Learn Theme and Rules of Robocon 2025: Basketball Warriors

Launched in 2002 by the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU), the Robocon robot innovation competition aims to foster creativity and technological application among students. The annual challenge theme varies annually depending on the host country.

In 2025, Mongolia will host ABU Robocon with the theme “Basketball Warriors” — a highly challenging and practical problem set designed for students passionate about robotics and technology.

ABU Robocon 2025 Theme

Taking inspiration from basketball,  the ABU Robocon 2025 in Ulaanbaatar seeks to encourage teamwork and collaboration.  With the motto “Together Towards Victory”, teams of robots will compete in basketball matches.

The basketball hoops and balls used in the competition comply with the technical standards of the International Basketball Federation for men’s competitions. However, the hoop height is set at 2.43 meters.

Robocon 2025 Arena

The offensive team's aim is to score  while in  possession by either dribbling or passing the ball to  a teammate robot in the offensive zone. The number of points scored   depends   on the shooting location.

The defending team must block shots, intercept passes, or force turnovers to prevent the attacking team from scoring. If the offensive team loses control of the ball or fails to score, possession switches  to the defending team, who then go on the offensive.

These dynamics make the matches highly tactical, emphasizing teamwork, accuracy, and smart strategy as robots compete to outmaneuver each other and secure  victory.

Match Rules

Matches are played between two teams: Red and Blue. Each team controls two robots, which can be manual, automatic, or semi-automatic.

As in a real basketball game, each match begins with a coin toss to determine initial ball possession.

Before the match starts, both teams must position their two robots in their respective defensive zones.

The team with initial possession will pass the ball to its robot.

Both teams are only allowed to score from their  own offensive zone. The attacking team may enter this zone by either dribbling the ball  or passing the ball to a teammate robot.

If the attacking team chooses to dribble, the robot must ensure the ball touches the offensive zone before  entering the area.

If the attacking team opts for a pass, the receiving robot must already be positioned within the offensive zone.

To be eligible to score, the robot must perform at least one dribble before attempting a shot. The attacking team will earn 3 points for successful shots made from the designated 3-point area, 2 points for shots made from the 2-point area, and 7 points for slam dunks.

Teams  take turns to possess the ball, and each team is given a 20-second shot clock to attempt a score.

During a match, each robot is allowed one spare component for upgrades. The defending team may use  these upgraded parts to block or steal the ball,   quickly transitioning to offense.

The team with the higher score at the end of the match is declared the winner.

The Robocon 2025 challenge is  set to bring a whole new dimension to the technological landscape, as robots compete against each other in direct  matches. This year’s competition requires agile strategies, strong  teamwork and the ability to solve problems quickly under pressure.

Not only are robots not only required to pass and score , they  must also contend with blocks, interceptions, and contested plays from their opponents, making the game closely resemble  an actual basketball match. This high level of confrontation  makes every match intense and exciting.

The preliminary round of Robocon Vietnam 2025   is scheduled to take place on June 5, 2025, at the Ninh Binh Provincial Sports Stadium, located on Dinh Tien Hoang Street in Dong Thanh Ward,  in the city of Ninh Binh,  in the province of the same name.

The final round will take place from June 8 to 13, 2025, at the Ninh Binh Provincial Sports Stadium, situated on Dinh Tien Hoang Street, Dong Thanh Ward, Ninh Binh City, Ninh Binh Province. All final matches will be broadcast on VTV2.