General Rules Guide

1.     General information

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In the NitroClubs category, teams design robots that solve challenges on the competition field. The robots are completely autonomous.

A new mat and challenge is developed each year for each age group. On the day of the competition, according to the surprise rule, a new element is added to the challenge. The lightning challenge will test the creativity and quick thinking skills of teams at national and international events.

Main areas

In the NitroClubs contest category, students will focus on developing in the following areas:

• General coding skills and basic robotic concepts (environmental perception, control, navigation).
• General engineering skills (building a robot that can push/lift objects of certain sizes).
• Developing optimal strategies to address specific missions.
• Computational Thinking (e.g., mastery, debugging, collaboration, etc.).
• Teamwork, communication, problem solving, creativity.

Learning is most important

Nitroclubs wants to inspire students from all over the world to study science subjects so that students develop their skills through learning by playing competitions. This is why the following aspects are key to all of our competition programs:

• Teachers, parents or other adults can help, guide and inspire the team, but they may not build or code/program the robot.
• Teams, coaches and referees accept the NitroClubs Principles and the NitroClubs Code of Ethics, which should ensure that we all experience a fair and fulfilling competition.
• On competition day, teams and coaches respect the final decision of the judges and work with other teams and judges to ensure fair competition.

2.     Definitions of teams and age groups

• The team consists of 2 – 5 students.
• The team is led by one coach.
• 1 team member and 1 coach are not considered a team and cannot participate.
• One team can compete in only one NitroClubs category per season.
• Each student can only be a member of one team.
• The minimum age of a coach at an international event is 18 years.
• Coaches can work with more than one team.
• The age groups in Nitroclubs competitions are:
  • Elementary: students 8-12 years old
  • Junior: students 11-15 years old
  • Senior: students 14-19 years old
  • The maximum age reflects the age that the participant will reach in the calendar year of the competition, not his/her age on the day of the competition.

3.     Responsibility and ownership of the team’s work

• The team should play with integrity and respect the teams, coaches, referees and competition organisers.
• The design and coding of the robot can only be done by the team. The role of the coach is to guide the team organizationally and support in case of questions or problems, but not to do the building and coding of the robot. This applies to both competition day and preparation.
• During the competition, teams are not allowed to communicate in any way with people outside the competition area. If communication is necessary, the referee may allow team members to communicate with others under the referee’s supervision.
• Team members may not bring or use mobile phones or other communication devices in the competition area.
• If any of the rules in this document are broken, the arbitrators may decide on one or more of the following consequences. Before doing so, the team or individual team members may be interviewed to find out more about the possible rule violation. This may include questions about the robot or the program.
  • The team may be given a time penalty of maximum 15 minutes. During this time, teams may not make any changes to their robot or program. Teams must place their robot in the robot parking lot during this period and get their robot back when the penalty expires.
  • A team may not be allowed to participate in one or more rounds.
  • A team may be affected by a maximum of 50% reduction in score in one or more rounds. In the event of a rule violation, a team may be penalized a maximum of 50% reduction in score.
  • A team cannot qualify for the next round of the tournament.
  • A team cannot qualify for the national/international finals.
  • The team may be immediately disqualified from the tournament altogether.

4.     Competition documents and hierarchy of rules

• Each year the NitroClubs publishes new competition documents for specific age groups and a new version of the general rules for this category. These rules are the basis for all NitroClubs international events.
• During the season, the NitroClubs may publish additional questions and answers (Q&As) that may clarify, expand or redefine the rules in the competition documents and general rules. Teams should review these Q&As prior to competition.
• The competition documents, general rules document and questions and answers may vary from country to country due to local adjustments made by the national organiser. Teams must inform themselves about the rules that apply in their country. For any international NitroClubs event, only the information published by the NitroClubs is relevant. Teams that have qualified for any NitroClubs International Event should inform themselves about possible differences to their local rules.
• On the day of the competition, the following hierarchy of rules applies:
  • The General Rules document forms the basis for the rules in this category.
  • The age group competition documents clarify the tasks on the field and may add special definitions of the game (e.g., orientation of the mat or different starting position of the robot).
  • Questions and Answers (Q&As) can override the rules in the game documents and general rules.
  • The referee on the day of the competition has the final say in any decision. The Chief Referee may review the referee’s decision at the competition. The Chief Referee’s decision may be appealed at the competition site.

5.     Materials and rules concerning robots

• Each team puts together one robot to solve the challenges on the field. The maximum dimensions of the robot before launch are 250 mm x 250 mm x 250 mm. Cables must be included in these dimensions. Once the robot is launched, the dimensions of the robot are not limited.
• The team should place the control cube in the robot so that the program can be easily checked and the robot stopped by the referee.
• The robot must be autonomous and complete missions on its own. No radio communication, remote control or cable control is allowed while the robot is running.
• Once the robot has started, the team is not allowed to make any movements that would interfere with the robot’s operation.
• Any robot coding software is allowed and teams can prepare the code before the competition day. If a team is using software that requires an online connection (e.g., a browser-based tool), the team should check if there is an offline version for competition day. The competition organiser is not responsible for providing online infrastructure (e.g. WiFi for everyone).
• Bluetooth, Wi-Fi or any remote connection must be turned off while the robot is running. Remote connections can only be used if there is no other way to transfer code from the device to the controller (e.g. tablet). However, it is strongly recommended to transfer the code via cable to avoid problems (e.g. multiple devices with the same name. Of course, it is not allowed to interfere or prevent any other team from making remote connections that the team uses.
• The team should prepare and bring equipment for the tournament in advance, enough spare parts, software and a laptop. Teams may not share a laptop and/or robot program on competition day. The competition organizer is not responsible for the maintenance or replacement of any part, even in the event of any accidents or malfunctions.
• The robot can be marked (with a label, ribbons, etc.) so that participants do not lose it or confuse it with other teams’ robots, as long as this does not change its performance or indicate the assembly process.

