FIRST Robotics Competition

®

The Flagship FIRST Program for High School Students

A large-scale robotics competition combining the excitement of sport with the rigours of science and technology, FIRST Robotics Competition brings together students and mentors to build robots that perform in a competitive but gracious environment against teams all over the world.

The Ultimate Sport for the Mind™

Under strict rules, limited time and resources, teams of students are challenged to raise funds, design a team 'brand', hone teamwork skills and build and program industrial-size robots to play a difficult field game against like-minded competitors. It's as close to real-world engineering as a student can get. Volunteer professional mentors lend their time and talents to guide each team. Each season ends with an exciting FIRST Championship.

An industrial-size FIRST Robotics Competition robot balances on a game platform

What do I need to start a team?

The FIRST Robotics Competition is incredibly exciting and challenging, but requires significant effort and commitment. We're excited that you're thinking about starting a team and would like to help make your team a success!

The document below outlines the necessities for starting a team, including team structure, associated costs, materials and workspaces, funding and registration. These factors are highly important to consider when establishing and maintaining a team.

Start a Team Information

Steps to starting a team

Once you have considered the factors for starting a FIRST Robotics Competition team, you will need to officially register with FIRST Inspires in order to compete. You will be provided with a temporary team number once you have provided the appropriate details, which will then be replaced by an official FRC team number after the team has committed funds for the upcoming season. Please let FIRST Australia know this number as soon as you have received it.

FIRST Robotics Competition students pose with a volunteer behind their driver stations

FIRST Robotics Competition students dressed up in team spirit gear pose with their industrial-size robot

Mentor Resources

Access mentor resources including team management resources, the FIRST Robotics Competition mentor manual and a sample budget.

View Mentor Resources

Support

There are many ways to get support throughout the season! Start with the following:

FRC Australia Slack Workspace: This is a forum specifically for Australian FRC teams.
The Compass Alliance: An international 'Help Desk' for FRC teams, run by top teams from around the world. It operates 24/7 during build season.
Chief Delphi: An international forum for all things FRC.
Other teams: Often the most powerful support can come directly from connections with other teams- feel free to approach veteran teams with questions or requests for help.