves.

The Coach: A student or an adult mentor to be the team advisor during a match. They are indicated by wearing a "coach" badge.

The Drivers: The team members that control and drive the robot around the field during a match. They are identified by wearing a "driver" badge.

The drive team is the coach and the drivers. 

An alliance is two teams working together on the same side (red or blue). In the qualifying match, the alliances are not permanent. 

There are two sides: red and blue. There are three goal areas: low goal, high goal, and off-field goal.

The low goal sits on the ground, and measures 33 x 15 inches. It's divided into a red and a blue side. It does not include the borders of it, which are neutral.

The high gaol is 30 inches above the arena. It is a box-like thing, where there is a 9 inch hole in a 12 x 24 inch piece of polycarbonate (the hole is 34.5 inches from the ground). There are two goals, red and blue, and they are each marked by colors around the hole and colored bars below the hole. They are connected to a free-spinning frame with PVC pipe to turn it.

The off-field goal is a basket that is 15 x 23 x 15 inches, and it is placed 4 feet from the playing arena. There is a net behind the two goals (one red goal, one blue goal) that can act as a backstop, but is not the most reliable one. 

There are two colors of balls: white and yellow. Yellow balls are bonus balls and can only be played in the End Time, or the last 30 seconds of the game. 

A white ball in the low goal is worth 1 point.

A white ball in the high goal is worth 5 points.

A white ball in the off-field goal is worth 10 points. Teams are only allowed to score a ball in the off-field goal during the End Game.

A yellow ball has no point value itself, but it doubles the total points in a goal area at the end of the game. (If the yellow ball is the only ball in a goal, no points are awarded.) 

If you score points during the autonomous period, the balls are counted at the end of the round. If the balls stay in the goal for the operator-controlled round, the balls are counted again. 

If a robot releases a ball chute during autonomous, the team that matches the color of the ball chute will receive either 5 or 10 points for a near or far chute (respectively).

        The near ball chute is the one right next to your initial starting point (the ball chute that matches your color).

        The far ball chute is the one across the playing field next to the opposite team's initial position (the other ball chute that matches your team's color).

There are four ball chutes in all, two red and two blue.

To release the balls, the robot just needs to touch the trigger.

To get a ball in the high goal, you don't need to move to where the hole is. All you need to do is turn the PVC pipe(spinner), and then get the ball into the goal. You may ONLY use the spinner to turn the goal, nothing else.

If you touch the high goal to turn it around, penalties will be given.

Penalties are given to both teams in an alliance for breaking certain rules. The Referee will call all of the penalties given out. Some of the penalties include:

Pinning: When one robot prevents movement in every direction of another robot while in contact with the field, a field element, or another robot. If a robot is pinned during the autonomous period, it will be the same penalty as in the operator-controlled period.

If the robot purposefully detatches any part in the scoring area.

The bonus ball is introduced too early.

Robot touches the high goal.

Blocking a ball from getting into the high goal.

Intentional de-scoring the balls in any high goal area.

Coach touches the controls.

The team touches any part of the field.

An off-field goal is scored too early.