Qualifying Criteria for RECF Drone Competition Programs

Updates and Changelog

• Qualifying Criteria for both the RECF Aerial Drone Competition (ADC) and the RECF ADC Pro Competition
• Revised document structure and Quick Reference Guide
• Introduction of new event types
• Introduction of new age level groupings for blended events (ES/MS, MS/HS, HS/college)
• Increased minimum number of teams for ADC qualifying events
• Double qualifications at qualifying events filled from solo match scores at that event
• Additional judged awards required to be offered
• Introduction of the term competition notebook
• Method to allow other non-qualifying awards at an event to replace qualifying awards not given out
• Provision for early bird registration if available 
• Introduction of terminology and competition access procedure for the 2027 RECF World Championship
• Adjusted deadlines and dates

Introduction

The Robotics Education & Competition Foundation (RECF) Drones Qualifying Criteria establishes the official standards for events within its competition programs. It defines the requirements events must meet to be recognized as qualifying toward championship opportunities. This document exists to ensure consistency and fairness across all events for the current competition season.

For purposes of this document, the following names and  acronyms may be used:

• RECF Aerial Drone Competition (ADC) [elementary school (12U) / middle school (15U) / high school (19U)]
• RECF Aerial Drone Competition Pro (ADC Pro) [high school (19U) / college / university]
• RECF: Robotics Education & Competition Foundation
• RSM: Regional Support Manager

If you have any questions regarding the drone programs qualifying criteria, contact your Regional Support Manager (RSM). This document will have a scheduled update on or around January 15, 2027, and may have unscheduled updates during the season as needed.

Note: From time to time, the RECF or an RSM may modify or make an exception to any of the following criteria to better support a state/province/region/nation. For more information, please contact your RSM.

Qualifying Criteria Sections

• Key Terms and Definitions
• Quick Reference Guide
• Section 1: Qualifying Event
• Section 2: Open Tournament
• Section 3: School-Based Tournament
• Section 4: Invitational Tournament
• Section 5: JROTC Invitational Event
• Section 6: ADC Pro
• Section 7: League
• Section 8: Solo Missions Only Event
• Section 9: Scrimmage
• Section 10: Workshop
• Section 11: Conference
• Section 12: Signature Events
• Section 13: Event Region Championship
• Section 14: RECF World Championship

Key Terms and Definitions

Event Region - Teams are assigned into event regions based on geography and/or the density of teams in that area. An event region may be a geographic area, state, province, or an entire country. For ADC Pro this season, there will be no designated event regions and all ADC Pro teams will be considered one event region.

Qualifying Event - A qualifying event gives teams the opportunity to compete and to qualify for a higher level event. Any event except for a scrimmage, a workshop, an event region championship, or the RECF World Championship can be considered a qualifying event if it meets the proper requirements.

Blended Event -  Events should consist of a single grade level. Blended events that consist of two grade levels are useful when circumstances do not support single grade level events. The blended choices for ADC are elementary school / middle school or middle school / high school. The blended choice for ADC Pro is high school / college. For any other combinations of grade levels, contact your Regional Support Manager (RSM). 

Open Tournament - Open tournaments are open to any team registered in that specific program, and consist of qualification and elimination matches. 

School-Based Tournament - Only school-based organizations (public/ private/charter) as indicated in RECFEvents.org can register for these events. 

Conference Tournament - Tournaments that only members of a specific conference can participate in.

Invitational Tournament - Invitational tournaments are events in which the event partner can select who participates. Specific criteria, which are outlined in the "Qualifying Events" section must be met in order to host an invitational tournament.

JROTC Invitational Event - JROTC invitational events that meet the qualifying criteria will qualify JROTC teams directly to the 2027 JROTC All Service National Championship. 

League - Leagues are events that are scheduled over multiple sessions spread throughout several weeks. Leagues consist of ranking sessions during which teams play in qualifying matches, and then a league finals session to determine the league champions. 

Solo Missions Only Event - Solo missions only events are categorized as open, school-based, or conference tournaments but do not have any qualifying matches, elimination matches, or finals matches. Solo missions only events may not be suitable for all drone programs and are subject to RSM approval. Solo missions and matches are sometimes also referred to as skills missions/matches.

Scrimmage - Scrimmages do not qualify for an event region championship and do not upload results to RECFEvents.org . 

Workshop - Workshops can serve a variety of functions including training sessions, regional meetings, camps, etc. These events are instructional in nature and are not considered qualifying events. 