6.     Surprise rule

• Each tournament has a surprise rule for each age group. This rule will be announced at the opening of the competition. The surprise rule may change the rules or challenges, expand them and even allow extra or penalty points to be awarded. Teams will also receive the surprise rule in writing. Coach time may also be allowed for the coach to explain the surprise rule to the teams.
• For competitions lasting several days, different surprise rules may apply for each competition day.
• Teams have time to react to the surprise rule during practices. If the surprise rule introduces additional game elements, teams may not remove those elements from the playing field if they do not wish to address the surprise rule.
• The surprise rule does not count towards the normal missions on the field. Reason: if a mission (e.g. the final position of a robot) only scores points if points have already been scored, solving the surprise rule alone is not enough. The basic missions on the playground must be solved.

7.     Tournament format and procedure

• The tournament format and progression from regional competitions to the national tournament in a country is decided by the national organizer in that country.
• A tournament in this category must consist of the following elements:
  • From training time to exercise. Each tournament should start with a practice session to allow teams to adapt to local circumstances (e.g. light conditions at the venue).
  • Several competition rounds.
• A tournament in this category may consist of the following elements:
  • Folding the robots during the first training. In this case, the first practice should last at least 120 minutes so that teams can assemble the robot and practice on the field.
  • If the format of the tournament involves assembling robots, all parts of the robot should be disassembled before the first practice round. For example, a tire cannot be put on a wheel until the first practice round has started. However, it is permissible to sort all parts strategically, either on a table in front of the team or prepared and sorted in bags. These bags must be transparent and may only be marked with numbers (no words). Electronic parts may be marked with a single keyword, e.g. name or number. Teams may bring the program code with comments. No instructions, manuals or other information (paper or digital) may be brought into the competition area. Judges will check the condition of all parts before the first practice round begins. During this time, the team is not allowed to touch any parts of the computer.

• Teams work in designated areas and can only modify the robot’s design or code during training sessions. To test, teams must line up with their robots (including the controller). No laptops should be brought to the competition table and no custom pads should be brought to the team area. Teams must calibrate their robots during practice, not directly before the run. If there are different tables for practice and official rides, the team may ask the officials to calibrate the sensors on the official game tables.
• Coaches are not allowed to enter the team premises during the competition provide any instructions and guidance. The coach may consult with the team during the allotted coaching time.
• Teams must place their robots in the robot parking/quarantine area before the end of the practice time. Any robot that is not turned in on time cannot participate in the respective round.
• After the practice time is over, the judges will prepare the competition tables for the next round (including randomization of the game elements) and the robot inspection will start.
• Before placing the robot in the parking lot, the robot can only have one executable program (subroutines that belong to a single base program are fine).
• During the check time the judges will check the robot according to the rules. If an infraction is found during the check, the referee will give the team three minutes to correct the infraction/amended. During these three minutes it is not allowed to upload new programs.
• For a competition lasting several days, robots must stay overnight in robot parking lots. If charging at the robot parking lot is not possible, the battery can be removed and charged overnight.
• It is recommended that each participant receive a Participant, Bronze, Silver or Gold certificate based on the robot’s performance according to the following table (see below). The competition organizer may choose to determine placement based on these criteria (no 1st, 2nd, 3rd place) or award these certificates retrospectively.

% of total points (in age group) for the best robot ride	Certificate
< 25%	for participation
25-50%	Bronze diploma
50-75%	Silver diploma
> 75%	Golden Diploma

Example: if the best robotic ride of the team on the competition day results in a total of 125 out of 200 points, then the team will receive a silver certificate/diploma (130/200 => 65% points).

8.     Ride the robot

• Each robot run takes 8 minutes. Time starts when the referee gives the signal to start.
• The robot must be positioned in the launch area so that when viewed from above, the robot is completely in the launch area. Competitors may make physical adjustments to the robot in the launch area. However, they are not allowed to enter data into the program by changing the position or orientation of the robot parts or make any calibrations to the robot sensors.
• In case the start of the program directly sets the robot in motion, the team must wait for the judge’s start signal before starting the program.
• In the event that starting the program does not directly set the robot in motion, competitors may start the program before the start signal. Then the robot is allowed to start the robot in motion by pressing the central button on the controller, no other buttons or sensors are allowed to start the robot.
• If there is any uncertainty during the robot run, the final decision will be made by the judge. The referee should decide in favour of the team if a clear decision is not possible.
• The robot ride will end if:
  • robot travel time expires (8 minutes)
  • any team member touches the robot during the ride.
  • the robot has completely left the gaming table.
  • the robot or team has violated the rules or regulations.
  • A team member yells “STOP” and the robot no longer moves. If the robot is still moving, the robot’s ride will only end when the robot stops itself or is stopped by the team or the referee.
• When the robot is finished, time stops and the judge scores the attempt. The score is recorded on a score sheet (paper or digital), the team must sign the score (paper or digital signature/checkbox). Once the score is signed, no further complaint can be made.
• If a team does not want to leave the competition area after the specified time, the referee may decide to disqualify the team for that round. It is not allowed for the team coach to be involved in the discussion with the judges about the evaluation of the ride. Video or photo evidence will not be accepted.
• If a team touches or alters the task items on the field during the run, they will be disqualified from that round.
• Disqualification of a team in a round will result in the robot’s ride being scored with a zero score and a maximum time (120 seconds).
• If a team completes a run without solving a (partial) problem that yields positive points, the time of that run will be set to 120 seconds.
• The order of the teams depends on the overall format of the tournament. For example, the best run of three rounds can be used and if the competing teams have the same number of points, the best time will decide the standings.