Before, At, and After Robotics Season Competitions

What happens for district qualifying events and the District Championship event are very close to the same, so only differences will be noted below. The Worlds Championship is sufficiently different from the district-level events that that information is located on a separate page.

(At Least) 1 Week Before the Event

The Chesapeake District website will publish team information for upcoming events a few weeks before each event (often updated until the day of):

• Team Information Packet (READ IN ENTIRETY)
  • instructions & caveats for teams about the venue, unloading, inspection, and event
  • maps: the pit layout, venue, parking
  • event schedule
• Meal Ordering Form

Packing

Some categories of items must be rechecked and packed every year:

Administration & Robot

• annotated team roster
• Robot Lockup Form
• lockup tags (enough+extras)
• extra robot bag
• packing list

• robot
• robot cart
• both sets of bumpers (if needed per rules)
• drive station

Safety Materials

For more information about pit safety and the various required components, see the section on Pit Safety Requirements.

• Materials Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) Binder for each substance in the pit
  • batteries
  • epoxies, glues, hardeners, etc.
  • water, gum (sometimes asked)
• Fire Extinguisher
• Battery Spill Kit
  • sealable, spill-proof container
  • nitrile gloves
  • several boxes of baking soda
  • vacuum OR dustpan and brush
• First Aid Kit
• Safety Documents
• Work Gloves
• Safety Glasses for the team

Mechanical Items

Electrical Items

Control Systems Items

Loading/Transportation

Unloading/Inspection Day

For the unloading period before the official event days, there's usually a limit of 5 total people, including mentors, but some locations are more relaxed in those requirements.

Upon entry into the pits,

• everyone must already have safety glasses (they should carry with them to setup or be readily accessible in pit equipment)

• a mentor must present an annotated team roster (printed from TIMS) to the Team Registration Desk
  • annotation means any name that has not fulfilled all FIRST requirements needs to be crossed out and a mentor needs to sign next to the crossing-out
  • sign-ups for Chairman's Award presentation time slots
• an Inspector needs to check the Robot Lockup Form before the robot can be unbagged
  • they may ask for the Withholding Allowance (usually not)

After team registration, the registrants will receive the team packet, a manila envelope containing

• driver buttons
• drive coach button
• technician button
• list of attending teams
• event sponsor materials
• Gracious Professionalism nomination form
• (sometimes) Safety Nominations card

Inspection Process

1. Radio Programming
   • one member should be sent to the CSA Radio Programming desk to program the radio for each competition
2. Significant Mechanical or Electrical Changes
   • the robot should be in its final state physically before starting the formal inspection; any subsequent significant changes may require reinspection (read the I-rules in the Game Manual)
3. Send a team member to the Inspection desk to request inspection.
4. When available, an Inspector will come to the pit to begin inspection.
   1. Robot Weigh-In (with and without bumpers; bring both sets; remove batteries beforehand)
   2. The Inspector will run through his checklist (the official inspection checklist is located on the Game & Season Resources page on the FIRST website).
   3. End of Inspection
      
      • If everything's passable, one Mentor and one Team Captain needs to sign the inspection checklist. The Inspector will then give the "Passed Inspection" sticker to affix somewhere clearly visible on the robot.
        
      • If there are things to be changed, the team can fix the issue and go back to the inspection desk to ask to finish the inspection.

Competition Day(s)

Match Cycle

Judges

Safety Inspection

See the page on Pit Safety, section on Safety Inspections.

Post-Competition

Archive of Important Past Documents

• ​2017 Packing List