Where to find everything
Every official FIRST resource and trusted community site worth bookmarking, and what each one is for.
By the end you can
- Know where the official rules, registration, and event results live
- Know which community resources are trustworthy, and where they stop being official
- Set up a shared bookmark folder for your team
The FTC community has an enormous amount of free material. The hard part is not finding information. It is knowing which sources are official and which are just helpful. This is the list we would hand any rookie team.
Make a team bookmark folder today
Put these links in one shared folder (a pinned Discord message or a shared doc works fine), so nobody has to search for the manual the night before an event.
Official: rules and the game
These are the sources that actually decide things. If a community site disagrees with them, the official source wins.
| Resource | What it is for |
|---|---|
| Competition Manual | The rules. Robot limits, game scoring, event and award rules. Older material calls it the Game Manual (Parts 1 and 2). Always check you have the latest update. |
| Game and Season info | The game animation, the field walkthrough, and links to all season materials. |
| Official Q&A forum | Official rule interpretations. Search before you ask; answers here count for the whole season. |
| FTC Docs | FIRST's official technical documentation: control system setup, programming, the Robot Controller app, and more. |
Official: running a team
| Resource | What it is for |
|---|---|
| FTC Get Started | FIRST's own checklist for starting a team. |
| Cost and registration | Current fees and how registration works. |
| FIRST Dashboard | Where coaches register the team, pay fees, and manage the roster. |
| Youth team member registration | FIRST requires every student on the team to register. |
| Youth Protection Program | Screening and safety rules for adult coaches and mentors. Start early, because screening takes time. |
| Team resources | Mentor guides, outreach, recruiting, and team management material. |
| Team grant opportunities | The current list of grants, including rookie grants. See the Business track for how to apply. |
| Resource library | Everything else FIRST publishes, sorted by audience: teams, parents, volunteers, and sponsors. |
Official: events and news
| Resource | What it is for |
|---|---|
| FTC Events | Every event, schedule, match result, ranking, and award. Look up your region and the teams you will face. |
| FIRST Championship | The top level of the season, where teams from around the world compete. |
| FIRST Community Blog | Season announcements, rule updates, and team updates. Check it weekly during the season. |
| FIRST Tech Challenge on YouTube | Game reveals, field walkthroughs, and official webinars. |
Community: helpful, not official
These are excellent, and experienced teams rely on them. But they are written by volunteers. For anything rule-related, check the Competition Manual.
| Resource | What it is for |
|---|---|
| Game Manual 0 (gm0) | A community-written guide to FTC: mechanisms, drivetrains, programming, and team management. The best general reference there is. |
| FTCScout | Team and event statistics. Useful for scouting and for seeing how teams in your region score. |
Hardware and software
| Resource | What it is for |
|---|---|
| REV Robotics docs | Control Hub, Expansion Hub, and REV motor and sensor documentation. Essential for wiring and troubleshooting. |
| goBILDA | A widely used FTC build system. Product pages include dimensions and CAD files. |
| Onshape for FIRST | Free professional CAD for FIRST teams. Our CAD track walks you through it. |
Check yourself
gm0 and a rule in the latest Competition Manual disagree about a robot size limit. Which do you follow?
You are set
That is the whole FIRST track so far. When you are ready to build something, pick a technical track: most teams start with Programming or Mechanical.
Finished this lesson?
Mark it complete to track your progress.