R4Creating Achieve Southwest Tournament

Welcome to the R4Creating Pinnacle Robotics Event!

Welcome, Teams!

R4Creating is excited to welcome students, families, coaches, and volunteers to our RECF Robotics Event featuring Pinnacle!

This event gives middle and high school students the opportunity to design, build, program, compete, collaborate, and have fun in a supportive, student-centered environment. Whether your team is competing for the first time or returning for another season, we're excited to have you join us!

A Student-Centered Competition

At R4Creating, we believe students should be at the center of the robotics experience. Students should take the lead in designing, building, programming, testing, troubleshooting, and improving their robots.

Coaches, mentors, parents, and volunteers play an important role by guiding, encouraging, asking questions, and helping students learn rather than doing the work for them. The challenges teams encounter along the way are an important part of the engineering and learning process.

2026–2027 Competition: Pinnacle

This season, teams will compete in Pinnacle, a fast-paced robotics game that challenges students to develop effective robots and strategies to score points, work with alliance partners, and adapt to the changing demands of competition.

Success in Pinnacle isn't just about building a powerful robot. Teams will need to design strategically, program effectively, work as an alliance, troubleshoot under pressure, and continuously improve throughout the competition.

Hosted at R4Creating

We are proud to host this event at R4Creating, providing teams with a welcoming environment where students can experience the excitement, challenge, and camaraderie of competitive robotics.

Our goal is to create an event where students can:

COMPETE • COLLABORATE • LEARN • HAVE FUN

We encourage teams to cheer each other on, share ideas, celebrate successes, and learn from the challenges they encounter throughout the day.

What to Expect

Teams can expect a full day of robotics competition, including:

• Team check-in and robot inspection
• Practice opportunities
• Qualification matches
• Robot Skills challenges
• Alliance selection and elimination matches
• Judging and award opportunities
• Awards and recognition
• Opportunities to meet, compete with, and learn from other robotics teams

Most importantly, teams should come ready to learn, compete, adapt, and have fun!

Whether your team is competing for the first time or you're a seasoned robotics competitor, we're excited to have you with us.

Good luck to all of our teams, and welcome to the R4Creating Pinnacle Robotics Event!

Design. Build. Program. Compete. Improve.

R4Creating RECF Achieve Robotics Event

Event Day Agenda

Event Time: 8:00 AM–5:00 PM
Location: R4Creating

Agenda is subject to change. Please check back for updates and the most current schedule.

8:00–9:00 AM | Team Check-In & Inspection

• Teams arrive and check in
• Receive event information and match schedules
• Robot inspection
• Teams move to their pits and prepare for competition
• Coaches and students review the event schedule and expectations

9:00–9:15 AM | Welcome & Event Meeting

• Welcome teams, coaches, families, and volunteers
• Introduce competition staff and volunteers
• Review the event schedule and competition flow
• Review important game, field, and safety rules
• Explain Skills competition procedures
• Questions and announcements

9:15–10:00 AM | Practice & Field Familiarization

• Teams prepare their robots for competition
• Practice on available competition fields
• Drivers and programmers familiarize themselves with the field
• Teams make final robot adjustments

9:15 AM–2:00 PM | Solo Competition

Skills fields will be available throughout the morning and early afternoon.

• Driving Solo
• Programming Solo
• Teams may complete their Solo runs during designated open periods
• Scores will be recorded throughout the event
• Solo fields may remain available during lunch when staffing permits

10:00 AM–12:15 PM | Qualification Matches & Judging

• Qualification matches begin
• Teams compete in scheduled matches
• Match results and rankings are recorded
• Judging room is open for team interviews
• Teams should monitor the schedule and report to judging during the designated judging period
• Teams return to their pits between matches

12:15–12:45 PM | Lunch Break

30-minute lunch break

• Teams, families, and volunteers take a break
• Competition fields are closed
• Teams may review strategy and prepare for the afternoon
• Skills competition may continue if referees and field staff are available

12:45–2:30 PM | Qualification Matches – Continued & Judging

• Remaining qualification matches
• Judging continues until qualification matches are complete
• Skills competition remains available
• Rankings are updated throughout the afternoon
• Teams prepare for the final competition rounds

2:30–2:45 PM | Final Rankings & Alliance Selection

• Final qualification rankings are confirmed
• Alliance selection is conducted, as applicable
• Final alliances are established
• Teams prepare for elimination/final rounds

2:45–4:00 PM | Elimination / Finals Matches

• Elimination or final matches begin
• Alliances compete for the event championship
• Competition continues through the final rounds
• Final results are verified

4:00–4:30 PM | Field Reset & Awards Preparation

• Final scores and results are verified
• Awards are finalized
• Competition areas are prepared for the closing ceremony
• Teams gather for awards

4:30–5:00 PM | Awards & Closing Ceremony

• Recognize participating teams
• Present event awards
• Celebrate student accomplishments
• Recognize outstanding teamwork, sportsmanship, and achievement
• Thank volunteers, coaches, families, and supporters
• Closing announcements

Event concludes at 5:00 PM

Event Flow at a Glance

Please note: The schedule is an anticipated event flow and may be adjusted based on the number of teams, match progression, Skills participation, judging, field availability, and other event needs.

