RoboCupJunior (RCJ) is an educational robotics initiative of the RoboCup Federation for students up to age 19, designed as a pathway to the RoboCup Major Leagues. Teams design, build, and program autonomous robots and can compete with any robot, any software, and any level of experience. RoboCupJunior has been running for over 25 years.
Leagues:
| League | What teams do |
|---|---|
| Soccer | Two robots per team play 2v2 matches, either in the Vision league (robots track an orange golf-ball-sized ball with cameras) or the Infrared league (robots track an infrared-emitting ball). Entry 1v1 leagues and a fully online Soccer Simulation challenge are also offered. |
| Rescue | Rescue Line: a robot follows a black line across tiles with obstacles and debris, then rescues victims sorted by colour. Rescue Maze: a robot explores as much of a maze as possible, finding victims and delivering rescue kits. Rescue Simulation: a virtual robot explores and maps a maze in Webots-Erebus. |
| OnStage | Teams create a live robotic performance such as dance, storytelling, theater, or games, showcasing four distinct robotic features. Teams are judged on a Technical Description Poster, a Technical Demonstration Video, a Technical Interview, and the performance itself. |
Competition pathway:
RoboCupJunior describes a pathway that runs from local competitions and workshops to Regional Qualifying Tournaments, then to three SuperRegional competitions (Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific), and finally to the International competition. Each region's Regional Representative allocates International competition slots, which must strongly reflect regional results. Entry leagues and other "Primary" divisions are run in many regions and at SuperRegional tournaments but not at the International competition.
Historical and announced events:
- Historical RoboCup 2026 (International competition): June 30 – July 6, 2026, Songdo Convensia, South Korea
- Historical RoboCupJunior Americas SuperRegional 2026: October 22–25, 2026, Sheridan Davis Campus, Toronto, Canada
About RoboCup:
The RoboCup Federation's stated objective is that by the middle of the 21st century, a team of fully autonomous humanoid robots will win a soccer game under official FIFA rules against the most recent World Cup winner.
Official sources:
- RoboCupJunior International General Rules (PDF)
- Getting Started
- League pages: Soccer, Rescue, OnStage
- RoboCup objective
2027 timing checked November 4, 2026: The October 20 announcement and host website confirm June 17–21 at the Nuremberg Exhibition Center, Germany, including the Junior International Competition. Detailed schedules and exact team registration deadlines are not yet given. The qualification guide distinguishes regional allocation from Open or Invitational participation, which does not itself guarantee an international place. The current general-rule page remains labelled 2026; its age and team requirements are not a separately confirmed 2027 rule release.
For historical context, the 2026 Americas host registration page lists May 4 opening and September 14 closing for that October event. It required a mentor/chaperone aged at least 20, illustrating that local rules can differ from international ones.