Conference Championship - Conference tournament events qualify for a conference championship. Approved conferences will qualify teams directly to the RECF World  Championship from a conference championship event. 

Signature Event - RECF Signature Events give students the opportunity to play at a unique tournament that provides a special team experience. Signature events have a level of technical expertise, production value, and overall event quality that is above and beyond that of a standard tournament. 

Event Region Championship - Teams can qualify from qualifying events into their event region championship. This event is sometimes referred to as a state, regional, provincial, or national championship depending on the event region. For ADC Pro 2026-2027 season, references to an event region championship are understood to be the respective ADC Pro Season championship (either fall or spring).

RECF World Championship - The RECF World Championship is a premier culminating event of the competition season. Teams that qualify get to compete with teams from all over the world. Student-led teams ranging from elementary to university-level showcase their strategy, teamwork, and desire to be crowned champions at this world-class global event. 

Quick Reference Guide

Click here to see an abbreviated version of the RECF Drone Competition Events Qualifying Criteria. If there is a question about interpreting content in the qualifying criteria, the original version will always be the final and official version.

Section 1: Qualifying Event

QC1A: Qualifying events must follow the rules and guidelines in the following documents.

• Current game manuals (RECF ADC and RECF ADC Pro)
• Current game Q&A responses (RECF ADC and RECF ADC Pro)
• ADC Guide to Judging
• ADC Pro Guide to Judging (coming soon)
• Commitment to Event Excellence
• Code of Conduct
• Student-Centered Policy
• RECF Organization Policy

QC1B: A qualifying event must be listed as either an open, school-based, conference, or invitational tournament or league with online registration hosted on RECFEvents.org.

QC1C: The event must be visible for at least one week prior to opening for registration. An event release schedule for an event region will be determined by an RECF RSM.

QC1D: Teams registered for the event must be registered and paid on RECFEvents.org for the current season.

QC1E: The event must meet the minimum capacity requirements: 16 teams for RECF ADC and 8 for ADC Pro.

QC1F: No one organization may have more than 33% of the registered teams at the event. Organizations are defined by the RECF Organizational Policy.

QC1G: A qualifying event must have a certified head referee and a certified judge advisor.

QC1H: Events may utilize the waitlist if additional capacity is available and should follow the waitlist guidelines set in the RECF Library.

QC1I: An RECF RSM has the authority to enable or disable early bird registration at any time to meet the needs of an event region.

QC1J: Finalized event results must be uploaded/finalized within 48 hours of event completion.

QC1K: Team payments for the event must be completed before the event date.

1. If teams pay the event partner directly or make trades for fields or volunteers in exchange for the event registration fees, the event partner must mark the team paid on RECFEvents.org. 
2. In extreme cases, the event partner may work out alternative agreements with teams for payment. 
3. US-based event partners are not required to accept direct payments and can require all teams to pay through RECFEvents.org. Events outside of the United States must pay the event partner directly. 
4. The event partner is ultimately responsible for payment arrangements. If a team has not paid, and is allowed to compete, the RECF will not act on the event partner’s behalf to collect payment.
5. The event partner is permitted to move a team marked “unpaid” to the waitlist per a stated policy listed on the event page.

QC1L: All qualifying events must offer a maximum of three (3) solo piloting and three (3) solo autonomous flight match attempts to each team.

1. Solo match  scores for all qualifying events will be included in the ADC and ADC Pro world standings on RECFEvents.org.
2. Solo match fields must open early in the event and remain open until the final alliance match has completed - or - 
3. If running an event where solo matches are offered in the morning and alliance matches take place in the afternoon, the event partner must schedule a block of time that will ensure all teams have the opportunity to complete their solo matches should the team choose to.

QC1M: Event partners are required to schedule at least six (6) qualification alliance matches per regular qualifying event, and at least eight (8) qualification alliance matches for championship events.

QC1N: All qualifying events must provide reliable and adequate Wi-Fi access for at-event coding of the drone using web-based coding platforms. Event approval as a qualifying event by the RECF RSM will be contingent on satisfying this requirement.

QC1O: Events that include judging must offer the following judged awards:

• For ADC:  All Around Champion, Communications Mission Champion, Coding Award, Airmanship Award, and Judges Award.
• For ADC Pro:  All Around Champion, Engineering Design Award, Skills Mission Champion, Coding Systems Award, Airmanship Award, and Industry Insights Award.

