New Builder Guide

Becoming a part of the Community

NHRL has an amazing community of builders and fans who are more than happy to offer advice and talk all things robots (as well as other things). We have a very active Discord, which we recommend to all prospective and new builders. Click here to join our Discord.

NHRL posts announcements and information in our Discord as well but we also suggest you join our mailing list to get information on events registration and other key announcements.

For general information on NHRL, check out our website and our wiki. Our wiki has bot stats, event information, our rulebook and other safety information.

Registration

How do I compete at NHRL?

Because our events are very popular, builders apply to compete at our events. We release a registration form for each event that you will need to complete. NHRL announces which bots will be competing 6 weeks before the event so that selected builders have enough time to finish working on their bot and to make travel arrangements. Find more information about our event registration process here.

Where and when do I apply?

NHRL releases the event registration form on the relevant event channel in our Discord, to builders that have signed up to our emails (sign up here), on the relevant event page on our wiki, and on our website. The form is published 7 weeks before the event and you will have one week to complete the form. It does not matter when you complete the form within this window - there is no priority given to people who register earlier than others.

How much does it cost?

NHRL requires a $25 deposit with your registration. You will get the deposit back if you attend the event, if you are waitlisted but do not get selected, or if you inform NHRL you are dropping out of the event up to 3 weeks before the event.

If you drop out within 3 weeks of the event, you will not get your $25 deposit back.

What information do I need to register?

When you register, you will need to provide information about your bot and your team. Specifically, we need to know if your bot will be a hazard bot so please answer the questions honestly. You do not need to share any images or CADs of your bot.

For your team, we will need contact information and, if anyone is under 18, we will also need information for a responsible adult.

Am I guaranteed a spot?

Because of demand, we cannot guarantee you a spot however our selection process provides people making their season debut with a greater chance of competing. Don’t lose all hope if you aren’t selected - all unselected bots are automatically added to our waitlist and will be added to the event if bots drop out.

I can only attend one specific event - what do I do?

NHRL offers event reservation to competitors for whom travel and logistics limit the possible dates they can attend (long-distance flights, visa letters, etc.). If you can potentially attend most events on the schedule and travel doesn’t require extensive planning on your end, we ask that you use the open registration system instead.

If there is one specific event that is best for you to fight at, you may contact us to apply for a spot for it in advance of registration. There may be situations where we cannot honor your request but in most cases, we should be able to reserve a spot for you.

Apply for event reservation here.

What to expect in general?

NHRL events are friendly events where the community comes together and builders really do support each other. That said, these events are much bigger than most other events and the level of competition is very high. Some of the very best builders in the world compete here so don’t be disheartened if you lose fights - every builder started out that way!

To give you a sense of the scale of our events, there are 136 bots competing and each bot can have 4 people on their team. This could mean 544 people in the pits but the number is usually around 400. In addition we usually get between 800 and 1,000 fans watching fights throughout the day. This can be overwhelming to some people so, if you are concerned about this, please reach out to us before your first event at hello@nhrl.io. We will work with you before the event and pair you up with people on the day so that you can focus on enjoying yourself and fighting your robot.

Travel & what to bring

Getting to the House of Havoc

The House of Havoc is in Norwalk, CT. The nearest major airports are the New York airports (La Guardia, JFK, and Newark). The Metro North train service from Grand Central Station in New York stops in South Norwalk and it’s a short walk from the station to the House of Havoc. If you are driving, Norwalk is just off the I-95.

If you are competing, please go to 88 Day Street (the back entrance for the House of Havoc) as this is where builders enter and exit the building.

There is limited parking on site, so please bear this in mind. Parking at the house of Havoc is free but you may need to pay for it elsewhere in Norwalk. If you cannot park close by, you can unload your equipment at the House of Havoc and then park your car further away.

Unless you live nearby, we recommend getting a hotel room for both the Friday and Saturday nights. NHRL provides a room block at the Hilton Garden Inn. We post the link to the room block in the relevant event channel on Discord and on our Wiki If you need any help or further information, please reach out to us at hello@nhrl.io.

For more info on travel for our events, check out this link.

