Rules and Scoring
Games are played with 8 robotic football players for each team. Games are two 20 minute halves with a 5-10 minute halftime. The game is played on a field that is basketball court sized (90' by 46') and is outfitted with 12' end zones.
Offensive players have 25 seconds to initiate the play after the referee toe-spots the ball. A score or an upsetting event (eg. tackle, falling down) of the ball carrying player will signify the end of an event. During an upsetting event the robot is "tackled" so a LED light turns red for a short time.
Scoring is similar to regular football, but with a robotic twist. For example, points are awarded for successful passes at various distances - see the table below for more information. Not surprising, but the team with the highest score wins. NCAA overtime rules are used in the case of a draw.
The most recent (08/2019) set of official rules can be found here. If you'd like to see a version of the rules with the changes from 2018 in red, click here.
Point Distribution
| Scoring Actions | Points |
|---|---|
| Touchdown | 6 |
| PAT (Point After Touchdown) (kick) | 1 |
| PAT (run or pass) | 2 |
| Field Goal | 3 |
| Long Pass (10+ feet)* | 4 (6 if caught) |
| Short Pass (0-10 feet)* | 3 (4 if caught) |
| Safety | 2 |
(*) Passes are measured from the line of scrimmage, any pass caught behind the line of scrimmage is awarded no points. No more than 7 points can be awarded from passing on each possession.
NOTE: Because of recent rule changes, the number of points scored on a play is tripled if the center snaps the ball from the ground or if the kicker kicks the ball off of a tee instead of the ball being placed in either of the robots. Half points are awarded if the center snaps to the running back directly