SPARC
SPARC (Standardized Procedures for the Advancement of Robot Combat) publishes a free set of rules and guidelines for running robot combat events. The documents are available at sparc.tools and are the most commonly used reference rules for events in the USA. Most events in the Robot Combat League use the SPARC rules or a variant of them.
How events use SPARC
SPARC is not a league or governing body. It is a ready-made rulebook that any event can adopt, so organizers don't have to write their own, and builders can build one robot that is legal at many events.
- Events can adopt the SPARC documents as-is or change parts of them. The documents point out the rules that events most often change, and offer common alternatives (marked as "options").
- Some things are off by default and only allowed if an event turns them on, such as fire, smoke, tethered projectiles and internal combustion engines.
- An event that changes the SPARC rules is expected to publish its changes before the event.
Builders: always read the event's own rules page as well. Even when an event says it runs SPARC rules, local changes are common, especially for arena-related limits like spinner tip speed, magnets and weapon types. See Local rules.
The documents
| Document | What it covers | Current version |
|---|---|---|
| Tournament Procedures | Weight class names, re-weighing during an event, unsportsmanlike conduct | SPARC Tournament Procedures v1.2 |
| Match Rules | Loading and activating robots, match length and formats, un-sticks, knock-outs, pins, pits and emergency procedures | SPARC Match Rules v1.6 |
| Judging Guidelines | How judges score a match that goes to a decision | SPARC Judging Guidelines v1.3 |
| Robot Construction Specifications | Safety and build rules: weight bonuses, radios, batteries, pneumatics, hydraulics, forbidden weapons | SPARC Robot Construction Specifications v1.7 |
| Restricted Class Regulations | Extra limits for the Sportsman and Plastic classes | SPARC Restricted Class Regulations v1.0 |
| Arena Construction Best Practices | Recommendations for building and running a safe arena | SPARC Arena Construction Best Practices v1.1 |
Versions
SPARC updates its documents from time to time, and each new version highlights what changed since the previous one. The sparc.tools home page always links to the current version of each document, and older versions are kept on the SPARC archive page for reference. If an event names a specific version of a SPARC document, use that version for that event.
See also
- Rules – other rule sets and judging systems
- Robot Classes – weight classes and weight bonuses
- Sportsman Classes and Plastic Antweights – restricted classes
- Events – finding and running events
- Test Boxes – test arenas for your own shop