1. Events that offer the All Around Champion Award must offer two All Around Champion Awards when the event is a blended event with at least ten teams from each grade level registered two weeks prior to the event.
2. All qualifying events shall award the following performance-based awards: Teamwork Mission Champion, Skills Mission Champion. If the event is a blended event with at least ten teams from each grade level registered two weeks prior to the event, two Skills Mission Champion Awards must be awarded, one for each grade level.

QC1P: If judged awards are offered, all teams must be given the opportunity to be interviewed, regardless of their competition notebook status, current qualifications to other events, or if they have won awards at previous events.

QC1Q: A competition notebook and judged interview are required to win any judged award. Exceptions: Judges Award, Airmanship Award, Coding Systems Award, and Industry Insights Award do not need a competition notebook, but the team must have been interviewed.

QC1R: If no team at an event meets an award's criteria, that award should not be given out. 

1. If the Communications Mission Award is not a qualifying award, it will replace the All Around Champion Award as the qualifying award for ADC.
2. If the Engineering Design Award is not a qualifying award, it will replace the All Around Champion Award as the qualifying award for ADC Pro.
3. If the Communications Award is a qualifying award, the next highest combined solo mission score at that event will receive the spot.
4. If the next team on the combined solo mission rankings has already qualified for an event region championship, the spot does not go to another team and is awarded at the end of the season (per QC13J).

QC1S: Qualifying events for the current season may begin after October 1, 2026.

QC1T: The deadline to host a qualifying event is three (3) weeks before an event region championship.

QC1U: Qualifying events must be posted on RECFEvents.org by the dates below, and be open for registration at least eight (8) weeks in advance of the event. Exceptions may be made for the ADC Pro fall season or other extenuating circumstances.

• For ADC:  December 1, 2026
• For ADC Pro:  October 1, 2026, for the fall season & March 1, 2027, for the spring season

QC1V: The spot allocation is the number of qualifying spots an event has been assigned to qualify teams to an event region championship. RECF staff will ultimately determine the allocation each qualifying event is assigned within an event region. Spot allocation is dependent on:

• Capacity of the event region championship
• Number of qualifying events in an event region
• Size of each qualifying event

1. Some events may be allocated more spots than others based on event capacity, growth/special initiatives, and grade level. 
2. If a qualifying event does not offer judging, only the two Teamwork Mission Champions  will qualify to the event region championship. 
   1. RECF staff may choose to allow the Skills Missions Champion to qualify for an event region championship if necessary.
3. If an award is to be given a spot, but that award is not offered, then the spot is lost and does not transfer to the next award. 

As a general rule, spots are assigned to qualifying events according to the charts in Appendix A.

QC1W: If a team double qualifies (wins multiple qualifying awards), the invitation will be awarded to the next highest team of the same grade level on the combined solo mission rankings who did not win a qualifying award at that event.

1. If every team on the combined solo mission rankings at the event has won a qualifying award at the event, the spot will be saved and awarded at the end of the season to the next highest non-qualified team from the world solo mission rankings in that event region.
2. There are no lookbacks to previous events to see if a team has previously qualified.

QC1X: Teams competing at a qualifying event that are from outside that event region are eligible to receive any performance-based or judged awards offered at the event and should be treated identically to teams from within that event region. 

1. Any qualification spot to that event region championship associated with an award that is given to an out-of-region team will go to the next highest non-qualified team from within that event region on the combined solo mission rankings at that event.

Section 2: Open Tournament

QC2A: Open tournaments are open to any registered and paid team and consist of qualification and elimination matches for RECF ADC Pro and qualification and finals matches for RECF ADC. Open tournaments may or may not include judging.

Section 3: School-Based Tournament

QC3A: Only school based organizations (public/private/charter) as indicated in RECFEvents.org can register for these events.

QC3B: School-based tournaments may or may not include judging.

QC3C: There is no requirement to host an open tournament before hosting a school-based tournament.

QC3D: Be held within the same season as an open tournament with organizational or team percentage registration restrictions.

QC3E: Be in the same program (RECF ADC/RECF ADC Pro) and in the same age group.

QC3F: No one organization may have more than 33% of the total number of registered teams.

Section 4: Invitational Tournament

QC4A: Each event partner is permitted to host exactly one (1) invitational tournament without organizational or team percentage registration restrictions after they host another open tournament of equal or greater size that follows all registration restrictions. 

QC4B: Be held within the same season as an open tournament with organizational or team percentage registration restrictions.

QC4C: Be in the same program (RECF ADC/RECF ADC Pro) and in the same age group. 

