What has FIRST said is changing about competition integrity this season?
For the current season, FIRST is shifting the focus of competition integrity from rigid, exhaustive rule enforcement to prioritizing the overall purpose of the regulations and allowing volunteers to make honest, reasonable assessments. According to the FTC Competition Manual, past seasons utilized highly detailed manuals that tried to address every possible scenario, which limited flexibility and overburdened event staff. For the BIOBUZZ season, the rules are designed around how the game is meant to be played, allowing volunteers to monitor overall strategies and major behaviors that violate sportsmanship rather than tracking every single minor occurrence.
To make this shift successful, the FTC Competition Manual highlights a Framework of Behaviors and a formal Competition Integrity Contract. This agreement requires teams to compete honestly, avoid exploiting loopholes, and respect the spirit of the competition. If teams commit serious violations of these ethical guidelines, the manual notes that the issues will be escalated to event leadership or FIRST Headquarters, potentially resulting in event disqualification or suspension from the entire program.