Judging Policy

RECF Achieve Robotics Competition — Pinnacle

R4Creating is committed to providing a fair, consistent, and meaningful judging experience for every team participating in our RECF Achieve Robotics Competition featuring Pinnacle.

Judging is an important part of the RECF competition experience and provides students with an opportunity to demonstrate the engineering process, teamwork, problem-solving, programming, and learning that happens throughout their season.

Judging for this event will include:

• Engineering Notebook online submission and review
• In-person team interviews
• Team observations and competition performance, where applicable to award criteria

All teams will be given an opportunity to participate in a judging interview. Teams are responsible for completing the required components for the judged awards for which they wish to be considered.

Engineering Notebook Submission

Teams wishing to be considered for judged awards must submit an Engineering Notebook according to the event's submission requirements.

Notebook Submission Deadline

Notebook Link Submission Cut-Off:
December 28, 2026

Notebook Submission Link: Available through your coach's account.

Teams are responsible for ensuring that:

• The submitted link is correct.
• The notebook is accessible to the judges.
• No additional permission is required to view the notebook.
• The notebook is available by the submission deadline.
• The notebook represents the students' work and documents their engineering process.

Teams should use their Engineering Notebook to document the design, building, programming, testing, problem-solving, iteration, and development of their robot throughout the season.

In-Person Team Interviews

Every team will have an opportunity to participate in an in-person interview with the judging team.

The interview gives students an opportunity to explain their robot, programming, engineering decisions, design process, teamwork, and experiences throughout the season.

The interview should be student-led. Coaches, parents, mentors, and other adults cannot participate in the interview.

Judging Schedule

In-person judging will be available during the judging periods listed in the event agenda.

Teams will not be assigned a specific interview time. Instead, teams may report to the judging area during the designated judging hours.

Interviews will be conducted on a first-come, first-served basis.

Teams are encouraged to complete their interview early in the available judging period rather than waiting until the end of the event.

Judged & Performance Awards

RECF awards fall into different categories. Judged Awards are selected by the judging panel based on the official judging criteria. Performance Awards are determined by competition and Skills performance rather than by the judging panel.

For the 2026–2027 RECF Achieve season, events with judging must offer the Excellence Award, Design Award, Innovate Award, and Judges Award. A team must have both an Engineering Notebook and a judging interview to win a judged award.

R4Creating will also recognize the required competition and performance awards for the event, which may include:

• Excellence Award
• Design Award
• Innovate Award
• Judges Award
• Think Award
• Amaze Award
• Build Award
• Create Award
• Sportsmanship Award
• Teamwork/Tournament Champion
• Robot Solo Champion

Not every award is determined through the judging process. Performance awards are based on results from qualification, elimination/final, and Skills competition as applicable.

An award will only be presented when a team meets the applicable RECF criteria.

What Judges Are Looking For

The judging process is intended to recognize the students and their engineering journey, not simply the robot's final performance.

Judges will look for evidence of:

• Engineering design and development
• Investigation and research
• Brainstorming and exploration of solutions
• Design decisions and trade-offs
• Building and testing
• Programming and autonomous development
• Iteration and improvement
• Problem-solving
• Teamwork and collaboration
• Documentation
• Reflection and learning
• Growth throughout the season

Teams are encouraged to document both their successes and challenges. An effective Engineering Notebook should demonstrate the team's engineering journey and show how students used testing, analysis, and reflection to improve their robot and strategies.

Student-Centered Judging

R4Creating believes that the strongest robotics experiences are student-led.

Judges want to hear directly from the students about what they designed, built, programmed, tested, changed, and learned. Students should be prepared to explain their decisions and demonstrate ownership of their work.

Coaches and mentors play an important role in supporting teams, however students will speak for themselves during judging.

Fairness & Confidentiality

R4Creating will make every reasonable effort to provide a fair, consistent, and positive judging experience for all participating teams.

Judges will follow the current RECF Guide to Judging, Judged Award Criteria, and applicable 2026–2027 RECF Achieve competition requirements. The current RECF resources and game manual take precedence if requirements are updated during the season.

Judging discussions and deliberations are confidential. Teams, coaches, parents, and spectators cannot approach judges to discuss individual judging decisions or attempt to influence the judging process.