QC4D: Must have alliance matches.

QC4E: Invitational events are not bound to rule QC1E (no one organization may have more than 33% of the registered teams).

Section 5: JROTC Invitational Event

QC5A: JROTC invitational  events must have only JROTC-affiliated teams competing at the event, and will qualify teams to the RECF JROTC All Service National Championship. JROTC teams that compete in open events, even if all teams are JROTC-affiliated, can qualify to both the JROTC All Service and event region championships.

QC5B: JROTC invitational events may also qualify teams to an event region championship if they adhere to the guidelines in the event region championship qualification section.

QC5C: The JROTC All-Service National Championship is an invitation-only event, filled by invitations issued to JROTC teams who have competed at JROTC-only events (generally invitationals) and/or local qualifying events that are open to JROTC and non-JROTC teams. 

Invitations to the JROTC All-Service National Championship may be issued via qualifying awards, solo missions rankings, waitlist, and at the discretion of the JROTC program leadership.

Section 6: ADC Pro

Unless stated otherwise below, the entirety of this document applies to RECF ADC Pro. Please ensure that you have read this document in its entirety.

QC6A: For ADC Pro only, and for the inaugural 2026-2027 season only, there will be no designated event regions and all ADC Pro teams will be considered one event region.

QC6B: For the ADC Pro 2026-2027 season, references to an event region championship are understood to be the respective ADC Pro season championship (either fall or spring).

QC6C: Qualifying events must be posted on RECFEvents.org by October 1, 2026, for the fall season and March 1, 2027, for the spring season, and be open for registration at least eight (8) weeks in advance of the event. Exceptions may be made for the ADC Pro fall season or other extenuating circumstances.

QC6D: ADC Pro tournaments cannot be invitational or solo mission only. In the inaugural season of 2026-2027, all qualifying events will be open events for the purposes of providing as many competition opportunities to teams as possible.

QC6E: The minimum qualifying event size is 8 teams for ADC Pro events. This requirement can be waived by the RECF RSM if needed.

QC6F: Events must be approved by the RECF RSM responsible for the location in which the event is being held.

QC6G: ADC Pro events that include judging must offer the following judged awards: 

1. All Around Champion, Engineering Design Award, Skills Mission Champion, Coding Systems Award, Airmanship Award, and Industry Insights Award. 
2. If no team meets the qualifications for any of these awards, the award is not given out. 
3. If the Engineering Design Award is not a qualifying award, it will replace the All Around Champion Award as the qualifying award for ADC Pro.

QC6H: RECF ADC Pro teams may qualify to their respective season championship from any qualifying event they are eligible to attend. Note: The intention behind this policy is to not impede or discourage teams from playing at events that are outside of their state / region / province. 

QC6I: Season championships can be blended high school / college, due to the expected number of teams in the inaugural season.

QC6J: ADC Pro season championship events will follow specific dates and deadlines:

1. Season championships will be scheduled to occur no later than May 6, 2027. 
2. The deadline to host a regional championship outside of the United States is February 28, 2027. 
3. Teams that qualify for an ADC Pro fall season championship:
   • On or before November 1, 2026, will have four weeks to register and pay
   • On or after November 2, 2026, will have one week to register and must be paid at least one week prior to the fall championship
4. Teams that qualify for an ADC Pro spring season championship:
   • On or before April 1, 2027, will have four weeks to register and pay
   • On or after April 2, 2027, will have one week to register and must be paid at least one week prior to the spring championship

Section 7: League

QC7A: Leagues may or may not have judging. 

QC7B: ADC leagues may offer invitational events; however, per QC6D, ADC Pro will not offer invitational options this season. 

QC7C: Leagues can not be solo missions only events.

QC7D: Each ranking session may offer teams the opportunity to complete, at a maximum, three (3) piloting and three (3) coding solo match attempts.

QC7E: Leagues are not bound to rule QC1E (no one organization may have more than 33% of the registered teams).

QC7F: Leagues must have a minimum of one (1) week between ranking sessions. 

QC7G: A single ranking session may be split over multiple days within the week, but will still be considered one (1) ranking session.

QC7H:  League ranking sessions may have fewer than 16 teams participating if the league has 16 registered teams.

Section 8: Solo Missions Only Event

QC8A: Solo missions only events are listed as open, school-based, or conference tournaments and must have “Solo Missions Only” in the name of the event. Solo mission only events are not available in ADC Pro.

QC8B:  An RECF RSM will ultimately decide if a solo missions only event is approved and/or becomes a qualifying event and qualifies teams to an event region championship.

