Head Referee Interaction Pilot

FIRST^® Robotics Competition program staff are always looking for ways to improve the overall experience for our teams and students, and part of that is testing new solutions. The TLDR of this blog is that we will be piloting a change for Head Referee Interaction rules for the 2026 season to make them more consistent with other volunteer interactions which ensure mentors have ability to support their student team members when needed.

Core Program Intent

We have said it before, and we want to say it again. Mentorship and coaching are important aspects of FIRST^® programs. Adult mentorship is part of what makes FIRST so effective, and it’s been core to our programs from the very beginning. FIRST programs have impact because of the tens of thousands of caring adult volunteers (coaches, mentors, and event volunteers) that participate every season. Over the past several years, you can see a consistent pattern within our program:

• Drive teams allow an adult, years ago we added a technician role as an option if the team wants an adult near, but not on the field;
• Adults are allowed to participate and support with robot inspection;
• An adult is allowed to be present any time judges are interacting with youth, either in the pits or in a private judging room;
• Adults can talk to the FTA when needed to better understand technical issues being seen on the field;
• Alliance selection is no longer a single student isolated on the field, but a group which may include an adult; and
• More focus on creating tools to help mentors be the best caring adults they can be for their team members (Mentor Ready, Role of Lead Coach, etc.).

What is the change?

For the 2026 season, we will be allowing one additional person (maximum of 2) to interact with the Head Referee. This additional person may be an adult or another student. We will also be adding more clarity and guidance for our Head Referees for interactions with a team which might not be appropriate (for example if inappropriate language is used or if the Head Referee is being yelled at). If any of these instances occur, the Head Referee may disengage from the conversation after a warning. Below is a preview of the two applicable rules:

Why are we making this change?

As an organization, FIRST and FIRST Robotics Competition have a responsibility to create a program structure which serves all teams and allows enough flexibility so each team can choose what’s best for their team members in any given situation.

• We want to ensure that mentors, who have the direct relationship with the youth, can act in their team members’ best interests. We also know that each student is different and the needs of the team members may differ team to team and year to year.
• We also want to create systems which enable the best outcomes based on individual needs and not try to legislate around the vast minority of bad actors.
  • If there are specific problem individuals, we encourage teams to let someone know. You could speak directly to the Lead Coach of said team, or if you’re not comfortable doing that, you can bring it to the attention of any of the leadership of the event (e.g. Local FIRST leadership, Head Referee, Volunteer Coordinator, FTA, LRI, etc.). If no one ever addresses the bad behavior, then there’s no chance that the behavior will change. Folks in our program are generally good people trying to do the right thing and are quick to accept responsibility and issue apologies.
• We want to continue to set a high standard of behavior in our community for all individuals, and we continue to expand training and best practices (e.g. Drive Coach Best Practices and more are currently in development).

In addition to the trainings and best practices shared above, this rule change is intended to be another tool in the mentoring toolbox. We trust mentors to help make decisions about how to best serve each of their students, which may involve the mentor going to the question box with them, or not.

The purpose of FIRST is to prepare the young people of today for the world of tomorrow. FIRST programs can be life-changing experiences that build skills, confidence, and resilience. Part of that skill development comes from risk taking (doing things that are hard and maybe scary!) and like many people, students are often more willing to take risks if they know they are in a safe and supportive environment. While teams can do many things to prepare their students (and mentors) for the rigors of competition before they attend, we don’t believe that our role is to force situations which isolate students from their team members in high stakes situations.

We think that some of the greatest mentoring can happen in moments where tension is highest, including right before, during, and after a match. As much as possible, we want the student to be an active participant in the conversations, and we hope that this change will allow adults an opportunity to help provide additional mentoring and feedback to students on these interactions just like we have seen with the Inspection Process and the Alliance Selection Process changes.

We will collect feedback following the season before deciding if we will continue to offer this option or if we need to make additional modifications for future seasons.