Final judged-award selections will be made by the judging panel in accordance with the applicable RECF criteria.

Travel & Parking Information

Travel Arrangements

Teams are responsible for making their own travel arrangements for the R4Creating Engage Robotics Competition.

For teams traveling from outside the local area, we recommend making hotel reservations early, particularly when the competition coincides with other events in the area.

Please allow plenty of time to arrive, park, unload team equipment, and complete check-in before your scheduled arrival time. If you anticipate being late, please contact us as soon as possible so we are aware of your situation. We understand that travel delays and unexpected circumstances can happen, and we will make every reasonable effort to be considerate and accommodate teams when possible. However, we must also be mindful of the time and schedules of all participating teams and volunteers. We cannot delay the competition for an extended period of time due to a team’s late arrival, and teams arriving late may miss scheduled competition activities.

Parking

There is plenty of parking available at R4Creating, but please be aware that the parking lot may be busy during the competition. 

With teams, coaches, volunteers, families, and spectators arriving throughout the day, parking areas can become crowded—particularly during the morning arrival period and around lunch and dismissal times.

Lunch & Food Options

Teams are responsible for their own lunch arrangements.

There are plenty of restaurants and food options in the surrounding area, making it easy for teams and families to order lunch for delivery or pick up food nearby.

Teams may want to consider:

• Ordering lunch for the team in advance
• Coordinating a group delivery
• Sending a coach or parent to pick up food
• Bringing a packed lunch or snacks

If ordering delivery, please coordinate with your delivery driver and team so that food can be received without disrupting competition activities.

Please plan ahead for lunch! Competition days can be busy, and ordering earlier in the lunch period may help avoid longer wait times.

Emergency & Safety Policy

The safety of students, coaches, volunteers, families, and event staff is our highest priority. While we make every effort to provide a safe and well-organized competition environment, unexpected emergencies or unsafe conditions may occur.

Emergency Procedures

In the event of an emergency, all participants and attendees are expected to:

• Remain calm and follow the directions of event staff, venue personnel, and emergency responders.
• Immediately stop competition activities when instructed to do so.
• Follow posted emergency procedures and use designated exits or evacuation routes when directed.
• Remain with their team or designated supervising adult whenever possible.
• Do not re-enter an evacuated area or return to competition areas until authorized by event staff or emergency personnel.
• Keep emergency access areas, exits, and walkways clear.
• Notify event staff of any safety concern, injury, illness, or emergency as soon as possible.

Competition Delays or Changes

If an emergency, severe weather, facility issue, or other unforeseen circumstance affects the event, organizers may delay, modify, suspend, relocate, or cancel portions of the competition as necessary.

Every effort will be made to communicate changes as quickly as possible and to resume competition when it is safe and reasonably practical to do so. However, the safety of participants and attendees takes priority over maintaining the published competition schedule.

Teams and spectators are expected to cooperate with event staff and understand that emergency circumstances may require changes to the schedule or event activities.

Medical Emergencies

For serious injuries or medical emergencies, event staff may contact emergency medical services as appropriate. Parents, guardians, coaches, and other responsible adults are expected to remain responsible for the students in their care and to provide any necessary medical information or assistance when appropriate.

Event staff and volunteers will not attempt to provide medical treatment.

Communication

During an emergency, official instructions and updates will be provided through available event communication methods. Participants should pay attention to announcements and instructions from event staff and venue personnel.

If normal event operations cannot safely continue, organizers will provide additional information regarding next steps as soon as reasonably possible.

Please remember: Safety comes first. All participants, coaches, volunteers, and spectators are expected to follow reasonable safety instructions and cooperate with event staff during an emergency.

Refund Policy

Registration fees for the Engage Tournament help cover the costs associated with planning, preparing, staffing, and setting up the event. Because many of these expenses are committed in advance, registration fees are generally non-refundable.

Team Cancellations

If a team is unable to attend the tournament after registering, registration fees will generally not be refunded. This includes cancellations due to scheduling conflicts, transportation issues, illness, team circumstances, or other reasons that prevent the team from attending.

Event Cancellation

If the Engage Tournament must be cancelled by the event organizers due to circumstances beyond our control, we will communicate with registered teams regarding available options. Depending on the circumstances and expenses already incurred, a full or partial refund may not be possible.

Special Circumstances

We understand that unexpected circumstances can occur. Refund requests based on exceptional circumstances may be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Approval of any exception is at the discretion of the event organizers and is not guaranteed.

Registration Changes

Registration fees are associated with the team registration and help support the preparation and operation of the event. Changes to team participation, including withdrawals or changes made after registration, do not automatically qualify for a refund.

By registering for the Engage Tournament, teams acknowledge and agree to this Refund Policy.