Washington DC I
FTC Qualifier
December 6, 2025
DC International School
HOSTED BY
Location
DC International School
1400 Main Dr NW, Washington, DC 20012, USA
General event parking will be available in the lot at the intersection of 14th and Aspen st. If you need bus, trailer, or overnight parking during the event, those vehicles should be parked in the designated area in the Aspen Lot.
The 1400 Main Drive address is the one you should use to load in your robot- it brings you to the entrance on the same floor as our gym, in the horse-shoe shaped driveway. Please DO NOT bring robots or teams across the mini soccer field.
After your team and robot disembark at the 1400 Main Dr entrance, you should drive around to the 14th st and Aspen st gate to park.
Our school is in the heart of DC, which is wonderful for many reasons. However, parking is not one of them. If students can carpool or take public transport, that will be very convenient. If our lot fills up, there will be street parking available but you may have to walk a few blocks to get back to the building.
EAT
LUNCH & CONCESSIONS
Teams will be allowed to bring in outside food for this event
Each team will have a designated table space in our cafeteria for eating. Please do NOT bring food into the gym, as even very well-intentioned kids and fans can drop or spill food; this makes cleaning our carpet extremely difficult.
Teams can pre-order lunch from Kush Mediterranean Food truck using this link and are due by 12/1.
Concessions (breakfast items and snacks) will be available for teams starting at 8am.
FOR
COACHES
NEW THIS SEASON: No on-site paper consent forms.
Be sure to bring a paper copy of your roster to your event to turn into pit admin. Paper rosters can be printed from your Dashboard at FIRST Inspires. Your roster should have a green checkmark next to every team member AND coach/mentor. This indicates that all people associated with the team have signed a Consent and Release form.
Paper Consent & Release forms will NOT be available at qualifiers. If a student must use a paper form due to a language barrier or lack of internet/device access, please email ftc-teams@firstchesapeake.org. We will coordinate with FIRST Inspires to provide an approved paper copy.
You will not compete without Consent and Release forms on file.
Program | Time |
|---|---|
Pit area opens | 7:00 AM |
Judging Begins | 8:00 AM |
Robot Inspection & Practice fields open | 8:15 AM |
All teams need to be checked in to compete. | 9:00 AM |
Field open for calibration and measurement | 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM |
Drivers' Meeting | 10:00 AM |
Opening Ceremony | 10:30 AM |
Qualification Matches | 11:00 AM |
Lunch Break | 12:30 PM |
Qualification Matches Resume | 1:00 PM |
Alliance Selection Begins | 3:30 PM |
Playoffs Begin | 4:00 PM |
Closing and Award Ceremony | 6:00 PM |
Advancement
The number of teams advancing to the FIRST Chesapeake FTC Championship is determined using the following formula:
=[Number of Participating Teams (as of Oct. 1) /10]+2
4
Pit Size
New this season: Each team must bring their own table for their pit area. An 8 x 8 pit size will be provided. Please remember to keep the aisles clear for the judges and transporting equipment and robots.
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Food and beverages including water must be stored according to the venue's instructions.
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Please be aware that power is being shared by all the teams in the pit area. Teams are encouraged to utilize only what is needed for robot repair and battery charging. Excessive power use may result in Event Management asking for equipment to be removed from the pit area.
Inspection
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Teams should complete a pre-inspection prior to their events. Pre-inspection forms will be available by the beginning of November and will be located in the Competition Manual.
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Teams must pass inspection in order to participate in qualification matches and access the practice field.
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The schedule will continue regardless of whether a team has passed inspection.
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Teams must be ready for their event upon arrival.
Health & Safety
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All team members and coaches are REQUIRED to wear safety glasses when in the pit area and at the competition field. Chesapeake does not provide safety glasses and teams are responsible for safety glasses for their spectators to enter the pit.
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Closed toed and heeled shoes are REQUIRED.
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Loose items including hair, must be secured for safety.
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Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult.
Event
Details
About
Judging
Check the event details listed below for judging start times. Please be prompt. Each Team will have a ten minute “fact-finding” interview with a panel of judges. At the start of the interview, teams will have a maximum of 5 minutes to present to the judges followed by 5 minutes of Q&A.
Please read the Competition Manual thoroughly. There are many changes from previous seasons and teams are expected to know and understand those changes ahead of their events.
Schedule
Due to the changing nature of the judging schedule, schedules will be shared in advance of the qualifier by the Event Host via email. Schedules will also be available day of at Pit Admin.
Engineering Portfolios
Teams may submit an Engineering Portfolio if they would like to be considered for the Inspire, Think and Control Awards. This is outlined in the Competition Manual.
The Engineering Portfolio should be on paper (not electronic) and submitted to the judges during your judging session.
Official Q&A Forum
If you have not already, make sure you check out and review the questions and answers on the FIRST Tech Challenge Official Q&A Forum. More are added weekly! If your team has a question, please use the Q&A Forum first. If that doesn't answer your question, use the link below to submit a question for the driver's meeting.