Week 1 Update

Hello parents and families, and welcome to the 2026 FIRST Robotics Competition season, REBUILT, presented by Haas. Each year, FIRST introduces a brand new game, and this season challenges teams to rethink and refine engineering solutions through strategy, timing, and teamwork.

In REBUILT, teams design and build a robot to score points by collecting fuel, represented by yellow high-density foam balls, and scoring it into field elements known as hubs. Matches are played between two alliances of three teams each, so cooperation and communication are just as important as robot design.

Here is what a piece of fuel looks like!

Each match begins with a 20 second autonomous period, where robots run pre-programmed code to score fuel without driver input. This is followed by a 2 minute and 20 second driver controlled period. During this time, teams must pay close attention to which hubs are active, since fuel can only be scored for points in an active hub, making timing and strategy a major part of the game.

Fuel can be collected from the field or delivered by a human player, with 504 total fuel pieces available on the field each match. Teams must decide how to manage this limited resource while hubs are active. The last 30 seconds is the endgame, where all hubs become active, and robots can earn additional points by climbing a ladder-like tower with 3 levels on their alliance’s side of the field. The higher the climb, the more points you earn.

REBUILT is part of the broader FIRST AGE season, which celebrates innovation and the idea of learning from the past to build something better for the future. We are excited to share this season with you and appreciate your support as our students compete in the 2026 REBUILT season.