When should I get to the House of Havoc?

The event starts early on Saturday morning so we encourage builders to come on Friday. We open the Pits at 12pm and Bot Inspection opens at 5pm. This means that you can get settled in and even get your bot passed for the event the day before you have fights. This will make Saturday morning a lot less stressful! We close the building at 9pm on Friday night.

On Saturday, the Pits open at 6am and Bot Inspection opens at 7.30am. You must be in the building by 8am because all builders must attend the builders’ meeting run by NHRL staff. In this meeting you will receive more safety instructions, information on important timings, and the pace of the day. The first fights will be at 9am for 3lb bots but later in the morning for 12lb and 30lb bots.

What should I bring with me?

You should bring everything you need to stay safe and repair your bot between fights. The level of competition is high at NHRL so don’t be surprised if you need to replace components between fights.

We do have a limited selection of tools and parts to buy from our store in the Pits. We also have an exchange bin where builders may leave items that they don’t need that you can take. We also have a fully stocked workshop, a grinding station and test boxes so you shouldn't need to worry about bulkier items. If you want to know if we have a specific tool, please email hello@nhrl.io.

Unless you have specific dietary requirements, don’t worry about bringing food and drink with you. We provide beverages and snacks throughout Friday and Saturday and we also provide some pizza on Friday evening and breakfast on Saturday morning. In addition you can order lunch and dinner on Saturday through us and it will be brought up to the Pits for you to collect. If you are interested in getting lunch or dinner, look out for an email from Gil the week before event week. If you have any questions, please reach out to us at hello@nhrl.io. We also have food trucks on site for Saturday if you want to buy other hot food.

Getting settled

What do I do when I get to the House of Havoc?

When you get to the builders’ entrance at 88 Day Street, walk up the ramp into the building with your equipment. You don’t need to have your entire team with you before you enter. When you get into the building, the check-in desk will be to your right. At this desk, we will check you in for the day, make sure you have signed the event waiver, and give you a competitor wristband. If you are under 18, you must check in with your responsible adult and you will have a different colored wristband. Once you have put the wristband on, head up the wooden stairs in front of you to the pits. If you want to use the elevator for your equipment, please tell a member of staff and we will assist you. You can’t ride in the elevator so when your equipment is loaded, head up the wooden stairs.

'What do I do when I get into the Pits?

Your first time into the Pits might be intimidating - it’s a big space and there might already be a lot of people there but don’t worry, there are lots of people that are there to help. As soon as you come up the stairs, you will see the bot inspection area right in front of you. To the left of the stairs is the most important part of the Pits - the Pit Desk. The Pit Desk is always manned by NHRL staff who can answer your questions. If in doubt, go to the Pit Desk!

Beyond the Pit Desk are rows of pit tables. Each bot gets a pit table so simply find an empty table and start to settle in. We are often asked where’s the best place to be and the answer is that it depends on what’s most important to you. The areas furthest from the Pit Desk tend to be the quietest while the closer you are to the Pit Desk, the easier it is to ask questions of NHRL staff. Some teams have favorite spots that they always like to sit in but wherever you are there will be friendly builders all around you who would love to help you and make you feel right at home.

Each pit table has access to power and at the end of the row there will be a table full of safety and first aid equipment. We also have sand carts around the room with easy to spot flags as well as fume extractors in case you have a battery fire.

When you have found a table, take some time to settle in. At some point a member of staff will come by so that we can add you to the pit map. We use this map to know where everyone is sitting if we need to talk to a team but you can use this too - just go to the Pit Desk and ask us where a bot is and we will direct you.

What happens in the Pits?

This is where competitors spend most of their time on event day. A large part of this is getting your bot ready for a fight but it also an amazing social experience where builders hang out. Everyone is very approachable so don’t be afraid to talk to your neighbors or anyone else!

There are screens around the Pits that show the action from the cages downstairs and tournament information. You can also use the QR code on your pit table to access True Finals to track the tournament and know when (and who) you are fighting next.

