FTC Coach/Captain Call – February 12, 2026

FTC CoachCaptain Call-20260212_203234-Meeting Recording.mp4

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Meeting notes:

• Team Registration and Roster Requirements: Mel provided detailed instructions to coaches on preparing team rosters, ensuring all members and parents complete electronic consent forms, and registering teams with Adventist Robotics prior to the tournament.
  • Roster Preparation Process: Mel explained that coaches must prepare a printed team roster, which includes all team members and coaches, and ensure that parents complete the electronic consent and release forms. The roster must be brought to the tournament for check-in, and teams cannot compete without it.
  • Electronic Consent and Release: Mel emphasized that parents must complete the consent and release forms electronically via the FIRST Dashboard. Once completed, the team roster can be printed, and instructions for accessing and submitting these forms were reiterated.
  • Team Registration with Adventist Robotics: Mel instructed teams to register with Adventist Robotics and pay the event registration fee through the Adventistrobotics.net website, noting that this step should be completed before the tournament registration deadline.
• Dean’s List and Leadership Award Nomination Process: Mel and Fiona outlined the process for nominating 10th or 11th grade students for the Dean’s List (Leadership) Award, including eligibility, submission deadlines, and the interview process led by Fiona as judge advisor.
  • Award Eligibility and Purpose: Mel clarified that the Dean’s List (Leadership) Award is intended for 10th or 11th grade students, not seniors or freshmen, and is designed to recognize leadership within teams. Coaches may nominate up to two students per team.
  • Nomination and Submission Details: Mel stated that coaches are responsible for submitting nominations by mid-March, with the exact deadline to be confirmed in writing. There is no cost to submit, and coaches should carefully consider their written responses.
  • Interview and Selection Process: Fiona, as judge advisor, will contact coaches to arrange online interviews (via Zoom or Teams) with nominated students. The winner will be selected based on both the written submission and interview performance, and announced at the tournament.
  • Award Criteria and Preparation: Fiona highlighted that leadership and demonstration of FIRST core values are key criteria. Coaches and students should prepare examples and thoughtful responses, and translation accommodations will be provided if needed.
• Judging Process and Portfolio Submission: Fiona and Mel described the structure of judging sessions, portfolio submission procedures, and the importance of Section 6 of the manual for award criteria, advising teams to prepare and review materials thoroughly.
  • Structured Interview Format: Fiona explained that each team will participate in a 15-minute structured interview with judges, including a five-minute uninterrupted presentation followed by ten minutes of questions. Teams may bring their robot and portfolio, and one silent adult observer is permitted.
  • Portfolio Handling and Visuals: Fiona stated that portfolios should be handed to judges at the start of the interview, but judges will not review them during the session. Teams may bring an extra copy or specific visuals to reference during their presentation, and only one portfolio copy is retained by judges.
  • Judges’ Post-Interview Actions: After the interview, judges complete a feedback form, briefly review the portfolio, and nominate teams for awards based on their strengths. Feedback is returned to teams at the end of the day.
  • Importance of Section 6 and Award Criteria: Both Fiona and Mel stressed that all team members should read Section 6 of the manual, as it contains the official award criteria used by judges. Teams should ensure their presentations and portfolios address required and encouraged elements for each award.
• Awards Strategy and Team Development: Mel and Fiona encouraged teams, especially coaches, to review all award categories, explaining that pursuing multiple awards fosters student growth and enhances the overall FIRST Tech Challenge experience.
  • Benefits of Pursuing Awards: Mel explained that striving for various awards helps students develop skills relevant to future careers, such as presentations and teamwork, and that the process of preparing for awards is more valuable than winning them.
  • Strategic Focus for Teams: Teams are advised to review all award criteria, even if they are experienced, and to consider taking on additional award categories or assigning specific responsibilities to team members to maximize learning opportunities.
• Game Rules and Drive Team Roles: Fiona and Sam provided an in-depth review of drive team roles, human player responsibilities, and key game rules, including penalties, artifact handling, and alliance area storage limits, addressing questions from Reginald and others.
  • Drive Team Composition and Badges: Fiona clarified that the drive team consists of a drive coach (who may be an adult), drivers, and a human player, all of whom must wear appropriate badges. The human player role is not strictly differentiated from drivers, and responsibilities may rotate.
  • Drive Coach and Human Player Restrictions: Sam detailed that drive coaches may not operate controllers or interact with scoring elements, while human players and drivers may handle artifacts within the loading zone during teleop, following specific rules to avoid penalties.
  • Artifact Handling and Penalties: Sam emphasized that direct contact between a drive team member and a robot, or with an artifact in contact with a robot, results in major fouls and yellow cards. Artifacts must be dropped, not pushed, into robots to avoid violations.
  • Alliance Area Storage Limit: Sam explained rule G434, which limits each alliance to storing no more than six artifacts out of play during teleop. Exceeding this limit incurs minor fouls, and teams must promptly return excess artifacts to the field.
  • Clarifications on Artifact Removal: In response to Reginald’s question, Fiona confirmed that human players may remove artifacts from the field for strategic reasons, provided the six-artifact storage limit is not exceeded and no contact with robots occurs during removal.
• Field Layout, Protected Zones, and Scoring: Sam described the field layout, including alliance areas, loading zones, secret tunnels, and base zones, and explained rules for protected zones, scoring methods, and ranking points, addressing questions from Reginald and Dylan.
  • Field Zones and Common Fouls: Sam reviewed the locations and functions of alliance areas, loading zones, secret tunnels, and gate zones, noting that contacting the opposing alliance’s gate is a common major foul that awards a ranking point to the other alliance.
  • Protected Zone Rules: Sam clarified that in the secret tunnel, fouls are based on which robot is in the tunnel at the time of contact, while in loading and gate zones, fouls are assessed if a robot is touched while in its protected zone, regardless of the other robot’s position.
  • Base Zone Endgame Rules: During the last 20 seconds of a match, contact with a robot in its base zone results in a major foul and credits the touched robot with a full park, regardless of its actual location.
  • Scoring and Ranking Points: Sam explained that points are awarded for driving off launch lines in autonomous, parking in base zones, and matching artifact patterns on the ramp. Ranking points are determined by specific achievements, such as pattern completion and autonomous actions.
  • Artifact Pattern Scoring: Sam and Daniel clarified that while matching artifact patterns yields additional points, teams are not penalized for ignoring the pattern and may choose strategies that maximize overall scoring instead.
• Tournament Communications and Support: Mel reminded participants to regularly check emails for tournament updates, meal ordering information, and to reach out with questions or requests for assistance as the event approaches.
  • Ongoing Communications: Mel stated that emails with tournament details and logistical information will be sent every one to two weeks, including instructions for meal ordering and payment.
  • Support and Assistance: Mel encouraged teams to communicate any needs or questions, assuring that the organizing team will do their best to accommodate within their capabilities.