Event Region Championship Requirements – RECF Library

Introduction

Event Region Championships are the highest level of competition within an Robotics Education & Competition Foundation (RECF) Event Region. Teams can qualify from local qualifying events into their Event Region Championship. This event is sometimes referred to as a State, Provincial, or National Championship depending on the Event Region. Teams from all over the Event Region compete for a chance to qualify for the RECF STEM World Championship.

Requirements

In order for an Event Region Championship application to be recommended for approval for the 2026-2027 season, the following requirements must be agreed to and met by the Event Partner.

Event

All Event Region Championships must abide by the standards included in the following:
- Current game manual (Achieve, ADC, ADC Pro, Engage, Inspire)
- Guide to Judging
- Referee Guide
- Commitment to Event Excellence
- Code of Conduct
- Student-Centered Policy
- Qualifying Criteria (ADC, ADC Pro, Robotics)
Participating teams must be from that specific Event Region
Ensure sufficient time for all teams to run solo matches
- If the event has more than 48 teams, solo matches must be available to teams for a minimum of 2 days
- Teams must be given the opportunity to run no more than three (3) driving solo matches and three (3) coding solo matches
- Solo match fields must remain open until the final alliance match has completed
Includes the following required ceremonies and meetings:
- An Event Meeting where the Head Referee and Event Partner go over the event logistics with participants, including how to queue for matches, the game rules, and a brief Q&A session
- An Opening Ceremony that welcomes the teams, spectators, volunteers and invited guests
- An Award Ceremony that concludes the event; while some awards may be given out before the final match, the Tournament or Teamwork Champions and Excellence Award are recognized after the final match
- All solo match and practice fields must be closed during all Event Meetings and Ceremonies
All teams must be given the opportunity to be judged and judging must follow the standard judging process as outlined in the Guide to Judging
A clear refund policy that states what happens:
- If the Event Partner cancels the event
- If a team registers and chooses not to attend
A clear payment deadline that states if a team doesn't pay by a specified deadline, they will be moved to the waitlist
An Event Region Championship must be single grade level only (not blended)
- Exception: If both grade levels within a program in an Event Region have only one (1) World Championship spot allocated for each, the Event Region may choose to either hold a blended Event Region Championship or split Event Region Championships (one per grade level)

Fields

Raised competition fields for alliance matches and elimination/finals matches are recommended, with a height between ten (10) and 24 inches
- If fields are raised, field risers must be reinforced, durable enough to hold the weight of individuals (referees, students, field resetters, etc.) without moving or shifting, and must be level
A sufficient number of fields for alliance matches, solo matches, and practice areas must be provided; all fields for a Achieve/Inspire match type must use the same perimeter type per the game manual
- Achieve/Inspire
  - At least 2-3 competition fields per division
  - At least eight (8) alliance matches per team
  - At least one (1) solo match field for every 16 teams
  - At least one (1) practice field for every 32 teams
  - Anti-static tiles for the competition and solo match fields
- Engage
  - At least 2-3 competition fields per division
  - At least eight (8) alliance matches per team
  - At least one (1) solo match field for every 15 teams
  - A least one (1) practice field for every 25 teams

Staff

Division Manager

The Division Manager oversees the running of event software, field operation, and queuing in each division

Field Staff

There must be at least two (2) Certified Head Referees for each division that have the final authority on all rulings
- At least 1 Certified Head Referee should have experience in that same role at a World Championship, Signature Event, or Event Region Championship in the current or previous season, or have experience in that role at 2 or more qualifying events that season
- Each competition match must have a Head Referee watch the entire duration of the match
- Best Practice: Have 1 Certified Referee for each competition field and 1 overall Certified Division Head Referee that monitors all matches
At least two (2) Scorekeeper Referees for every Achieve/Inspire competition field and at least one (1) Scorekeeper Referee for every Engage competition field
- Scorekeeper Referees are required to have read the game manual and referee guide before the event
There must be at least one (1) Certified Head Referee for each solo match area that has the final authority on all rulings.
Every solo match field should have at least one (1) Scorekeeper Referee
At least one (1) Emcee per division
A field reset crew for each division
A designated Field Technician is strongly recommended