In the Pits there is a grinding station with angle grinders to help get your bot ready. Downstairs, there is a full workshop that always has NHRL staff to help you. To get to the workshop, go down the wooden stairs you came up the first time you came to the Pits, then go straight and take a right. When you’ve entered the next room, the workshop will be directly opposite you. If you aren’t sure where to go, ask the Pit Desk to help.

Bot inspection

What is bot inspection and what happens?

Every robot must go through bot inspection. This includes bots that aren’t competing in the main tournament but will be competing in Freestyle fights. During the process we check that your robot is safe and that it conforms with NHRL rules. There are four steps to bot inspection for all non-hazard bots:

1. Inspection - your bot will be examined to make sure it is safe and complies with NHRL rules. We will be looking for an easy to access switch or removable power link, adequate weapon lock, and adequate covers for sharp edges amongst other things.
2. Weighing - your bot will be weighted to make sure it is within weight for your weight class If you have a multibot, all components are weighed together. If you have a modular robot, we will weigh your bot in its primary configuration and then each variation separately. We weigh the variations to ensure they are not more than 50% of the primary configuration.
3. Powered inspection - your bot will go into a test box to demonstrate the active weapon functionality, weapon power down time, mobility type (if you are intending to use a non-traditional locomotion bonus), and the radio fail-safe for weapon and drive systems amongst other things. This is also a good opportunity to practice the load-in and load-out procedures.
4. Bot photo - you will take a photo of your bot at the photo stations provided. This is so that an image of your bot can be uploaded into our systems to be displayed on screens in the Arena when you are fighting and if you appear on our stream!

When you have gone through the bot inspection process, you will sign a form to declare that the information is correct - this is really important if you have multiple configurations so check it closely. If a configuration is not on this piece of paper, you will not be allowed to fight with it. You will also receive your bot badge. The main driver of the bot should wear the badge at all times.

When you have passed bot inspection you are ready to fight!

What do I need to bring with me for bot inspection?

You need to bring with you to bot inspection the following items:

• Your bot powered off with battery in
• All multibot segments you may use through the day
• All other configurations you may use through the day (these don’t need to be attached to the bot)
• Transmitters
• Weapon lock already attached to weapon
• Covers for sharp edges already protecting the sharp edges

The rest of your team doesn’t need to be with you for bot inspection although it may be helpful if they are there too. The Main Driver must go through Bot Inspection with the bot.

What happens if I don’t pass bot inspection?

If you don’t pass bot inspection - do not panic! You can go through bot inspection as many times as you need to pass and the bot inspectors will tell you exactly what you need to do to pass the next time you go through inspection. Even if you haven’t passed bot inspection before your first fight, don’t give up! You can still pass in time for your second fight.

The usual reasons for not passing bot inspection are being overweight or not having an adequate weapon lock. In both cases, bot inspectors can provide advice but also ask your fellow competitors - they will be able to help you get your bot ready to fight.

What happens if I have a hazard bot?

A hazard bot is any bot that includes pneumatics, hydraulics, combustion engines, flame or heat-based weapons, ramset charges, airbags or which falls outside the parameters outlined in the NHRL Rulebook. If you have a hazard bot you must notify NHRL at safety@nhrl.io at least 3 weeks before the event.

When you get to bot inspection, show the bot inspector your email from NHRL that approves your bot design. At that point, a bot inspector will guide you through the enhanced process for your bot. This will vary depending on what makes your bot a hazard but will include additional tests or inspections.

The tournament

How do I know when I’m fighting? Against who?

The best place to follow the tournament is True Finals, our tournament software. You can access this in 3 ways:

1. Scan the QR code on every pit table. Then click on the link to the relevant weight class tournament
2. Look at the info screens around the pits
3. Ask at the Pit Desk

In True Finals you can search by bot to find out who your next opponent is and when the next fight is. You can also see the bracket when the qualifying rounds are completed.

Remember that the time in True Finals is the FIGHT time. You need to be ready 10 minutes BEFORE the fight time.

How many fights will I have?

Assuming you don’t forfeit or get a Technical Knockout (TKO), you will have at least two competitive fights although you will have more if you win! Once you are eliminated from the competition you can still fight in Freestyle. If you are interested in this, talk to the staff at the Pit Desk.

