Practice Field & Team Element Changes

For the 2026 season, we’re making some tweaks to the field-related resources we provide to teams.

Official Field CAD

FIRST^® Engineering has switched to designing the field in Onshape for the 2026 season. The official model will be an Onshape model, and STEP files will be provided for teams using other CAD platforms. This change also applies to the other resources in this blog post as well as KitBot. Unofficial versions of the field will be available natively in the Autodesk and Solidworks Platforms. Thanks to PTC for being our Modeling Solution Sponsor!

As usual, we will provide full drawing packages for the field on the Playing Field webpage. We have made a few small tweaks to the formatting and presentation of some of the field drawings in the hope of providing more value to teams. We will continue making adjustments in future seasons based on community feedback.

“Test” vs “Practice”

We’re highlighting a distinction between the actions of “testing” your robot versus “practicing” with your robot. We’ve documented our definitions of these terms for clarity and convenience. The purpose for this distinction is to better communicate the purpose of some of the season resources we provide.

Test

Testing is validating or improving a single robot function (or a small subset of robot functions). These checks do not need to test the full operating envelope of the robot or function and do not attempt to simulate accurate match conditions.

Typically testing only interacts with a single field element and can be done with limited driving. Testing can incorporate checking or adjusting autonomous functions but does not include tuning complex autonomous routines.

Practice

Practice is an attempt to simulate realistic field or match conditions in order to evaluate or improve the robot’s function (including the drive team).

Practice often involves one or more of the following:

• Full match simulations.
• Running full autonomous routines.
• Driver-operated scoring while timing or tracking score.
• Scoring with real or simulated defense.
• Exercising all robot functions.
• High speed driving.

Field Resources for the 2026 Season

With the distinction between “test” and “practice”, we are renaming several of our field-related resources and adding new ones. This is to create clear expectations for resources at events and to help teams choose between options when building field elements at home. There are four field related build resources available to teams this year. Teams can review this blog to better understand which resources may be the right fit for their needs and resources. Resources specific to REBUILT^TM presented by Haas will be available after Kickoff.

*Note that a “High Fidelity” item would be a Field Element that is build directly from the official drawings for the parts used on the official playing fields.

Team Test Elements

REEFSCAPE Team Test Elements

Formerly called “Team Elements” or “Team Versions”, the Team Test Elements are low fidelity versions of field elements designed by FIRST and built by teams. They are typically made from lumber or other materials available at a local hardware store. These can be built with common hand and power tools.

The design of these elements prioritizes:

1. Simple and easy construction using only tools/capabilities in our Tool & Fabrication Expectations
2. Using common and locally available materials.
3. Low cost.

These elements are intended to serve the majority of teams. There are many competing priorities on team-built elements, and the Team Test Elements provide a simple middle ground. Teams with limitations or use-cases outside of the norm should use these designs as a starting point and make adjustments to suit their needs.

Beyond renaming, very few changes have been made to this resource compared to previous seasons. The “read me” PDF is being renamed to the Build Instructions and the step-by-step assembly instructions are being moved into this document along with the engineering drawings.

Event Test Area/Elements

As mentioned in this blog, the area formerly called the ”Practice Field” has been changed to Test Area. The Test Area is made up of Event Test Elements which are low-to-medium fidelity versions of field elements that are manufactured by FIRST and used at official events. All events use the elements provided by FIRST. However, some events may provide additional options. This may be due to space availability, limitations on international logistics, or access to alternative field elements.

REEFSCAPE Event Test Elements

Event Test Elements are typically made using a “notch and tab” plywood construction along with other materials. They often employ real field components in areas where it is cost-effective and where the nature of the interaction with robots is very sensitive to variations in materials and construction.

The design of these elements prioritizes:

1. Dense packing for shipping around the world.
2. Quick and easy setup and teardown between events.
3. Rugged construction to survive a season of constant use.

We have had a number of requests in recent years to make these designs public, and so we will be doing that for the 2026 season by releasing them on Kickoff!

These elements are designed primarily with event logistics in mind and may not be well-suited for team use. These elements often incorporate real field components that are difficult for teams to replicate (e.g. the 2025 practice field used a real Cage and real segments of the Reef). No instructions or documentation will be provided beyond the CAD model and engineering drawings.

Team Practice Elements

REEFSCAPE Team Practice Elements

New this season, Team Practice Elements are medium fidelity versions of field elements designed by FIRST and built by teams. These elements are made using a more advanced construction style and are intended to serve as a starting point for teams that want to build a higher fidelity practice area. We are providing this resource in the hope that teams with large practice spaces and comprehensive manufacturing capabilities will invite nearby teams to practice with them and amplify the impact of the effort.

The design of these elements prioritizes:

1. Accurate field geometry when assembled in a full field configuration.
2. Automated manufacturing (using a 4ft x 8ft CNC router).
3. Compatibility with all officially supported field perimeters (Welded, AndyMark, or wood).

This resource is inspired by the router-friendly field element designs created by REV Robotics in previous seasons and has been brought in-house to streamline the development process.

These element designs will be provided “as-is” only in a CAD model format. They are provided as a starting point for teams, and FIRST does not build or test the final designs.

Wood Practice Perimeter

Wood Practice Perimeter

Also new this season, the Wood Practice Perimeter is a medium fidelity version of the official field perimeter that is designed by FIRST and built by teams. The perimeter is made using the same construction style as the Team Practice Elements and is intended to be used in combination with those elements.

The design of this perimeter prioritizes:

1. Matching the modular configuration of a given season’s official field and produce accurate field dimensions.
2. Automated manufacturing (using a 4ft x 8ft CNC router).
3. Using low-cost materials.

This perimeter is a new design but based on a similar design by FIRST^® Robotics Competition team 3005 “RoboChargers”, and we would like to thank them for their contribution.

As with the Team Practice Elements, this resource is provided “as-is” only in a CAD model format. It is provided as a starting point for teams, and FIRST has not built or tested the final design.

Check out the Onshape file (CAD model).