Judging

There must be a minimum of one (1) Certified Judge Advisor for the event
- A Certified Judge Advisor should have experience in that same role at a World Championship, Signature Event, or Event Region Championship in the current or previous season, or have experience in that role at 2 or more qualifying events that season
- The Certified Judge Advisor has read and agreed to follow the Guide to Judging and official RECF judging processes
A minimum of one (1) pair of judges (2) for every eight (8) teams

General

There is at least one (1) lead robot inspector, who should be a Head Referee
At least one (1) robot inspector for every twelve (12) teams
A minimum of one (1) queuer for every competition field
A minimum of one (1) practice field attendant for each practice field area
A check-in table with one (1) staff member per 24 teams

Pit Areas

Each team attending is given adequate space and resources in the pit area.

Dedicated power supply at each pit table/booth or adequate charging stations for all teams.
8’ x 8’ pipe and drape booths are preferred; however, the following can be substituted if space is unavailable:
- Achieve teams provided a pit table that is at least six (6) feet in length
  - At least 2 chairs per table is recommended
- Engage teams provided a pit table that is no less than four (4) feet in length; note: This may be an eight (8) foot table shared between two teams
- Inspire teams provided a table that is no less than eight (8) feet in length or two (2) tables that are no less than six (6) feet in length each

Communications

A live stream of the event is strongly preferred
- If playing music over a live stream, it is the Event Partner’s responsibility to ensure proper licensing is in place and no copyright laws are violated
Clear, audible sound system is used at the venue
If using cameras, the event uses video overlay on the competition fields during alliance and elimination/finals matches
If not using cameras, at least one (1) audience display is visible to the audience
All custom artwork using RECF logos must be approved by RECF Marketing before printing
Event setup and decoration will be completed before the scheduled team check in with competition fields set up properly for matches
The event utilizes the appropriate displays
There is a field queue monitor on each competition field
Pit displays are visible throughout the venue
If the RECF secures a sponsor to provide support for the event, the Event Partner will follow deliverable guidelines when possible
Allow official sponsors/partners of the RECF to set up a booth and/or display at the event

Awards

Award banners handed out must be the standard banners from USA Image
Any award that qualifies for the RECF STEM World Championship must have a trophy
- Event Partners are encouraged to hand out as many awards as possible
The following awards, if they will qualify teams to the RECF STEM World Championship, must have a banner in addition to a trophy:
- Excellence Award
- Teamwork/Tournament Champions
- Design Award
- Solo Match Champion
Event Region Championships with at least 16 teams must hand out the 2nd Judges Award and the Sportsmanship Award.

2026-2027 Dates and Deadlines

The deadline to host an RECF Robotics Event Region Championship outside of the United States is February 27, 2027
The deadline to host an RECF Robotics Event Region Championship within the United States is March 14, 2027
Teams that qualify for an RECF Robotics Event Region Championship on or before January 31, 2027, will have two weeks to register and pay by credit card, check or purchase order
Teams that qualify for an RECF Robotics Event Region Championship on or after February 1, 2027, will have one week to register and pay by credit card, check or purchase order
Note: From time to time, the RECF may make an exception to one of these criteria to better support a growing State/Province/Region/Nation; for more information, please contact your Regional Support Manager (RSM) here

Event Region Championship Application Process

The deadline to submit an application and the notification of selection date is determined by the RSM for that specific Event Region. To host an Event Region Championship, you must plan to host at least 1 qualifying event in the same season.

If you have questions about Event Region Championships, please contact your R SM.

Best Practices

In addition to the suggestions provided in the REC Library article on Hosting Championship Events Best Practices:

Create a planning team
Attend another Event Region Championship or Signature Event and shadow the Event Partner
Visit the desired venue multiple times to plan how the event could be set up
Test out an event idea on a smaller scale at a different venue first before moving it to a larger venue