What happens when it’s my time to fight?

You need to be ready to fight 10 minutes BEFORE your posted fight time. Listen out for announcements over the PA system in the Pits and also keep an eye on the screens around the Pits. When your fight has been called, the color of the fight will turn gold.

When you hear your bot’s name or see the color of the fight has changed, pick up your bot (with the weapon lock attached), your transmitter(s) and anything else you want to bring with you to the cageside and head to the Pit Desk. It is important you bring everything you might need with you because you will not be allowed to return to your pit table once you leave the Pit Desk to go down and fight.

At the Pit Desk, your bot will be weighed. When both bots have been weighted, an NHRL staff member will escort you to the cages.

What if I’m not ready?

If you aren’t ready, try not to worry. Each bot is allowed to use a 15-minute extension to get ready for the fight. You can only use this once and if you don’t use all 15 minutes, you can’t keep the remaining minutes for another time. If you aren’t ready for your first fight, there is another fight coming up so all is not lost.

What happens when I’m eliminated?

After your bot is eliminated there’s still a lot to do around the building so don’t feel you need to leave! You can enter Freestyle fights or rumbles (fights with more than two bots), you can go down to the Arena to watch other fights and soak up the atmosphere, and you can hang out in the Pits and chat with other builders.

If you have any questions, head over to the Pit Desk and they will be more than happy to help.

The arena

How do I know where I go to fight?

To make sure the tournament runs as smoothly as possible, we do not assign fights to cages in advance. Instead, the Pit Desk will assign you to a cage when you come up for your fight and are getting your bot weighed.

You don’t need to worry about where to go as a member of NHRL staff will escort you to whichever cage you are sent to.

What is it like in the arena?

NHRL events are the biggest events in the sport. There will be a lot of fans in the arena watching your fights and supporting you! We have two cages with seating around them - Cage 1 for 12lb and 30lb bots and Cage 3 for 3lb bots. All the other cages have standing-room access where fans can get close to the cages. You will still have plenty of space to fight and won’t be obstructed by the fans but be prepared for plenty of people to be watching.

This is the layout of our arena:

What can I expect at the cage?

When you get to the cage, there will be a referee and cage manager there to help get you ready for the fight. You will always come to the side of the cage with the door so that you can load in your bots as safely as possible (see below for load-in and load-out guidance).

The cage also has several important screens used to manage the fight:

• Each corner has a Button Box which is your fight control panel. The button box for your corner will show your bot name and a photo of the bot. When you are ready, press the Ready button on the screen to inform the referee you are ready to fight. When the fight is happening, the screen can be pressed to request an unstick and the button below the screen allows you to tapout. The screen will also tell you when the referee needs you to show motion to prevent you from being knocked out,
• The referee has a screen called the Ref Terminal, The referee uses this to control the match and other technology. You shouldn’t touch this screen.
• Inside the cage are screens with timers to show you how long is left in the fight.

What happens if I forget something?

You can leave the cage at any time but you cannot return. This means that if you have forgotten something, you will not be able to get it. This means that you need to make sure you have everything you might need to bring down with you after checking in at the Pit Desk.

Where do I go after my fight?

Once your fight is over and you have safely loaded your bot out of the cage, you should return to the pits. This is usually done up the same stairs you first used to get into the pits after builder check in. If you are unsure where to go, please ask a member of staff or your competitor and they will help you.

Load in & load out

What do I do to safely get ready for my fight to start?

The first thing to remember is to listen to the referee and the cage manager as they will guide you through the process step by step. They should know that you are new to NHRL but it never hurts to let them know. To get ready for the fight, we have a Load In process. It goes like this:

1. Place your unpowered, weapon-locked bot in the cage
2. Turn your transmitter on
3. Place your transmitter in the cage next to your bot
4. Turn your bot on
5. Remove your weapon lock
6. Pick your transmitter up
7. The cage manager will close the cage doors (Do not close the door yourself)
8. Walk to your side of the cage (Pink or Blue)
9. Drive your bot to your corner
10. Press Ready on your button box
11. Wait for the referee to start the fight
12. FIGHT!

