Ranking Points Drive Your Match Goals

Qualification standings are decided by ranking points (RP), so your match goals should be defined in RP terms, not vague "score a lot." In REBUILT you earn 3 RP for a win and 1 for a tie, plus bonus RP for hitting game thresholds: an ENERGIZED RP for FUEL scored in the active HUB reaching 100, a SUPERCHARGED RP for FUEL reaching the much higher threshold of 360, and a TRAVERSAL RP for TOWER points in the match reaching 50. (These thresholds are set in the 2026 Game Manual and can be adjusted by Team Updates, so re-confirm them before every event.)

Why this reframes the match. Consider two plans that both "score well." Plan A wins by a comfortable margin but misses the SUPERCHARGED FUEL threshold and the TRAVERSAL TOWER threshold: 3 RP. Plan B wins and coordinates the alliance to cross both bonus thresholds: 3 + 2 = 5 RP. Over a full qualification schedule that gap is the difference between seeding mid-pack and seeding in the top 8 with captain's privileges. The bonus RPs, not the win margin, often decide your weekend.

Concrete prioritization for REBUILT:

• Win first. 3 RP dwarfs a single bonus. Never sacrifice the win to chase a threshold you won't reach.
• Know your alliance's realistic ceiling. If your three robots' combined FUEL rate (use your scouting + EPA teleop components) can plausibly clear the 360-FUEL SUPERCHARGED bar, plan the cycle count to get there. If it can't, don't waste effort — pivot those cycles to defense or to securing the win.
• Assign the TRAVERSAL climb early. TOWER points come at specific levels (an auto Level-1 climb is worth 15; teleop Levels 1/2/3 are worth 10/20/30). Decide pre-match who climbs and to what level so endgame isn't improvised — reaching the 50-point TOWER threshold usually takes a coordinated multi-robot climb. A planned endgame is the cheapest bonus RP available.
• Exploit the active-HUB rhythm. FUEL scored into an inactive HUB is worth 0, and only one alliance's HUB is active during certain windows, so winning the auto period and timing your scoring to active windows directly affects how many FUEL points actually count. Brief drivers on when their HUB is live.

The coach's mental model: before each match, state the goal as an RP target — e.g., "Realistic ceiling here is 5 RP: we win, we clear ENERGIZED easily, and 7492 climbs Level 3 toward TRAVERSAL; SUPERCHARGED is out of reach with this partner, don't chase it." That single sentence aligns three robots on the same plan. Teams that play for RP instead of for highlight-reel scores climb the rankings, and ranking is what earns you the alliance-captain seat where championships are decided.