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Business, Operations & Fundraising·Lesson 22 of 49

Regional vs District: How Your Region Changes the Math

The two FRC competition models cost very different amounts; know which one you are in.

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Two competition models, two budgets

FRC runs two parallel competition structures, and which one your area uses dramatically changes your travel and event costs.

The Regional Model

In the Regional Model, each Regional is an independent, usually large-scale event. Your season registration includes one Regional, and you can pay $3,000 for each additional Regional. Teams qualify for the FIRST Championship directly from Regional events (for example, by winning the event, winning the FIRST Impact Award, or through other awards-based or points-based qualification). Regionals tend to be bigger, more expensive to produce, and often involve more travel because there may be only one or two in your state.

The District Model

The District Model is built like a tiered sports playoff. Your season registration includes two smaller, local District events. You earn district ranking points at those events, and the top teams advance to the District Championship, which then qualifies teams for the FIRST Championship. Districts include systems like FIRST in Michigan (FiM), FIRST Mid-Atlantic (FMA), New England (FNE), FIRST in Texas (FiT), Israel, and others.

Why districts were created: cost

A primary driver behind the District Model was lowering the cost of playing time. Localized event production can cut event-management costs, and an entire region's worth of district events can run for less per team than one large Regional. For teams, more events closer to home means two competition events for one registration price and far less travel and lodging expense.

What this means for your fundraising plan

  • If you are in a district: budget for two local events plus a possible District Championship, with relatively modest travel. Your per-event cost of competing is usually lower.
  • If you are in a regional area: budget for one included Regional, decide whether a second Regional ($3,000 + travel) is worth it, and expect higher travel costs to reach events.

Find out which model you are in

Check the FIRST 'District & Regional Teams' resource and your region's page on firstinspires.org. Knowing your model lets you set accurate fundraising targets and explain to sponsors exactly what their dollars buy: 'Your $3,000 sends us to a second event where dozens of teams and hundreds of attendees will see your logo.'

Key takeaways

  • Regional Model: one Regional included, $3,000 per additional Regional, direct qualification to Championship, often more travel
  • District Model: two local District events included for one registration price, with a District Championship playoff tier and usually lower travel cost
  • The district system was designed to lower the cost of playing time, so your region directly shapes your budget

Go deeper

Lesson quiz

Required

Answer all 3 questions correctly to complete this lesson.

1.How is an FRC team assigned to the District model versus the Regional model?

2.For the base season registration fee, how many events does a District team get compared to a Regional team?

3.Which statement about cross-participation between the two models is correct?

Answer every question to submit.