Under no circumstances should you drive your bot or activate your weapon when the cage doors are open. If you do this, you will likely receive an immediate disqualification from the event.

Only move on to the next step in the process when the referee or cage manager expressly tells you to. If you are unsure what to do, ask the cage crew. You will not get a safety warning for going slowly but you are more likely to get one if you rush or do something without being asked to.

There is some more information in the Load In section of our rulebook.

What do I do when the fight ends?

The Load Out process is just as important as the Load In process for keeping everyone safe. Remember to follow the instructions of the cage crew even though you will be excited after you have fought. The process is:

1. Drive your bot towards the cage door
   1. If you can’t drive your bot to the door, the housebot will try to push your bot to the door’
   2. If the housebot cannot get your bot to the door, we will load out the other bot safely and then a member of the cage crew will go into the cage to get your bot; while this is happening keep your hands away from your transmitter
2. If the fights is going to the judges, the referee will ask you to display the functionality of your weapon and drive system for the judges
3. Bring your power key and weapon lock with you to the cage door
4. Once the doors have been opened by the cage crew, place your transmitter in the cage
5. Put your weapon lock on
6. Power down your bot
7. Power down your transmitter
8. Pick up your bot
9. Pick up your transmitter

If there are any parts of your bot still in the cage, wait for the cage crew to clean up the cage and ask for your parts at the end.

Fights

How does a fight start?

The referee will start the fight. When the referee starts the fight process, they will start counting down. You may also hear a countdown over speakers. In addition, your button box and the in-cage screens will also count down.

The fight starts on the first F in “Fight Robots Fight!”

My bot is stuck, what do I do?

If your bot is stuck and you can’t move it, you can press the Request Unstick button on your button box. This will notify the referee that you are stuck and they will send out the Housebot to try and unstick you. There is no guarantee that this will work but they will try their best.

You have one unstick for each fight. If it works then continue fighting! If it doesn’t work at the end of the unstick attempt the referee will request to see motion. If you cannot do that, you will lose the fight by knockout.

I want to stop the fight, how do I do that?

If you want to stop the fight at any time, simply press the big red button at the bottom of the button box. When you press this, the lights will go red so that your opponent knows to stop fighting. They will win the fight by tapout.

What do the lights mean?

We use different light cues inside the cage to denote changes in status. They are as follows:

• White - no special status
• Flashing then goes to Red - fight has ended in a knockout or tapout
• Flashing blue and white and then pulsing  blue - match paused
• Pulsing pink corner or pulsing blue corner - unstick underway for given corner

What do referee directions mean?

When fighting, listen to the referee! As well as requesting you show motion and counting you down, they will also count out pins to make sure that you release them in time and also issue other directions as needed.

My fight is going to the judges; what happens next?

If your fight goes the full 3 minutes without a knockout or tapout, the judges will decide the winner of the fight taking into account Control, Aggression, and Damage.

To help the judges, both bots will need to do a systems check at the end of the fight to demonstrate whether their locomotion and weapons systems are still working. The referee will run the test, so listen to their directions, and will pass the information on to the judges. After this test, follow the load-out procedures overseen by the cage crew and head back to the Pits.

You will see on True Finals that the fight has gone to the judges. Once the judges have submitted their scores, the result will be updated with a JD result - this is the final result. These can take several minutes to come through so be patient and, if in doubt, ask at the Pit Desk.

Judges’ Decisions are final. You can see their scores on the public judges' scores sheet (make sure you select the correct tournament at the top of the page), and if you would like clarifications, you can fill out this request form after the event.

Key safety rules

The most important rules we have are concerned with safety. We strongly encourage you to read the Safety section of our rulebook along with the Discipline section.

Here are some key safety issues to consider:

• A bot should NEVER be powered on unless it is in a closed cage or test box
• Bots should have weapon locks attached at all times unless in a cage or test box or with express permission from a member of NHRL staff
• Be vigilant when charging batteries or making repairs close to batteries and never leave a charging battery unattended
• Always wear appropriate safety equipment when working on bots

If you see something that looks unsafe or you have questions, please ask an NHRL staff member immediately.