Full-contact aerial team sport
Drone Soccer is a fast, full-contact team sport in which the protected quadcopter is the ball. Teams fly, screen, intercept, and defend inside a netted arena; a designated striker scores by sending its drone ball completely through the opponent’s suspended goal ring. This introduction follows the FAI F9A Drone Sports rules for students, families, and prospective teams.
Competitions in this category
Each event is independently judged. Click any competition to see its rules, hardware limits, and scoring.
How the challenge is organized
Four operating sections describe the mission, registration, technical rules, and event operations that hold every individual competition together.
What is Drone Soccer?
It is not a drone kicking a football — the drone itself is the ball. Each multirotor sits entirely inside a spherical protective frame, making deliberate contact, blocking, and close-quarters aerial play possible.
- Team roles
- STEM in action
- Contact sport
- Competition pathways
Rule Framework
These are the core FAI F9A rules for a standard match. Event organizers may publish additional local regulations, divisions, roster limits, overtime, or tie-break procedures.
- Match & sets
- Goal
- After a goal
- Arena & officials
Equipment & Safety
Every competition drone ball must be safe, clearly identifiable, and technically compliant. Inspection can occur at any point during an event.
- Protective drone ball
- F9A-A · 40 cm
- F9A-B · 20 cm
- Lights & failure
Organizer principles
Learn the roles
Rotate striker, defender, and guide responsibilities so every pilot develops control, communication, and tactical awareness — not just speed.
Build for resilience
Practice safe battery handling, propeller and frame inspection, fast repairs, and a deliberate failsafe routine before competitive play.
Check the event rulebook
Use the FAI F9A rules as the international baseline, then verify the organizer’s current bulletin for roster sizes, arena details, eligible equipment, timing, and tie-breaks.
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