QC8C: A solo missions only event must be held in-person.

QC8D:  Solo missions only events can not be run as leagues or invitational tournaments. 

QC8E: Live remote solo missions (LRS) events are permitted only by special arrangement with the RSM, and only as an accommodation for teams who, due to geographical or other extenuating circumstances, are unable to easily travel to an in-person event. 

• LRS events are subject to requirements and conditions that will be communicated to the event partner by the RSM during the event planning process. 
• LRS events are considered a scrimmage unless an arrangement was made with an RECF manager.

QC8F: At a solo missions only event, no one organization may have more than 33% of the registered teams. Organizations are defined by the RECF Organizational Policy. 

QC8G: The deadline to host a solo missions only event where results upload to the world standings is March 31, 2027.

Section 9: Scrimmage

QC9A: Scrimmages do not qualify for a higher level event and do not upload results to RECFEvents.org.

QC9B: If an event does not meet the criteria for a qualifying event, tournament (open, school-based, invitational, JROTC), league, or RECF Signature Event, the event will be considered a scrimmage unless exceptions are made by the RECF RSM.

Section 10: Workshop

QC10A: Workshops cannot qualify for a higher level event and do not upload results to RECFEvents.org. 

QC10B: Workshops charging a registration fee of $500 or more require additional RECF approval.

Section 11: Conference

QC11A: A conference will be considered a separate event region. 

QC11B: A conference team can only compete in conference events and their own conference championship event.

1. A conference team can not qualify to or compete in an event region championship. 
2. A conference team may compete in RECF Signature Events and the RECF World Championship.

QC11C: Participation in a conference tournament is limited to teams belonging to the  conference. 

QC11D: Conferences may run an unlimited number of conference tournaments. 

QC11E: Leagues within a conference can qualify for a conference championship.

QC11F: Conferences must complete an application to be considered and approved as a conference. The RECF will review and select approved conferences for the 2026-2027 competition season.

QC11G: Conference qualification structure, rules, and/or bylaws must be approved by the RECF before conference events begin.

QC11H: Conferences are open to RECF high school, middle school, and elementary school teams.

QC11I: An approved conference may include teams from multiple event regions.

QC11J: A team may only belong to one conference.

QC11K: All teams from an organization must belong to the same conference, or no conference. 

QC11L: A conference may add new teams/organizations with approval from a conference advisory board.

QC11M: Removing a team or organization from a conference must be approved by the RECF and the conference advisory board.

Section 12: Signature Event 

QC12A: RECF Signature Event spot allocations to ADC / ADC Pro  championships and/or the RECF World Championship are independent from any event region.

QC12B: An RECF ADC or ADC Pro Signature Event is awarded a minimum of five spots to the RECF World Championship if it meets all of the capacity and competition requirements outlined in the Signature Event Guide for event partners. Awards that carry spots are All Around Champion, Teamwork Mission Champion, Skills Missions Champion, and Communication Mission Champion.

1. If the event does not meet the minimum requirements at least 14 days prior to the event, the number of RECF World Championships spots may be adjusted downward.
2. RECF Signature Events will be awarded their spot allocations when it is determined the requirements have been met. If an event is on the edge of meeting the requirements to get a specific allocation, the Regional Support Manager may choose to award the spots after the event to ensure the requirements are met.
3. An RECF ADC / ADC Pro Signature Event may not be awarded spots if the number of registered and participating teams is less than 16 teams for RECF ADC and less than 8 teams for RECF ADC Pro.

QC12C: If a team who has previously qualified for the RECF World Championship wins a qualifying award at a RECF Signature Event or a team wins multiple spots at a RECF Signature Event, those spots will be filled by the team(s) with the highest combined solo mission score at that RECF Signature Event who have not already qualified.

QC12D: The above mentioned criteria applies to RECF Signature Events created and held during the 2026-2027 season only. RECF Signature Event requirements for the 2027-2028 season will be updated and released on November 1, 2026.

Section 13: Event Region Championship

QC13A: An RECF RSM will determine if an event qualifies for an event region championship and the corresponding spot allocation. 

QC13B: A team is permitted to register for only one event region championship in their assigned event region for ADC, or event season for ADC Pro. Note: This does not include RECF Signature Events or conference championships. 

QC13C: A team must have posted a solo match score -OR- have competed in a qualifying event in the current season to be eligible for an event region championship invitation.

