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Getting Started with FRC·Lesson 9 of 28

Sub-Teams and Roles on an FRC Team

The technical and non-technical roles that make a team work, so you can find where you fit.

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A team is a small company

An FRC team is far more than a few people with wrenches. Successful teams organize into sub-teams, each owning part of the work. You do not need to be an engineer to contribute — there's a role for almost any interest.

Technical sub-teams

Mechanical / Build

Designs and fabricates the physical robot: the drivetrain (how it moves), the manipulators (intakes, arms, shooters, climbers), and the structure. Members learn to use tools like drills, band saws, lathes, mills, 3D printers, and CNC routers, and to work with aluminum extrusion, gears, belts, and bearings.

CAD / Design

Models the robot in 3D CAD (commonly Onshape, which is free and cloud-based for FRC teams, or Fusion/SolidWorks) before anything is cut. Good CAD prevents costly build mistakes and lets the team plan packaging, weight, and motion.

Electrical / Wiring

Wires the control system: the roboRIO (the robot's brain), a Power Distribution Hub (PDH) or Panel (PDP), motor controllers (e.g., Talon FX inside the Kraken X60/Falcon 500, or SPARK MAX/Flex driving NEO motors), the radio, breakers, the 12V battery, and sensors. Clean, reliable wiring is a hallmark of strong teams.

Programming / Software

Writes the robot code using WPILib (the official library, supporting Java, C++, and Python) in a VS Code-based environment, plus the FRC Driver Station software. Programmers handle drivetrain control, autonomous routines, sensor integration, and increasingly vision (cameras like Limelight or PhotonVision).

Non-technical sub-teams

Business / Operations

Manages the budget, fundraising and sponsorships, registration logistics, and travel. Teams often raise tens of thousands of dollars per season — this work is essential.

Outreach / Impact

Runs community events, mentors younger FLL/FTC teams, and documents the team's impact. This sub-team drives the FIRST Impact Award submission, the highest honor in FRC.

Media / Marketing

Handles branding, social media, photography/video, the team website, and the technical binder/presentation used for judging.

Competition-day roles

Drive team

The only people allowed to operate the robot during a match, typically:

  • Driver — controls robot movement.
  • Operator — runs the mechanisms (intake, shooter, climber).
  • Human Player — feeds game pieces from the field stations.
  • Drive Coach — calls strategy and communicates with alliance partners.
  • Technician — preps the robot in the pit and on the field.

Scouting

A data-driven role: scouts watch every match and record each robot's performance, then analysts use that data to advise alliance selection and match strategy. Scouting can decide whether your alliance wins the event.

Pit crew

Repairs and maintains the robot between matches in the pit, the team's workspace at an event.

How to choose

Try several sub-teams early. Many great members start in one area (say, electrical) and discover a passion in another (say, scouting analytics or outreach). The point is to find where you add the most value and have the most fun.

Learn more

Key takeaways

  • FRC teams run like small companies with technical sub-teams (mechanical/build, CAD, electrical, programming) and non-technical ones (business, outreach/impact, media).
  • Competition day adds specialized roles: the drive team (driver, operator, human player, coach, technician), scouting, and pit crew.
  • You don't need to be an engineer to contribute — there's a valuable role for nearly every interest, and trying several early helps you find your fit.

Go deeper

Lesson quiz

Required

Answer all 3 questions correctly to complete this lesson.

1.On a typical FRC team, which sub-team is primarily responsible for designing and building the robot's frame, drivetrain, and manipulators?

2.Which sub-team is mainly responsible for wiring, power distribution, and connecting sensors and motor controllers on an FRC robot?

3.During a match, which drive-team member's main job is to control the robot's secondary mechanisms (such as an arm, intake, or elevator) rather than its driving movement?

Answer every question to submit.