FIRST Robotics Competition Blog

New Team Update

We’ve released a new team update! You can find it here. Among other changes, you will find we’ve changed rule Ez to accommodate teams that are hosting a FIRST Robotics Competition Event but are not themselves registered for the event. This modification was a direct result of Q&A questions on this topic and is a great example of how thoughtful questions on this topic can help FIRST HQ hone these rules in advance of Kickoff.

Q&A Closing

Speaking of the Q&A, when we opened the Q&A early, we noted that it would only be open for a short time. Questions have slowed to a trickle at this point, so, barring any surge in questions that might lead to additional updates, we plan to close the Q&A system on Friday, October 11. If you have any additional questions on the rules we released early, please get them in now! We will be reopening the Q&A shortly after Kickoff as usual.

Program Surgery

The retirement of Stop Build Day is a significant change for the FRC community. We have lived with Stop Build Day or its prior incarnation Ship Day for decades, and it has served us well. However, as FRC grows and evolves, we must be willing to look at even our longest standing traditions to see if they are still supporting our needs. In the case of Stop Build Day, we realized it wasn’t.

Any major change like this will come with discomfort and challenge. The spirit of Stop Build Day was infused in ways obvious and not-so-obvious in our rules. While we have worked hard to develop updated rules that will support this new paradigm, we know, and the community should expect, that not all will be perfect in this coming season. I would compare this change to going through surgery. We’re doing it because we think we’ll be better off in the long run. In the short term, though, there will be discomfort as we adjust to this new reality. However, I believe in the incredible and deep strength of our community and this program, and I know we will make it through the challenges ahead to come out even stronger on the other side.

Frank