Defined Terms and Roles:
  • Coach
    • An adult mentor that is not competing within the competition but rather attending as a mentor and coaching capacity only. The coach may not interact with the Drone at any time during the round and may not intervene by providing instruction or in any other fashion. If the Head Referee identifies that the coach is attempting to intervene the team will be disqualified and the round will be stopped.
  • Student
    • A student must be currently enrolled in 3rd Grade through 12th Grade in the 2024 - 2025 school year.​
  • Team
    • A Team will consist of at least 2 students and up to 4 students. 
    • The 2024 - 2025 Season will have three divisions:
      Elementary, Middle School and High School
    • Each team will be designated a division to compete within. If a team consists of students that belong to multiple divisions, the oldest will determine the division of the team. Example: A team comprised of 5th and 6th grade students will compete in the Middle School Division as the oldest member is part of the Middle School Division. 
  • Awards
    • Each division will award the following:
      1. Champion
      2. Runner-Up​
  • Main Pilot
    • The Main Pilot is the individual who is in control of the drone with the controller in hand. They are responsible for the movement of the drone at all times and must listen to all instructions from the Head Referee. Additionally, the Main Pilot will work in conjunction with one Co-Pilot and is restricted to staying within the Red Zone only. This individual must be a student in 3rd through 8th grade. The Main Pilot and Co-Pilot may exchange roles following each round however, they may not change during a round. 
  • Co-Pilot
    • The Co-Pilot is responsible for directing the Main Pilot with the instructions to the best of their ability. These instructions will be the sole way of navigation for the Main Pilot when on the Dark Side, the area in which a line of sight is not available for the Main Pilot. The Co-Pilot is restrained to the Green Zone only and cannot cross into the Red Zone at any point. Additionally, once a specific Green Zone is picked at the beginning of the round, they may not move to the other 2 Green Zones. This individual must be a student in 3rd through 8th grade. The Main Pilot and Co-Pilot may exchange roles following each round however, they may not change during a round. 
  • Run
    • Once all Pilots reach their final position and provide a thumbs up to the Head Referee, the referee will begin a countdown to start the round. The round is a 2-minute period in which the drone is allowed to fly without penalty. During this time all point scoring activities must be completed. After the time period is over, no more flying can occur after the timer goes off. If the timer goes off and the drone is still in the air the team will incur a 5-point penalty. After the timer goes off the Main Pilot must lower the drone to the ground and land it safely as soon as possible and then places the controller on the ground. However, if the drone is already on the ground the team will not incur a penalty. Lastly, if a team decides to land their drone prior to the end of the 2-minute period they must place the controller on the ground so that time can be stopped.
    • Points earned during the 2-minute period, and mission disruptions will affect final scoring. 
    • Each team will have three drone run rounds.
  • Head Referee
    • The Head Referee will be the sole person responsible for the final scoring of each round and has the ability to stop or start any round whenever they deem fit. They also are the sole interpreter of the rules. If one of the rulings is challenged by the team members the Head Referee will explain the ruling to them, however, is not required to elaborate beyond the simple ruling and observation that prompted their action. All members must listen to the Head Referee to ensure the safety of all competitors. 
  • Violations
    • The act of breaking a rule in the game manual. 
      1. Minor Violation: A violation which does not result in a disqualification. Accidental, momentary, or otherwise non-match affecting violations are usually minor violations. Minor violations usually result in a verbal warning from the Head Referee during the match. These infractions tend to be simple and should be rectified after the verbal warning.
      2. Major Violation: A violation which results in a penalty. These violations are ones that are outlined within the rules and will impact the total score of the team after each run. Each violation will deduct 5 points from the total score. These will be given out and stated during the round by the Head Referee.
      3. Match Affecting: A violation which results in a disqualification. Multiple minor violations within a match or tournament may escalate to a major violation at the Head Referee’s discretion. These violations may be given by the Head Referee only and tend to be due to interaction from outside parties such as Coaches, Parents, or other adults with the Pilot Team or entrance into the Arena during the round. Additionally, failure to listen to repeated warnings from the Head Referee will result in these disqualifications.
  • Red Zone
    • The Red Zone is the area on the north side of the field where the driver will stand. This is a 2 foot by 2 foot box that will be labeled on the ground in the center of the south side area. The only individuals that may enter this area are the Main Pilot and the Head Referee.
  • Green Zone
    • The Green Zone is the area on the South, East, and West Side of the field where the Co-Pilot driver will stand. This is a 2 foot by 2 foot box that will be labeled on the ground in the center of each of the above stated sides area. The only individuals that may enter this area are the Co-Pilot and the Head Referee.
  • Dark Side
    • ​See the Reference images in Field Instructions.
    • Once drone enters the Dark Side it is not allowed to reenter the Light Side; if it does, it is minus 5 points.
  • Light Side
    • See the Reference images in the Field Instructions.
  • Entrance into the Arena
    • The only way to enter the Arena, 16 by 16 foot PVC Competition area, is if the Drone Round has Started and the Drone is in a position in which it is now inoperable and can no longer fly from its current position. If this is the cause, the Head Referee will identify if the scenario has met the conditions to allow a Co-Pilot to enter the field. If a signal is given from a Head Referee to the Main Pilot that the drone is stuck, the Main Pilot must place the controller down inside the Red Area and not touch the controller in any capacity until the Head Referee says to do so. After the controller is down, a Co-Pilot may enter the Arena and retrieve the Drone and return it to the Landing Platform. They may not interact with any other field elements.
    • If more than one Co-Pilot enters the field at the same time, a major violation of 5 points penalty will apply for each time. 
  • Tie Breaker
    • In a scenario where two (2) or more Teams are tied for the highest round score, the following hierarchy will break ties: 
      1. Team’s Highest Score
      2. Team’s Highest Score Time
      3. Team’s Average of 3 rounds
  • Drone Camera
    • Drone Camera must be off during the entire round and may not be used to gain an unfair advantage. 

Preliminary Autonomous Round
  • Duration: The autonomous round lasts for 30 seconds prior to the start of the piloted portion of the round.
  • Controller Placement:
    • During the autonomous round, the remote controller must remain on the ground for the majority of the 30-second period.
    • Teams are only allowed to start the program for the drone at the beginning of this period before placing the controller on the ground.
  • Drone Starting Position:
    • The drone must begin on the ground in the standard location at the start of the 30-second autonomous round.
  • End of Autonomous Period:
    • At the end of the 30-second period, the drone must be on the ground.
    • Penalties:
      • Minor Violation: If the drone is observed attempting to land but does not complete the landing by the end of the autonomous period.
      • Major Violation: If the drone is not on the ground and shows no attempt to land by the end of the autonomous period.
  • Scoring Multiplier:
    • Any points earned or missions completed during the autonomous round will receive a 2x multiplier applied to the score.