FIRST Robotics Competition Overview

Combining the excitement of sport with the rigors of science and technology. FIRST Robotics Competition is called the ultimate Sport for the Mind. High-school student participants call it “the hardest fun you’ll ever have.”

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.

Each season concludes with district championship events and an exciting FIRST Championship.

The FIRST Robotics Competition theme for the 2025-26 theme is REBUILT.

More information is available on the following pages:

• ORTOP's Overview of FIRST Robotics Competition

• Game and Season Information

• Starting a Team

• Cost and Registration

• Step-by-step instruction video by FIRST on registering a team
  • 0:25 Creating your FIRST Account
  • 4:25 Creating your FIRST Robotics Competition Team
  • 11:40 Acknowledgement Forms and Youth Protection Screening
  • 13:16 Important Sales Tax Information
  • 16:30 Completing your Order
  • 19:14 Outstanding Tasks you may need to Complete
  • 19:59 Inviting Coach and Youth Contacts to your Team
  • 22:38 Viewing and Printing your Team Roster

• Step-by-step PDF instructions with screenshots by ORTOP