QC13D: Event region championship events have no team minimum. Capacity is determined by the RECF RSM in consultation with event partners in the event region.

QC13E: Event region championships with at least 16 teams must hand out a 2nd Judges Award.

QC13F: An event region championship must follow the spot hierarchy in the spot allocation charts.

QC13G: Must offer judged awards and give all teams the opportunity to be interviewed.

QC13H: Must offer the solo missions to all teams.

QC13I: An event region championship must be single grade level only (not blended).

1. Exception: If insufficient elementary school or college teams register in a region, regions may offer blended elementary school / middle school ADC regional championships and blended high school / college ADC Pro regional championships
2. An event region that may not have enough teams to fill a separate event but does not wish to hold a fully blended event, may choose to conduct a hybrid event region championship. This should be discussed with and approved by your RSM.

QC13J: There are three ways for teams to qualify to an event region championship: 

1. Qualifying Award - Winning a qualifying award at a qualifying event in the team’s event region. 
2. World Ranking - If the event region championship in an event region is not filled to capacity through qualifying awards, teams may qualify through the world standings sorted for the event region and by grade level. Teams invited through the world standings are invited in ranked order after the results of the last qualifying event in the event region have been posted. Scores earned after this date will not be used to qualify teams to their championship. 
3. Waitlist - If there is remaining capacity due to teams not accepting a formal invitation, the event region championship capacity may be lowered or teams may be invited from the waitlist. This will be decided by the RECF RSM.

QC13K: Invitations to the 2027 RECF World Championship will be issued from events throughout the 2026-2027 season. 

Beginning in the 2027-2028 competition season, ADC and ADC Pro teams will qualify to the RECF World Championship by earning a qualification spot at their respective event region championships. 

QC13L: Event region championship events will follow specific dates and deadlines. 

1. Regional championships will be scheduled to occur no later than June 6, 2027. ADC regional championships are strongly encouraged to hold championship events before April 1 for the purposes of issuing invitations to teams interested in participating at the 2027 RECF World Championship on April 27 - May 6 in St. Louis, MO, USA.
2. The deadline to host a regional championship outside of the United States is February 28, 2027. Note: this is to allow teams who may receive invitations to the RECF World Championship sufficient time to apply for any necessary visas.
3. Teams that qualify for an ADC event region championship:
   • On or before February 14, 2027, will have four weeks to register and pay by credit card, check or purchase order
   • On or after February 15, 2027, will have two weeks to register and pay by credit card, check or purchase order
4. Teams that qualify for an ADC Pro fall season championship:
   • On or before November 1, 2026, will have four weeks to register and pay
   • On or after November 2, 2026, will have one week to register and must be paid at least one week prior to the fall championship
5. Teams that qualify for an ADC Pro spring season championship:
   • On or before April 1, 2027, will have four weeks to register and pay
   • On or after April 2, 2027, will have one week to register and must be paid at least one week prior to the spring championship
6. Teams invited through the world standings or replacement allocation process (including waitlist-based invitations) shall complete registration and payment within one week of receiving their invitation.
7. Teams that fail to complete registration and payment by the applicable deadline, or that select “Pay Later” without completing payment by the deadline, may forfeit their spot and be replaced at the discretion of RECF or the RSM, in accordance with established replacement procedures.

QC13M: An event region championship should strive to be a multi-day event. If alliance matches are not held over two days, the event should allow teams to set up pit areas, complete the inspection process, and be allowed to attempt solo mission matches the day or evening before alliance matches begin.

Section 14: RECF World Championship

QC14A: Invitations to the 2027 RECF World Championship will be issued from ADC and ADC Pro events throughout the 2026-2027 season via (including, but not limited to) qualifying events, RECF Signature Events, championship events, RECF Online Challenges, and the world standings. 

QC14B: Beginning in the 2027-2028 competition season (that is, the season starting June 1, 2027), it is planned that a regional championship qualification structure will be in place to qualify teams to the 2028 RECF World Championship. Event types that will qualify teams will be:

• RECF event regional championships (including state/provincial and national championships)
• RECF conference championships
• RECF Signature Events 
• Note: these events must be posted on RECFEvents.org and be only open teams registered and paid with the RECF in order to receive spots to the RECF World Championship.

Appendix A: Qualifying Spot Levels

Aerial Drone Competition Spot Levels

*If a blended event has more than 10 teams of either grade level registered two (2) weeks before the event,  the event will recognize two All-Around Champions and two Skills Missions Champion winners (one for each grade level).

ADC Pro Spot Levels