Skip to content
All weeks
08Week 8

FTC Game Strategy

Play smarter: plan every second of the match.

A good robot is only half of a good match. This week you learn how to read a new game, decide which scoring actions are worth your time, plan Autonomous and Driver-Controlled play, work with alliance partners, practise as a drive team, and prepare for things going wrong. Every scoring value in this module is a made-up example: the real numbers always come from the current official Competition Manual.

4
Lessons
10 team hours
Estimated time
6
Learning objectives
Start lesson
Game of the week

Practice match

A 60-second driver-controlled period. Points come from fast cycles: collect → drive → score → back again.

How to play
  1. 01Drive with W A S D / arrows or hold the on-screen buttons.
  2. 02Drive into a yellow piece to collect it, then take it to the red basket: +5.
  3. 03Watch your average cycle time — shorter cycles mean more points. 40 points is a full score.

Lessons190 min

  1. 01Reading the Game: Rules and Scoring OpportunitiesLearn how to read a Competition Manual on kickoff day and turn it into lists of scoring actions, penalties, and constraints. Then compare scoring options with expected points and points per second. 45 min
  2. 02Planning Autonomous and Driver-Controlled PlayPlan an Autonomous routine that is reliable and compatible with your alliance partner, then break Driver-Controlled play into cycles you can time and improve. Learn what defense means and why the rules limit it. 50 min
  3. 03Alliance Coordination and Drive Team PracticeLearn how to plan a match with an alliance partner in a few minutes, how Gracious Professionalism and Coopertition work in practice, and how to organise drive team roles and structured driver practice. 45 min
  4. 04Match Analysis, Scouting, and Risk ManagementCollect useful scouting data, use community tools to review public match results, and review your own matches. Then compare consistency with scoring ceiling and prepare backup plans for the most likely failures. 50 min
Team assignment

Develop a Practical Match Strategy

Using the current Competition Manual (or a past season's manual if the season has not started), build a complete match strategy for your own robot. Base every decision on evidence: expected-points calculations, Autonomous reliability tests, and measured cycle times. Clearly label any estimated or hypothetical numbers. The strategy must be realistic for what your robot can do today, include an alliance conversation plan, and include backup plans for the most likely failures.

Deliverables

Tick items off as your team completes them.

0/6

Learning objectives

  • Analyse a Competition Manual and list scoring actions, penalties, and constraints.
  • Compare scoring opportunities using expected points and points per second.
  • Plan a reliable Autonomous routine that stays compatible with alliance partners.
  • Measure and improve cycle time in Driver-Controlled play.
  • Coordinate with alliance partners using Gracious Professionalism and Coopertition.
  • Use scouting data and backup plans to manage risk during an event.

Required materials

  • The current official Competition Manual and game materials from FIRST (or a past season's manual for practice)
  • Printed field diagrams or a whiteboard for drawing paths
  • A stopwatch or phone timer
  • Spreadsheet software (Google Sheets, Excel, or LibreOffice Calc)
  • Your robot, a charged battery, gamepads, and a Driver Station
  • A clear practice area, ideally with foam field tiles
  • Safety glasses for everyone near a moving robot

Expected outcomes

  • Students can turn a game manual into a structured game analysis sheet within the first days after kickoff.
  • Students can explain why a reliable, lower-scoring action can be worth more than an ambitious one.
  • Students can plan Autonomous variants and agree on them with an alliance partner before a match.
  • Students can run timed driver practice and use the data to choose drivers and improve cycles.
  • Students can scout matches, review their own play, and write backup plans for common failures.

Knowledge check

16 questions across this week's lessons. Your best score for each lesson is saved.

  • Reading the Game: Rules and Scoring Opportunities–/4
  • Planning Autonomous and Driver-Controlled Play–/4
  • Alliance Coordination and Drive Team Practice–/4
  • Match Analysis, Scouting, and Risk Management–/4

Completion checklist

Tick items off as your team completes them.

0/7