AUTO
Robots drive by themselves with no drivers. They can earn points for leaving the starting area and parking.
2026-2027 FIRST Tech Challenge game
BIOBUZZ
How the game works
Two alliances of robots collect pollen, feed flowers, and tip a giant hive. Watch the video, then read the quick guide below to teach a friend.
A 7-minute explainer video made for the Clague Robotics teams. It explains the game with animation; it is not a recording of a real match.
The big idea
A match in three parts
Transition
A short break so drivers can pick up their controllers and get ready.
TELEOP
Drivers control the robots. This is where most of the scoring happens, and the last minute is when NECTAR can go into the flowers.
The game pieces
Pollen and nectar
POLLEN are small yellow balls, about 2.8 inches across. There are 40 in a match, and each robot starts with 4.
NECTAR are bigger red or blue balls, about 3.6 inches across. Each alliance has 8.
Robots pick these up and launch them into cells, flowers, or the garden to score.
How to score
Ways to earn points
LEAVE
Drive out of the starting area during AUTO.
PARK
Park in the right spot in AUTO, and again at the end of the match.
Tip the HIVE
Launch enough weight into the HIVE's upward cell and it tips over. This can happen in either period.
Cell and flowers
Each element left in the upward cell scores 2. So does each element in a flower your alliance owns.
Nectar bonus
A bonus for the bottom NECTAR.
Garden
Every element in the garden counts.
Point values come from the 2026-2027 Competition Manual (Table 10-2).
Ranking
Winning is not the only goal
Teams also earn ranking points. A win gives 3 and a tie gives 1. Bonus ranking points come from scoring enough LEAVE and PARK points (SWARM), and from tipping the HIVE several times (POLLINATOR).
The manual does not say exactly how many balls it takes to tip the HIVE, so teams have to test it on a real field.
Good questions
Robot rules in short
How big can the robot be?
It must start inside an 18-inch cube. After the match starts it can expand to 18 by 24 inches and 29 inches tall.
How many motors can it have?
At most 8 motors and 8 servos. There is no weight limit.
Can a robot hold lots of balls?
No. A robot can control at most 4 scoring elements at once, and it may never take the other alliance's NECTAR.
How does a robot tip the HIVE?
Only by launching elements into the HIVE's upward cell. Pushing or lifting it is not allowed.
Rules summarized from the 2026-2027 Competition Manual. For the exact wording, read the manual at firstinspires.org.