BIOBUZZ is here.

New Competition Integrity Contract (CIC) Section 1.5, p14–16

• Teams certify a Sporting Ethics Code (4 items) and Behavior Guidelines (8 items).
• Defines an escalation path: Lead Robot Inspector / Head Referee / FTA, up to the Event Director or FIRST Headquarters for serious violations.
• References "Escalation Guidelines" for specific rule violations; marked as coming soon.

Manual interpretation philosophy rewritten Section 1.6 / 1.7.1, p16

• The manual is now the "source of truth" rather than something read literally: "some inconsistencies may exist. In cases of discrepancy, the Competition Manual takes precedence."
• Replaces the DECODE standard: "the text means exactly, and only, what it says… There are no hidden requirements or restrictions."
• A new Note from the FIRST Staff (1.4.1, p10) frames this as a deliberate shift toward judging by the spirit of the rule.

Check-in rule moved into Team Eligibility Rule I102, p22

• Previously E105 in DECODE. Same 45-minutes-before-Qualification-MATCHES requirement, now in Section 3 rather than Section 5.

New advancement tier: Pilot Events Section 4, p27–28

• Teams in a few specific geographical regions may advance from a Pilot event to FIRST Championship and/or a FIRST Premier Event.

Two new pit rules on gaining an unfair edge Rules E510–E511, p39–40

• E510: heating or cooling ROBOT components for competitive advantage is prohibited.
• E511: batteries may not be charged on a charger exceeding a 3-amp average channel current; alligator clips are prohibited.

Team judged awards restructured Section 6.1, p43–46

• Three categories instead of two: Machine/Creativity/Innovation, Team Attributes, and a new Documentation category. Think moves under Documentation.
• "Structured Interview" renamed "Initial Interview" (6.1.2, p46); may be scheduled in person, unscheduled in person, or fully remote.
• Event Volunteer Feedback removed as an allowed judging input (Figure 6-2).
• New exclusion: judges may not factor in ROBOT penalties during gameplay.

PORTFOLIO privacy requirement now mandatory Rule A201, p48

• Teams "must strictly minimize" PII and "full names must not be disclosed" — previously framed as encouraged best practice.

Inspire Award eligibility updated Rules A213–A215, p52

• The "own region" restriction now uses the defined term HOME REGION.
• New exception: at FIRST Championship and FIRST Premier Events, all teams may be considered for the Inspire Award.

Design Award requirement loosened Table 6-9, p57

• Robot must be elegant, efficient, "and/or" practical to maintain — previously "and".

Dean's List renamed FIRST Leadership Award Section 6.5.1, p58

• The 10th/11th grade eligibility restriction stated in DECODE is not present in this section.

No unscheduled practice MATCHES before inspection Section 3.3, p23

• Robots may not enter unscheduled or "filler line" practice MATCHES before passing inspection.

Inspection requirements softened Rules I301 & I303, p24–25

• Previously I304 and I305. "Must" changed to "should"; lettered sub-items dropped.
• The explicit RED CARD consequence for failing re-inspection is no longer stated.
• New callout: "Inspection is not comprehensive… Teams that strategically circumvent ROBOT construction rules to gain a competitive advantage are not adhering to the CIC."

New rule: "It is your team's ROBOT" Rule R101, p66

• Formally defines MAJOR MECHANISM; gearbox assemblies, sub-components and COTS items are excluded from the definition.

Expansion limits placeholder Rule R105, p68

• The published R105 now limits expansion to an 18 by 24 inch footprint and a 29 inch height. The robot must meet this mechanically, without relying on software.

Named traction-device examples removed Rule R201, p68

• AndyMark am-2256 and Roughtop am-3309 are no longer named; only generic examples given.

Flashing-light threshold changed Rule R202, p68–69

• Previously an informal 2Hz callout. Now a formal rule item at 5Hz.

Work-outside-pit-hours rule removed Section 12.3, p69–71

• Previously R307 in DECODE. No equivalent rule appears in this section.

