the video version
The same lesson as a narrated video. Watch it on YouTube
The season is a yearly cycle#
Every FRC season follows the same rhythm. Understanding this calendar is the single most useful thing a rookie can learn.
1. Kickoff (early January)#
The season begins with Kickoff, a worldwide simultaneous broadcast on the FIRST YouTube channel. At Kickoff, FIRST reveals the new game, releases the Game Manual, and shows the field. The 2026 Kickoff was on Saturday, January 10, 2026, revealing REBUILT presented by Haas. From this moment, every team on Earth has the same information and the clock starts.
2. Build Season (about six weeks)#
For roughly six weeks after Kickoff, teams design, prototype, build, wire, and program their robot. This is the famous crunch — long nights, rapid iteration, and learning by doing. Historically robots were 'bagged and tagged' at the end of build season; that rule was removed in 2020, so teams may now keep working, but the ~6-week window before the first event still defines the sprint. Teams use this time to:
- Read and re-read the Game Manual
- Decide a strategy and a robot 'archetype'
- CAD the design (often in Onshape)
- Fabricate, assemble, wire, and write software
- Drive-practice before the first event
3. Competition Season (late February through April)#
Teams travel to events. There are two models:
- Regional model: a team attends one larger Regional event; top teams there qualify for the FIRST Championship.
- District model: in certain areas, teams play two District events, earn district points, and the best advance to a District Championship, then potentially to the FIRST Championship.
4. FIRST Championship (late April)#
The season culminates at the FIRST Championship in Houston, Texas (at the George R. Brown Convention Center). The 2026 Championship runs April 29 – May 2, 2026. About 600 qualifying teams compete in multiple divisions (Archimedes, Curie, Daly, Galileo, and more); division winners advance to the Einstein Field for the world final, and major judged awards (including the FIRST Impact Award) are presented.
5. Offseason (summer/fall)#
After Championship, teams attend offseason events (community-run), recruit new members, train rookies, fundraise, and prototype mechanisms — then the cycle restarts at the next Kickoff.
A quick mental model#
January: get the game. February–April: build and compete. Late April/early May: Championship. Summer/Fall: train and prepare.
Why the calendar matters for rookies#
Registration and the Kit of Parts logistics happen before Kickoff, so a brand-new team must register in the fall to be ready in January. Missing that window means missing the season — plan ahead.
Learn more#
- FRC Season Materials: https://www.firstinspires.org/resources/library/frc/season-materials
- FIRST Championship info: https://www.firstinspires.org/robotics/frc/championship
the part worth keeping
Key takeaways
- The season runs on a fixed yearly cycle: January Kickoff, ~6-week build season, late-Feb to April events, then the FIRST Championship in Houston in late April (April 29 – May 2 in 2026).
- Teams compete either in the Regional model (one big event) or the District model (two events plus a District Championship).
- Rookies must register and arrange the Kit of Parts in the fall to be ready for January Kickoff.
Getting Started with FRCThe Season and the Gamelesson 1 of 4
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where this came from
Sources and corrections
This lesson is AI-assisted: drafted from primary sources, then reviewed and edited by hand. Errors still get through. When one is reported we fix it and write down what changed, in public, in the corrections log.
sources and further reading
- firstinspires.orgFRC Season Materials
- firstinspires.orgFRC Cost & Registration
clipped to this lesson
Articles that go further on this
The lesson gets you through the topic. These go wider on it, and they read in one sitting.
- 8 min readFRC Build Season Timeline: A Week-by-Week Plan from Kickoff to CompetitionA practical week-by-week FRC build season timeline, from Kickoff and game analysis through prototyping, CAD, fabrication, wiring, programming, and driver practice./blogread it
- 18 min readThe FRC World Championship: Divisions, Einstein & How Teams QualifyHow the FRC World Championship works: the eight Houston divisions, the Einstein Field final, and every way teams qualify for the FIRST Championship./blogread it
- 14 min readThe 2027 FRC Season Calendar: Every Deadline & FeeEvery verified 2027 FRC deadline and fee: event registration rounds from Sept 24, payment due Nov 17, Kickoff on Jan 9, and what the $6,500 fee covers./blogread it
answer sheet
Lesson quiz
All 3 right completes the lesson. Miss one and only that question comes back, anything you already answered correctly stays banked.
0 of 3 answered
01What event officially starts the FRC season and reveals each year's new game?
02In what order do FRC events generally occur over a season?
03Where is the FRC season's pinnacle event, the FIRST Championship, held?
Answer every question to submit.
All 28 lessons in Getting Started with FRCopenclose
01 / what-first-and-frc-are
02 / the-season-and-the-game
03 / culture-teams-and-roles
04 / getting-started-your-first-steps
05 / worked-examples-mini-projects
- Not read yet:Project 1 — Make a NEO Spin with the REV Hardware Client
- Not read yet:Project 2 — Deploy a Real Arcade-Drive Program
- Not read yet:Project 3 — Refactor into a Command-Based Drive Subsystem
- Not read yet:Project 4 — Build a Fuel Launcher for REBUILT
- Not read yet:Project 5 — A One-Button Autonomous Routine
06 / common-mistakes-troubleshooting
- Not read yet:The Connection Chain: When the Driver Station Won't Connect
- Not read yet:Brownouts: Why the Robot Goes Limp Mid-Match
- Not read yet:CAN Bus Gremlins: Missing and Conflicting Devices
- Not read yet:Software Gotchas: Inverted Drives, Scheduler Stalls, and Reading the RioLog
- Not read yet:Inspection-Day Failures: Bumpers, Size, and Weight
07 / advanced-techniques-case-studies
- Not read yet:Closed-Loop Control: PID + Feedforward for a Consistent Shot
- Not read yet:Swerve Drive: Omnidirectional Movement with YAGSL
- Not read yet:AprilTag Vision: Knowing Where You Are with PhotonVision
- Not read yet:Data-Driven Strategy: Scouting, EPA/OPR, and Alliance Selection
- Not read yet:Choosing Your Hardware Ecosystem: REV vs CTRE