Plan the match on paper first
Learn the core ideas behind FTC strategy and sketch your own plans on a generic practice field: place robots, draw autonomous paths and mark zones.
Core strategy concepts
Read the manual first
On kickoff, list every way to score, every penalty and every robot constraint before designing anything.
Points per second
Estimate what each action is worth divided by how long it takes. Use your own measured times.
Consistency beats ceiling
A routine that scores a little every match often outperforms one that scores a lot occasionally.
Cycle time
Time one full collect–travel–score–return loop. Shaving seconds off a cycle adds up over two minutes.
Compatible autonomous
Plan routines that avoid your partner's path. Having options for different start positions helps alliances.
Communicate early
Talk to alliance partners before every match: who does what, where, and the backup plan.
Practice field planner
Drag items to move them.
Planning tool only. This generic 12 × 12 ft tiled field is not the current official field, and paths are not a physics simulation — real robots accelerate, slip and vary.
Strategy exercises
Action value table
- 1. List every scoring action from a game manual (any season).
- 2. Estimate or measure the time each takes.
- 3. Calculate points per second using the manual's values.
- 4. Rank actions and choose two to focus on.
Draw two compatible autos
- 1. Place your robot and a partner on the planner.
- 2. Draw a path for each that does not cross the other.
- 3. Estimate travel time with a realistic speed.
- 4. Write a fallback if one robot's auto fails.
Cycle-time drill
- 1. Set up a practice area with a pickup and score location.
- 2. Run ten timed cycles and record each time.
- 3. Calculate the average and the slowest cycle.
- 4. Pick one change to make and repeat the drill.