ROBOT SIGN sizing loosened Rules R402–R403, p72–73

• Team number height now "approximately 2.25 in." instead of a fixed ±0.5 in. tolerance.
• The small FIRST logo allowance is removed from the permitted markings.
• New: substitute ROBOT SIGNS may be handwritten on plain paper if materials are limited.

New motor added: WATTOS Stingray 12V DC Rule R501, p75

• Part number WDM12.

Servo limit reduced from 10 to 8 Rule R503, p77

• The motor limit of 8 is unchanged.

Six battery/wiring rules removed from Power Distribution Section 12.6, p78–80

• Previously R603–R608: safe connectors, safe charge rate, no ballast, secure mounting, robust/insulated connections, limit on non-battery stored energy.
• Safe charge rate reappears separately as new Event Rule E511.

Fuse rating rule simplified Rule R604, p79

• Previously R610. The cascading rating requirement is replaced by a general intent statement against modifying fuses.

Wire colour-coding requirement narrowed Rule R610, p82

• Previously R616. Now applies only to the 12V main power bus and +5V auxiliary bus; motor wiring, signal-level wiring and servo cables/extensions are exempt.

Legal Android smartphone list removed Rule R701, p83

• Previously R704. The REV Control Hub is now "the only officially supported ROBOT CONTROLLER device"; other devices are used at the team's own risk. Same change for the Driver Station device (R901).

FTC Dashboard and FTControl panels now prohibited Rule R704, p84

• "Additional logging/streaming services, such as those hosted by third party plugins and tools such as FTC Dashboard, FTControl Panels, and others are prohibited."

Pneumatics rule now allows gas springs and dampers Rule R801, p87

• Previously banned under R207. Now allowed if sealed, pre-charged by the manufacturer, and not user-adjustable or solenoid-actuated.

Gamepad allow-list removed Section 12.9, p87–88

• Previously R903 (2-gamepad cap, named model list). No equivalent rule in this section.

OPERATOR CONSOLE depth increased Rule R903, p88

• Previously R904. Max depth now 1 ft 6 in. (45.7 cm), up from 1 ft 2 in. (35.5 cm).

AI chatbot marked "coming soon" Section 1.7.2, p18

Team Updates posting time dropped Section 1.7.3, p19

• "Generally posted by 1pm Eastern" no longer stated. Updates published after a driver's meeting do not apply to that event.

Safety glasses grace period simplified Rule E101.A, p33

• Two 10-minute exceptions merged into one "10-minute grace period when the venue opens." Banned-footwear examples removed.

"Be Nice" renamed "Be Respectful" Rule E102, p34

• Cross-references Section 1.4 instead of the old standalone gracious-and-professional wording.

Interference rule broadened Rule E102.D, p34

• Specific remote-sensing/AprilTag language replaced with "anything that interferes with a ROBOT or the ARENA operations."

General rules renumbered E105–E116 Section 5.1, p34–36

• Previously E106–E117. "Make FIRST loud, but with restrictions" retitled "No Loud Music" (E111).

"Things that don't belong at events" list updated Rule E108, p35

• Walkie-talkies removed. New item banning lights that flash faster than approximately 5 times per second.

Pit rules retitled and consolidated Rules E502–E601, p38–40

• "Stay in your pit" retitled around self-contained setup. "Keep aisles clear" now covers exit pathways. "Secure team identification assets" removed.
• ROBOT Carts consolidated from 5 rules (E601–E605) into 1 (E601).

Interview timer start condition adjusted Rule A206, p50

• Starts once judges introduce themselves and the team begins presenting, or the Q&A begins.

New warning against "build-to-print" vendors Rule R301, p69

Servo modification example changed Rule R504, p77

• "Re-programming" example changed to "setting soft limits."

Main power switch accessibility reworded Rule R603, p79

• Previously R609. Now "accessible to the team, away from high-speed moving parts and pinch hazards." May be mounted behind removable panels.